Holy War
by Griff4823
Summary: The sequel to "A Dragon in Shining Armour". Several months later, thanks to the efforts of the Royal Knights, peace sets over the continent once again. However, tensions, conflict, and enemies soon arise once again, and it's up to the Order of the Royal Knights to intervene. Can they stop these conflicts from spiralling out of control, all while dealing with their own issues?
1. Prologue: Black Pincer Company

Author's Notes: Here it is. The sequel to A Dragon in Shining Armour, "Holy War". Since it's a sequel, it might be best if you read A Dragon in Shining Armour first, so that you have a full picture of who the characters are and what's going on. Check out my profile to access it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. I do own this story, these characters and this universe.

Rated T/ PG-15 for violence, mature themes, swearing, and more mature themes. Oh, and sexual situations and innuendo.)

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**Holy War**

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**Prologue: Black Pincer Company**

Flames.

The long, tumultuous arms of fire rose up, whirling and thrashing as they grew. They danced and flickered erratically. Violently. Fire was indiscriminate about what it burned or which way it spread.

The walls gleamed with an intense orange colour and the pungent, stifling aroma of smoke filled the dank, musty air. Embers and glowing cinders blew in the breeze and flew deeper into the darkness. The wood snapped and crackled, and the windy roar of the blaze echoed.

The tempestuous flames reflected in a single red eye, which stared into the fire with a silent intensity.

The eye blinked and slowly gazed away, peering into the darkness.

It belonged to one of three figures. The trio were Digimon, all of whom sat around a small campfire inside of a cave. They stayed near the mouth of the cavern, so that they could still see outside into the starry night. If it weren't for the campfire, the cave would be completely dark.

The Digimon who was the owner of the single eye blended right into the darkness. He had the body of a humanoid insect Digimon, and that body was covered by a hard, black carapace that shimmered in the orange light. Over this thick, protective exoskeleton was ebony armour that was just as dark. It covered the upper part of his chest, his shoulders, his forearms, and his shins. Below the long, black greaves covering his legs were his feet, from which three, long, sharp claws extended from each foot. The vambraces he wore over his forearms doubled as deadly weapons from which claws could extend and retract. They were known as Gran Killers, and their claws were almost as long as the insect Digimon's arm.

His bug-like features were obvious. He had an insectoid head that was long and pointed, and he had a red, compound eye that gleamed against the flames. He also had a fearsome, serrated mouth, and long, scissor-like mandibles extending from his cheeks. They looked like they could snap a Digimon in half in a single chop. Additionally, he had four, long, irregular wings protruding from his back. They were formed in an 'X'-shape and seemed to have a bright, orange glow around their edges, which was less intense when he wasn't flying. However, he had humanoid features aside from his body shape. Resting on his semi-crossed legs were his black hands, which had four fingers and a thumb. He also had long, thick, orange-red hair coming out of the back of his head. As the wind blew smoke and cinders towards him from the mouth of the cave, the hair swayed gently in the breeze. Finally, decorating the armour and pincers were jagged, grey stripes, which added to his dark, intimidating appearance.

The GrandisKuwagamon closed his eye and bowed his head. He appeared to be meditating.

Sitting next to him was a Digimon of similar stature, although maybe a bit bulkier. Although he had an insect-theme as well, he was much more humanoid in nature. His upper body was covered with dark bluish-purple armour that covered his chest from his abdomen to his neck. On the front was a yellow plate that matched the yellow trimming of his body armour as well as the thick armour over his forearms. This Digimon had a brawny form, evidenced by the thick, spiked, metal shoulder pads flanking his head. His legs were also covered, by greaves and boots. He also had plates covering his knees and quadriceps, which had the symbol of Thunder on them. Underneath all this armour was a dirty, orange jumpsuit that he wore from his neck to ankle. It was held up by belts and metal cuffs, and it served to cover his skin.

Like GrandisKuwagamon, he had wings coming out of his back. The thin, insect wings were covered by large, blue plates, which protruded from the back of his body armour, which also had AncientBeetlemon's sigil of Thunder on his back. His humanoid head was protected by a blue helmet. Extending from his forehead was a long, hooked, azure horn.

The Blitzmon lay on his back with his hands behind his head, his calculating emerald eyes staring up at the dark roof of the cave.

The final Digimon sat on the opposite side of the fire from them, nearer to the cavern's entrance. He had a similar appearance to Blitzmon thematically, but there were many differences. For one, he was much bigger. At a standing height, GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon only came up to just under his shoulders, excluding Blitzmon's horn. This Digimon was much more mechanical and insect-like. While he had the same dark bluish-violet and yellow colour scheme as Blitzmon, his lower body consisted of armoured tank treads, valves, and pipes for pressurized gases. With those, he could roll or hover across the ground seamlessly. He also wore armour over his bulky upper body. He had broad shoulders that were covered by black pauldrons. Extending from these were long arms that had electrical cannons over the ends of them, resembling Gatling guns. On the end of his cannons, between the barrels, were plus signs, emphasizing his electrical nature. Right below these arms were a pair of smaller arms, which ended with claws. They drummed against the armour covering his treads agitatedly.

Under that heavy armour, he also wore an orange jumpsuit that covered his upper body and both pairs of arms. He had a thick, sturdy head that was covered with metal. Like Blitzmon, he had a long horn protruding from his head, but his was much thicker and more resilient. Instead of a simple horn, it was actually a heavy cannon that was linked to a targeting system inside his body. When targeting, a screen could emerge from his back and aid him in aiming his turret.

The Bolgmon had wide, green eyes and shrunken pupils. There was a wild, slightly unhinged look in his eyes that was only made worse when he let electricity spark between his two arm cannons. With a broad grin behind his metal mask, Bolgmon watched the strands of electricity shoot back and forth, lighting up his features further.

He then looked up, his psychotic smirk disappearing. "…So!" he spoke, addressing his two companions. "How long until we can get out of this shit hole?"

GrandisKuwagamon opened his eye and looked across the fire at him. "What's the hurry, Bolg?" he asked him with a grin. "Still claustrophobic?"

"Screw off," Bolgmon retorted with a glare. "D'you like sleeping in the dirt, Grandis? I thought we were done with that crap years ago!"

"Can't be helped," Blitzmon spoke up, sitting up again and looking over at the cyborg Digimon. "After that battle at the World Tree eight months ago, the Royal Knights have really been cracking down on mercenary teams because of all the mercs involved in the battle."

"Tch," GrandisKuwagamon scoffed. "They could have at least taken that damn tree down…" he muttered.

"…Of course, they only go after the more unscrupulous teams and companies like ours," Blitzmon continued. "The moral, do-gooder 'mercenary' groups get a free pass."

"Kowloon's got hundreds of members but those knights still want to take us down?" Bolgmon asked. "Our company's only got three members; the three of us!"

"Maybe, but you saw the wanted posters yourself, remember?" GrandisKuwagamon reminded him. "We're small but effective. Not to mention the messes we left behind on a few jobs. I'm not surprised we showed up in their sights."

Blitzmon nodded. "We should think about moving that fire deeper into the cave. If any scouts pass by, they'll be able to see it."

Bolgmon glanced into the dark of the cave and then over his shoulder to the outside. "You guys go ahead. No frigging way I'm going in there."

"See? Wimp," GrandisKuwagamon said with a smirk.

"Fuck you," Bolgmon answered. "We should just chance it and go to an inn in a town. If anybody recognizes us, we can fight our way out."

"And draw even more attention to ourselves," GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically spoke. "Great idea." He stood to his feet and folded his arms across his chest. "No, we should lay low for another few days and then do the job."

"I agree," Blitzmon said.

Bolgmon rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm still not going in there."

"Fine, just don't get seen," GrandisKuwagamon told him dismissively.

"I don't have bolts for brains," Bolgmon retorted.

"No; if anything, I'd say you've got a few screws loose," GrandisKuwagamon said to him. He walked over to the fire and kicked at a branch, causing cinders and smoke to billow into the air. "So don't blast anybody either."

Bolgmon let out a laugh. "That's up to them!" he exclaimed enthusiastically.

"I know you like target practice, but you won't be laughin' when all twelve Royal Knights come crashing down on your big, metal ass," GrandisKuwagamon reminded him. "Worse, I don't want to get cornered in a cave because you're blast-happy."

"Cripes. Relax. I was only kidding," Bolgmon responded with a roll of his eyes.

"Tell me that when you have a hapless flying Digimon in your sights, begging you to shoot him," GrandisKuwagamon countered with a smirk. "You can't resist."

The insect-like tank Digimon rolled over the ground towards them a few feet. "Like you're the bastion of self control, Grandis," he sarcastically said.

"Epitome of self control," Blitzmon corrected.

"Whatever. The point stands," the larger Digimon said. He frowned and looked out of the mouth of the cave. "Why don't we just leave? We can prob'ly reach Facture by morning if we travel all night."

"Bolgmon has a point, GrandisKuwagamon," Blitzmon decided, looking over at the black beetle man Digimon. "It'd be safer travelling at night than during the day, too."

"And here I was looking forwards to sleeping," GrandisKuwagamon sardonically replied, adjusting the Gran Killers on his wrists.

"We can crash out at an inn there when we arrive and then do the job at night," Blitzmon suggested.

"Tch. Fine. You convinced me, Blitz," the ebony insect conceded. "Anything to keep Bolgie from bitching about confined spaces."

Bolgmon growled a bit. He rolled his treads over the fire, snuffing it out in a flood of smoke and ash. "Good. Let's go."

"Hit a nerve apparently," GrandisKuwagamon mused, smirking and heading out of the cave. "D'you even have those?"

"Why don't you hit the one in my elbow and see if I accidentally shoot you?" Bolgmon challenged.

"Hey, now. Save that aggression for our job," GrandisKuwagamon told him with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Our client said that there'd definitely be guards protecting the target. They're disposable."

Bolgmon smiled darkly. "Can't wait…"

"Just try not to level the block," Blitzmon added. "Security is extremely tight there, and the D-Brigade is tremendously disciplined, even if those tin cans are neutral."

GrandisKuwagamon nodded and walked out into the shadows of the cliff they stood under. He looked up and saw the mountain towering over them. "Slip in, eliminate the guards, grab the prints, slip out, get paid enough money to last us until next summer. Sound good?"

"Very," Blitzmon responded, smirking and cracking his knuckles as electricity sparked between his hands.

"Oh, yeah. Let's kick some ass," Bolgmon agreed with a psychotic grin.

GrandisKuwagamon turned his back to them and walked out into the grass. Shadows passed over his blood red eye. "Okay, Black Pincer Company. Let's move out…"


	2. Chapter 1: The Party

(Author's Note: Here it is! The first chapter. Thanks to all who replied to the prologue.)

**Chapter 1: The Party**

The metal door of a tavern opened.

The inn was quiet. Only a few Digimon sat at the tables and at the bar counter. They were all machine Digimon.

The floors and walls were made of a smooth, dark grey metal and the public area was illuminated by lanterns. Standing behind the bar was a broad-bodied, metal barkeep. His thick body was covered with a copper-like metal, and he had several pipes, vents, and valves on him. When the door opened, the Guardromon looked over.

The first Digimon that he saw emerge from the door was GrandisKuwagamon, who casually strode up to the bar. Directly behind him were Blitzmon and Bolgmon, who followed him until he reached the bar. They stood at the counter and looked at the Guardromon bartender.

"Two organics, one synthetic," GrandisKuwagamon told him, leaning forwards and resting his arms on the counter. "Can you serve us?"

"Affirmative," the Guardromon responded. "While we don't exactly get many outsiders here, we have plenty of organic Digimon around, especially in the D-Brigade." He prepared some metal glasses. "What would you like?"

"A pint of WarGreymon's Finest," GrandisKuwagamon told him.

"I'm afraid we aren't the Royal Knights; we don't carry that brand of fine ale here," the Guardomon barkeep responded.

GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye. "Whatever. I'm guessing you don't have any mead either… Okay. I'm no snob. Just give me whatever beer you have as long as it's stronger than tap water."

"Very well. A pint of rust lager," the Guardromon said, stepping over to the beer tap and pulling the insect Digimon a pint.

"I'll have that too," Blitzmon spoke up.

Bolgmon leaned his arms on the bar counter as GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon sat down on a couple of stools. "Gimme a double shot of requiem oil."

"Of course," the bartender said, placing a frothing glass of beer in front of GrandisKuwagamon.

GrandisKuwagamon took the glass in his hand and brought it up to his insect-like mouth to drink it. He knocked back a large mouthful and swallowed it with a sigh. "…By the way, can we have a room or two for a day?"

"We have several vacancies, so yes," the Guardromon replied, getting the other two drinks. "What brings you three to Facture? Not many foreign Digimon receive the clearance to enter the city… Are you guests at the party tonight?"

"Party?" GrandisKuwagamon asked. "Nah… We're here on business. We're travelling merchants, so we go from place to place, selling our services…"

"Yeah. We'll make some serious shockwaves in the industry around here before we're done," Bolgmon spoke up, ending with a fierce cackle.

"_Subtle,_" Blitzmon thought to himself, giving Bolgmon a look before looking back at the Guardromon. "Our products have caught the attention of the Metal Empire. We're confident that they want to buy the license and adapt them for themselves."

"Ah. Well, the very best of luck to you in your endeavours," the Guardomon told them. He gave Blitzmon a glass of beer like GrandisKuwagamon's, and then slid a large shot glass filled with a black liquid with tinges of purple and green to Bolgmon. "Thank you for your patronage. Please excuse me while I fetch the room keys from the back."

"Sure," GrandisKuwagamon replied dismissively as the Guardromon stepped into a back room. When he was gone, GrandisKuwagamon glanced around the inn before turning to his two comrades. "Nobody said anything about a party tonight."

"It's fine," Bolgmon assured him, eyeing his potent, alcohol-infused-oil drink. "The target building is a ways away from the crowded parts of the city."

"They'll still probably step up their security," GrandisKuwagamon countered.

"Or they'll divert the security to the party instead," Blitzmon suggested in a low tone. "Either way, we should still go ahead with the plan tonight. We can't afford to stay here long; they have security to the point of paranoia around here. It won't be long until someone realizes we don't have clearance."

"Fine by me," GrandisKuwagamon answered. "After these drinks, let's go to our rooms and crash out until then. I'm beat."

Blitzmon nodded. "We'll need a good rest for what's to come."

Bolgmon smirked. "They won't know what hit them…"

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The grey sky turned dark as night overtook a sweeping city.

The city was grey and metallic throughout – the buildings mainly used steel and other types of metals for their construction materials - and it showed. A wide river (called the Rust River) ran along the west edge of the city before curving and draining into the ocean on the western side of the continent. The whole city was dark, uniform, and industrial. It looked like it had been very meticulously planned and developed with utmost organization. It was designed in a way that favoured efficiency as well.

There were very wide roads filled with street lamps that were fueled by oil in some areas of the city and electricity in other areas. All of the roads and walkways were made of smooth, flat steel, so metal surfaces coated the city. Every so often, some pipes leading from the ground and buildings would expel bursts of steam.

Along the river were a few guarded bridges leading across the river to the other side of the city. Also on the river, were large, metallic, electricity-producing water wheels that were protected by tall, electrified fences and guard towers with spotlights. These fences were actually quite common, as there were several around the foremost manufactories, workshops, and research facilities of the city.

This city was Facture. The capital of the Metal Empire. The Metal Empire was a territory of a robotic and cyborg Digimon who remained neutral and distanced from world affairs. Instead of looking outwards, they looked inwards at their own society, building it up and advancing their technology. Their technology was superior to anybody else in the Digital World, and their economy was flourishing. All of the industries were owned by the state, which Emperor Chaosdramon was the head of. However, society was extremely rigid and controlled. Trade was monopolized by the government. There was always a fear of espionage - that outsiders would get their hands on the Metal Empire's technology and copy it, so security was enforced stringently. Also, since the government was so wide-reaching in the society, those that worked for it had much more money than the average Digimon of the Metal Empire.

On the outskirts of the city was a massive military base belonging to the D-Brigade. The D-Brigade was the Metal Empire's highly disciplined, elite army which doubled as a police force and a counter-espionage force. They maintained the security and the neutrality of the Metal Empire. The D-Brigade was incredibly efficient and well-trained, and they had some of the most high tech weaponry around.

In Facture's center, along the edge of the river, was a huge palace. Both the inside and yard were illuminated, and the building was large enough to comfortably fit Emperor Chaosdramon. Due to his sheer weight, however, the building could only sustain one level. Spotlights surrounded the gated palace gardens, from which fireworks were launched into the sky in a show of pomp.

Chaosdramon was hosting a grand party of notable guests from all over the continent. There were monarchs, leaders, aristocrats, councillors, key political players, and other prominent or powerful Digimon.

Among these guests were the Royal Knights.

Parties like this were rarely as simple as a friendly get-together. They were marketplaces for high level diplomacy. Digimon would come and talk about world affairs and to ensure their place in the Digital World. Friendships were made, alliances were formed, information was shared, rumours traded… The Royal Knights, being prominent participants, had to attend. It was their duty to, as defenders as the Digital World. It was also in their best interests. Despite the fact that the Order was largely self-sufficient, it never hurt to have allies or to be in the know of continental and world affairs. They also still had to maintain their prestige, after it had been brought into question by DarkKnightmon's actions against the World Tree eight months ago.

"Alphamon. I am so glad that you made it," a growly, hollow, monotonous voice spoke.

Alphamon stood in an extravagant ballroom. Gold and silver coloured the walls and thick, beige and white marble tiled the floors. The spacious room was filled with Digimon of all shapes and sizes. The back of the room was gated, but the gates had been opened to allow access to the back garden. Elegant, classical music flowed through the palace, giving the pompous party a regal feeling.

The leader of the Royal Knights looked up at a huge Digimon. The Digimon was a giant, bipedal, cyborg dragon Digimon. He was plated in heavy, red digizoid armour which he wore over his grey scales, which were covered with glowing, crimson, graph-like lines. Over this armour, he was actually dressed in a giant, custom-made, black tuxedo. His left arm had a giant set of claws, and his right arm were claws in the form of a crushing vice. These clamp-like claws held, with remarkable delicacy, an oversized champagne flute that was filled with oil.

Alphamon, who was dressed in a black tuxedo with a white undershirt and a black tie, lightly held the glass of red wine in his hand and smiled up at Emperor Chaosdramon. "Thank you for having us, Chaosdramon," he politely answered. "It's not every day that we have the chance to relax like this."

Standing beside Alphamon was Omegamon. Alphamon's second in command wore a pristine, white tuxedo with light blue buttons and cufflinks, matching white pants, and a white bowtie. Omegamon, being the reserved, soft-spoken Digimon that he was, wasn't entirely comfortable at parties. He especially didn't want to be asked about what had happened with him during DarkKnightmon's Coup. He had stayed near Alphamon and followed him around since arriving; Alphamon was more outgoing and confident in these situations, so it put Omegamon at ease to be near him.

The white knight nursed a small glass of white wine and looked up at Chaosdramon to hear his response.

"I would think not," Chaosdramon breathed. "Unlike us, the Royal Knights are so active in worldly affairs. Coming to the rescue of those weaker than you with no personal gain… There are perks to being neutral, I suppose." When the giant machine Digimon noticed a lack of a response, he reiterated in his mechanical voice. "That was a joke."

Alphamon chuckled. "I suppose that's a valid point of view."

Emperor Chaosdramon nodded his metal, draconic head. "I suppose you all have been busy, following that business at the World Tree earlier this year."

At this, Omegamon looked off to the side quietly and brought this glass up to his face.

Alphamon glanced at Omegamon, noticing the movement, but looked back at Chaosdramon and answered. "Yes, we have been. However, things are more or less back to normal now. Isn't that right, Omegamon?" he asked, looking over at the white-clothed knight with a smile.

Omegamon tensed up slightly at being expected to speak. "Um, yes," he answered sheepishly, reflexively bringing his other hand up and fingering at this bowtie. "Things are running smoothly again."

"That is good to hear. Efficiency is the best policy," Chaosdramon told them. "Everything should run like a well-kept, well-oiled machine. That is what brings such prosperity to the Metal Empire."

"Surely the Digimon who live here have something to do with it," Alphamon suggested.

"Because they are disciplined," Chaosdramon contended. "The success of the Metal Empire lies in its order – the structure, discipline, and cooperation of Digimon at all levels. There is no room for chaotic elements seeking to undermine us here."

At this, Alphamon frowned. Chaosdramon's words reminded him of DarkKnightmon all too much. Order at all costs, is what Chaosdramon meant. The rhetoric sounded like it could easily come out of DarkKnightmon's mouth, said in such a way that made it sound like he had a point. It made Alphamon feel ill-at-ease.

The Royal Knights were suspicious of Chaosdramon and the Metal Empire. They were well aware of the dark side of this seemingly flourishing empire. There were rumours that Digimon who spoke out against Chaosdramon's regime were eliminated. This included political rivals who opposed him when he took power, dissenters, and even Digimon who seemed distrustful, so the rumours said.

There was an undercurrent of oppression and suspicion in the Metal Empire. As the most industrious and technologically advanced state in the Digital World, there was a constant worry that their technologies and blueprints would be stolen and copied. If that happened, it would cause other Digimon to compete with the Metal Empire, which would destroy the prosperity that they had and render their main exports worthless. This meant that, despite the fact that the Metal Empire was neutral in all conflicts, they would treat spies sent by other states as enemy combatants, capture them, and execute them in secret. Because of the fear of espionage, they wouldn't allow their Digimon to leave their territory. This was all done to ensure the Metal Empire's prosperity.

Very few of the average Digimon of the Metal Empire knew about this, and if they did, they kept very quiet about it for fear of reprisal. The only reason that the Royal Knights knew about this was through rumours from their scouts, spies, and from their head of the technical division, MetallifeKuwagamon. Being defenders of the Digital World, the Royal Knights always kept a close eye on the Metal Empire. However, the Metal Empire never acted aggressively and the Royal Knights never had any solid proof of these oppressive measures or disappearances, so they couldn't act in good conscience. There was also the fact that the Metal Empire had the D-Brigade, a very large and a very loyal army, so if the Royal Knights were to act against the Metal Empire's regime, it would likely mean a very violent war. With that said, the Royal Knights never entirely took their eyes off the Metal Empire and they weren't going to leave it alone just for those reasons. They bided their time and waited for other options and opportunities.

Meanwhile, they attended Chaosdramon's party, and both sides acted as though they were on good terms.

"I see… And what do you define as chaotic elements?" Alphamon asked him, though trying to be innocuous while doing so.

Chaosdramon looked down at Alphamon calmly and steadily. "Well-" He interrupted himself when he noticed something out of the corner of his dark, red eye.

Through a large, arched, opened window, flew a Digimon with a humanoid body. A mechanical cyborg Digimon covered in emerald-coloured metal flew in and descended towards Chaosdramon with both haste and grace. As he landed at the giant Digimon's side, Alphamon and Omegamon could see his lean, slender body touch down softly. His green, metal chest was angular, protrusive, and had layers that thinned as they went down to his torso. His collar and the two vents on his chest were lined with gold. The Digimon had long, metal bars for arms, which ended in large vents for some sort of semi-solid particle energy. In fact, they were reproductions of the Critical Arm belonging to the Justimon species. They were connected to the mecha Digimon by two big, round, metal shoulders that were lined with thin, curved blades, making his shoulders look like small turbines. He turned his slender, metal legs towards Chaosdramon and looked up with his uniquely shaped head. His head had a long, pointed V-shape. Coming from the back of his head was a lengthy, narrow, green ponytail that was even longer than Dukemon's. It swayed behind him as he turned and it possessed four decorative pairs of rose-coloured, spherical hair pins. Behind his head, part of the back of his breastplate was a tall, green, halo-like projection that gave him a majestic appearance. The back side of the green metal was toothed, and on each side was a different golden symbol, one reading "wind" and the opposite one reading "god".

"Commander Fujinmon?" Chaosdramon asked him, turning and leering down at him. "What is it?"

Fujinmon glanced at the two Royal Knights apprehensively. "It's a sensitive matter, Lord Chaosdramon…" he said to the giant, cyborg dinosaur.

"Very well, Commander…" Chaosdramon turned to Alphamon and Omegamon. "Apologies, but please excuse me… Duties never cease, even at my own party."

"I understand all too well," Alphamon assured him, nodding gently.

The two Royal Knights watched as Chaosdramon walked off with Fujinmon to discuss whatever he wanted to speak about. With every heavy footstep, the floor trembled slightly. It would have been worse, but the floor had been specifically built in a way that absorbed heavy impacts.

"That was strange," Omegamon spoke, looking over at Alphamon to see what he thought.

"Rather…" Alphamon agreed, eyeing the two as they disappeared through a giant set of double doors that lead further into the palace. He looked over at Omegamon. "Sorry if I put you on the spot earlier. It looked like you wanted to get off of the topic of DarkKnightmon."

"Don't worry about it…" Omegamon responded with a small smile. "And thanks for the thought."

"Are you still sensitive about it?" Alphamon questioned.

"Never mind that," Omegamon said, raising his glass of white wine. "We're supposed to forget our troubles at a party, aren't we?"

Alphamon relinquished a smile and raised his glass of red to gently clang it against Omegamon's. "Then consider it forgotten," he replied over the light ringing. He brought the glass up to his mouth and sipped from it.

"Excuse me, am I interrupting?" a deep, growly voice asked.

The two knights turned to see a large, middle-aged Imperialdramon Dragon Mode approaching them.

"Councillor Imperialdramon," Alphamon greeted. "Not at all."

"Good," the quadrupedal dragon said, stepping up to them and looking down. "How are you both enjoying the party?"

"It isn't bad," Alphamon spoke.

Omegamon nodded in agreement.

"How are things back in my home country?" Alphamon asked Imperialdramon, knowing that he was one of the Councillors of the Council of Seven that governed the Republic of Node from the capital city of New Terminal.

"Things are well in the Republic of Node, even if my tenure as Councillor will run out by the end of the year," Councillor Imperialdramon told them.

"I'll be sad to see you go," Alphamon told him.

Councillor Imperialdramon chuckled. "Will you?" he asked him. "It's no secret that the Council of Seven and the Royal Knights don't exactly get along…"

Alphamon smiled a bit at this. "That's true, but that's not your fault," he told him. "There are other elements within the council that don't appreciate us as much as you do…"

"Yes, well… I would appreciate you all more if you didn't accept my daughter into your ranks recently…" Councillor Imperialdramon spoke with a furrowed brow.

Alphamon thought for a moment. "Paildramon, correct?" he asked. "You know that we weren't the ones that picked the Republic's team of soldiers as a part of that goodwill effort towards us. You seven voted on it and the commanders of your military handpicked the troops from their own units to transfer to our military."

"Yes, I know," Councillor Imperialdramon said with a sigh. "I don't regret the decision; your Order needed the replacement troops after the Battle of the World Tree and I believed that it was a good diplomatic effort to mend relations between us. I just wish that my Paildramon didn't have to be one of the ones to leave."

"She'll be in good hands," Omegamon assured him, deciding to speak up.

Imperialdramon nodded, although still frowning. "I suppose it's the idea that she is in the military at all that bothers me. It was supposed to be my son, but he, well… isn't interested in the slightest," he muttered.

"You should have more faith in your daughter," Alphamon told him. "Paildramon is an extremely competent soldier, and she has a good, level head on her shoulders. I know she'll be a huge asset to us."

Imperialdramon grunted. "That is kind of you to say…" he murmured, glancing away. "…She won't thank me at all for saying this to you, but look after her."

Alphamon smiled. "We will, although she is more than capable of doing that for herself."

"Yes… Rather…" he mumbled. He gave Alphamon and Omegamon a short nod. "Pardon me. I'm going to refill my drink."

Alphamon nodded to the Councillor as he meandered away with heavy steps. When he walked off, Alphamon turned to Omegamon. "How do the others seem?"

"They generally seem to be enjoying themselves," Omegamon explained, looking around. "They're socializing with the other guests."

"No sign of Gankoomon?" Alphamon asked, gazing across the expansive room. "I was hoping he'd change his mind and come in."

"You know how stubborn he can be," Omegamon responded. "Then again, he does have a point. You can't really see him attending one of these elegant, grandiose parties, can you?"

"Maybe not, but this sort of thing comes with being a Royal Knight. He's going to have to get used to it," Alphamon explained. "Dynasmon was the same way a long time ago, but he doesn't complain about it anymore."

* * *

"Man, I hate coming to these things…" Dynasmon muttered. He looked down at the large, black tuxedo over his muscular body. Under it was a white dress shirt and a pale violet neck tie, and his wings sprouted from the back of the suit. "I look like a total fop."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous," RhodoKnightmon protested. On his lean body, he wore a pink, gold-trimmed tailcoat that had a red rose in his jacket pocket. Along with this was a white cravat around his neck, long, goldish-beige pants over his legs, and tall, black boots. "You look very sharp and sexy in a suit."

"Well of course _you'd_ say that…" Dynasmon responded dismissively, gesturing to RhodoKnightmon's extravagant attire.

"Of course! My fashion sense is impeccable, as you well know," Rhodo replied.

"It's all of your other senses that're the problem," Craniamon added from beside them. Like them, he wore a full suit as well, though it was dark purple in colour. He also had a dark blue scarf that he wore snugly around his neck. In Craniamon's hand was a glass of semi-sweet, blue wine that came from the north part of the continent.

"Oh, hush, you," said RhodoKnightmon with a quick look.

Dynasmon rolled his eyes. "There isn't even any beer here. I hate wine…" he murmured.

"Really. It sounds like you _love_ to whine," Craniamon teased. Dynasmon gave him a strong elbow that nearly made Craniamon spill his wine.

"You could always go outside and keep Gankoomon company," RhodoKnightmon proposed.

Dynasmon gave it some thought. "Yeeeeah, maybe…" He trailed off when something caught his eye. He looked up and saw the beautiful, feminine body of a Rosemon striding towards them in a red evening dress. When he looked up at her face, she smiled at him. "Maybe I'll stay here…" he finished with a broad, dopey grin on his face.

The other two knights rolled their eyes.

"Good evening, Sir Dynasmon," she greeted him first. "Sir Craniamon, Sir RhodoKnightmon."

"Councillor," Craniamon said with a nod.

"Good evening, milady Councillor," Dynasmon responded with a wink. "But we don't need to be so formal, do we?"

"No? I suppose we don't…" Rosemon told him with an enticing smile.

"You look very pretty this evening, if you don't mind me saying so," Dynasmon said to her, his smile broadening.

"Why, thank you. And you look quite dashing in that tuxedo," the Councillor answered, admiring him.

"Thank you, my lady."

She smiled and offered her arm. "Would you care to take a walk with me? I would love to hear of some of your gallant adventures."

"But of course," Dynasmon said, his voice decidedly more formal than it was before. He gently locked arms with her and began to walk with her, away from the other two Royal Knights. "And what would you like to hear about first?"

"Hmm…" Rosemon mused, stepping in tandem with Dynasmon. "Perhaps we should go somewhere more private first?"

Dynasmon raised his eyebrow and smiled wider. "Like where, Councillor?"

"A guest bedroom, perhaps?" she offered, smiling at him. "Then you can tell me all about it… and more."

The dragon man smirked and his cheeks went a bit red at the idea. "That sounds good to me…" he responded.

"Come. This way," she told him, pulling his arm and leading him through a large set of doors, further into the palace.

RhodoKnightmon and Craniamon watched as they disappeared from sight.

"…What a forward woman," RhodoKnightmon uttered with an indignant huff.

"No more forward than you," Craniamon told him with a small grin. "You're just jealous. He liked her rose more than yours."

"Ugh! Don't be ridiculous, Craniamon," the pink Royal Knight replied dismissively.

"She's from the Council of Seven, right?" Craniamon asked him. "From the Republic of Node?"

"I believe so," RhodoKnightmon answered. "At any rate, help me with my search."

"Your search?" Craniamon asked, idly swirling the blue wine around in his glass. He had been tuning him out before. "For what, again?"

"A boyfriend for Alphamon," RhodoKnightmon responded, looking around the party for Digimon. "I've located a few possible suitors for him."

"OuRyuumon's gonna _love_ this," Craniamon muttered sarcastically.

RhodoKnightmon readjusted the rose in his pocket before placing his hands on his hips. "Councillor DORUGoramon."

"He and Alphamon can't stand each other."

"KaiserGreymon, AncientGarurumon, Anubismon," RhodoKnightmon suggested.

"The Warrior Ten didn't even come to the party."

"Gaiomon, Goddramon, Butenmon."

"You know… he still likes girls as well as guys," Craniamon reminded him, beginning to think that RhodoKnightmon was conveniently forgetting that part for his own preferences.

RhodoKnightmon pretended not to hear him. "Seraphimon, Omegamon, Jupitermon…"

Craniamon palmed his face and shook his head. "There are things wrong with each of those," he retorted. "I don't think you have a good grasp of this matchmaking thing, Rhodo. You're just listing attractive male Digimon…" Craniamon sighed and raised his glass to drink from it. "Don't you need to bring personality and chemistry into it?"

"That is precisely what I am doing!" RhodoKnightmon countered. "He has chemistry with most of those Digimon."

"Uh huh… I think you're reading too much into it," Craniamon said with a roll of his eyes. "Besides, if Alphamon wants a relationship again, then he can make that decision himself."

"Do you honestly think he would pursue his romantic interests after all of the baggage of the last year?" RhodoKnightmon asked. "He needs a helping push!"

"Why don't you focus on getting yourself a boyfriend instead?" the violet-suited Royal Knight suggested dryly.

"I think not. Where is the fun in that? It is far too much effort," RhodoKnightmon said with a dismissive wave of his hand. However, he turned to Craniamon with a twinkle in his mask. "Unless, of course, you are offering…"

Craniamon immediately took a step back. "No."

* * *

Meanwhile, Examon, Dukemon, and Sleipmon all stood together over near one of the large windows.

Dukemon wore a standard black tuxedo, white undershirt, and red tie over his form. However, Examon and Sleipmon, due to their unique bodies, went a different route. Sleipmon wore a white suit, shirt, and pale purple bowtie over the humanoid part of his body, and black, specially tailored pants for his six-legged, equine lower body. Examon simply wore his regular - albeit polished - armour and a black bowtie around his neck. This was partly because he preferred it this way, but mostly because it was impossible to even custom tailor a suit that would accommodate his giant Caledfwlch wings, his arm wings, and his shoulder spikes. However, he did agree to wear a pair of black dress pants which had a hole for his long tail to jut out of.

"I don't see why we have to come here at all," Dukemon said with a frown. "It doesn't feel right, putting on fake smiles and acting friendly with an autocrat like Chaosdramon."

"I know what you mean," Sleipmon conceded, rubbing the back of his head, his fingers sifting through his violet hair. "But I think this is one of those things that we have to grin and bear. It's for the sake of diplomacy, isn't it?"

"I know, but still. I feel like a total hypocrite," Dukemon responded with a sharp exhale. "If anything, we should be taking this guy down for the way he treats the Digimon who live here."

"We don't actually have any proof of that…" Examon said to him. He held a glass of red wine in his hand but it didn't look like he had taken a single sip of it. "Even if the sources are reliable."

"Yeah, yeah…" Dukemon said, placing his empty wine glass down on the nearby table before folding his arms.

"Anyways, we probably shouldn't talk about that here," Sleipmon advised, looking around carefully. "You have to be careful about what you say at parties. You never know who's listening."

"That's another thing I don't like," the crimson knight spoke curtly.

Examon smiled at him. "It's just a few more hours, Dukemon."

"Don't think of it as being here for Chaosdramon," Sleipmon advised. "We're getting things out of being here too."

"I guess…" Dukemon muttered. He looked around to see if there were any Digimon he recognized nearby.

Examon glanced about too. "I don't see any of the Warrior Ten here," he pointed out.

"That's because KaiserGreymon made it very clear that he doesn't like Chaosdramon," Dukemon informed him. "He publically called Chaosdramon out on being a tyrannical slave-driver. …His words, but I cleaned them up for Sleipmon's delicate ears." The humanoid knight cast a smile to the horse Digimon.

"Very kind of you," Sleipmon told him, though smiling a bit. "So are they banned or boycotting it?"

"Depends who you ask," Dukemon responded with a shrug. "Maybe both."

"I doubt we'd find anything out of place if we looked around," Examon mused.

"Definitely not. Emperor Chaosdramon's smart. He probably spent the last week making sure that everything's clean and tidy for this party," Dukemon explained.

Sleipmon glanced past him and over to the back door that lead to the yard. There was a big, red, sturdy Digimon standing guard at the door. He had brawny, metallic body covered with crimson metal that was lined with gold. The indoor light reflected cleanly off the thick metal. Like Sleipmon, his upper body was semi-humanoid (if that) and his lower body was more bestial in nature. He had four, sturdy legs and a long, flexible tail. His upper body was more mechanical, with two, massive arms that were modelled off of the Justimon species' Accel Arm. They lead to two thick shoulders with large cannons sticking out of them. Just above them were two more giant cannons that had a likeness to those of a Mugendramon. His body and his head were one and the same, and he had two, large red eyes that stared at Sleipmon from the openings in his armour.

"I think we're attracting attention," Sleipmon mumbled at Dukemon and Examon sheepishly.

Dukemon looked over at the large Digimon and waved amiably. "That Suijinmon guy? I think I'll go introduce myself." He walked past the two and began to make his way over to the guard.

Examon and Sleipmon exchanged worried glances. "Dukemon, wait a second…" Sleipmon cautioned.

"It's good to be sociable at parties!" Dukemon dismissively responded over his shoulder.

Examon frowned. "Sure, but…"

Ignoring their heed, Dukemon strode up to the daunting, bulky Digimon.

"Hey. Don't they call you the Waterfall Commander?"

Suijinmon's red eyes slowly turned and set upon Dukemon with a calm, intimidating gaze. "Yes."

Dukemon smiled and extended his hand. "I've heard a lot of stories about you. You're quite the tactical genius, aren't you? You got promoted to Commander immediately after your victory in the Pirate Wars." After a few seconds, he glanced down at his unshaken hand and then back up at Suijinmon.

"…Pardon me. I'm on guard duty for Lord Chaosdramon," Suijinmon rumbled stoically.

Dukemon grinned and stepped forwards. "Oh, come on, Commander. It's a party! You should loosen up a little. What do you drink? Requiem oil? Oil-wine infusion?" he asked, reaching out and placing his hand on Suijinmon's lower shoulder cannon, once again breaching the limits of generally accepted personal space, as Dukemon often did. "I'll even get it for you."

At this action, Suijinmon suddenly tensed up. His eyes slowly turned to look at Dukemon's hand. "Please remove your hand; I don't like to be touched," he said, his calm voice containing a subtle tightness of strain and warning.

Dukemon smiled innocently, unaware that his close proximity was making Suijinmon uncomfortable. "What? Why?"

"I just… do not…" Suijinmon told him, his calm voice brimming with an emotion.

"Come on, I'm not-"

Suijinmon became visible agitated. "Remove your hand now! I don't like to be touched!" he suddenly shouted.

The crimson knight raised his hands diplomatically and backed off a step. "Sorry, sorry…" he responded, a bead of sweat running down his head.

"What did you do now, Dukemon?" Sleipmon asked, walking over with Examon.

"Nothing!" Dukemon protested sheepishly. "I was just being friendly…"

"Pardon my friend," a voice said.

Walking in from outside, through the door that Suijinmon was standing beside, was a humanoid cyborg Digimon. He was clad in bright gold armour from head to toe. He had massive, silver, mechanical hands that were based off of Justimons' Blitz Arms. In one of his hands was a glass of bluish purple wine which indicated, unlike Suijinmon and Fujinmon, he was off duty. He had a bulky upper body with broad shoulders that gave him an intimidating appearance, although less so when standing beside the larger Suijinmon. Over his shoulders were four, large barrels hooked together in a half ring above his head. They seemed to exist for the purpose of generating electricity. On the faces of the two lower barrels were a minus and plus sign, respectively. On the two barrels above them were two symbols, one reading "thunder" and the other reading "god". He had a yellow helmeted head that was surrounded by the collar of his armour. Below the bladed crest on his helmet was a pair of yellow eyes that had an intense but affable look to them. Trailing behind him was his tail which consisted of several, thick, intertwined, yellow wires and ended in an electrical plug. He had red dots and double comma-shaped futatsudomoe symbols on various parts of his armour.

The Raijinmon placed his hand on Suijinmon's back, which didn't elicit the same negative reaction from the red machine Digimon. "He doesn't mean to be rude, but he doesn't like people who he doesn't trust touching him," the yellow cyborg explained.

"Hmph," Suijinmon huffed, apparently calm again, although still indignant.

"Oh, sorry… Didn't mean any offence," Dukemon explained, smiling awkwardly and rubbing the back of his head. "You're Raijinmon, aren't you? The Thunderclap Commander?" he asked, extending his hand towards him.

Raijinmon took his hand and shook it with an amicable smile. "That's correct. It's nice to formally meet you, Dukemon. You're looking well."

"Thank you," Dukemon responded, returning the firm shake. "I'll take any compliment from the leader of the D-Brigade's three Storm Commanders." He then managed a smile. "How is it that you're off duty but Suijinmon and Fujinmon aren't?"

"Luck of the draw," Raijinmon responded.

"Lord Chaosdramon prefers you the most of the three of us," Suijinmon pointed out, looking at his gold comrade.

"Moving on, how are you three enjoying the party?" Raijinmon asked the Royal Knights, brushing off Suijinmon's comment.

"Quite a bit, thanks," Sleipmon replied, offering a smile.

"It's an honour to have such prestigious Digimon attending," Raijinmon went on. "I would love to be as renowned as all of you, one day."

"It's not all autographs and fan mail, you know," Dukemon responded, grinning. "Some fans write these weird stories about us."

"I think some of them are charming," Sleipmon suggested with a chuckle.

"Duftmon says they're uninspired, amateurish, self-indulgent drivel," Examon spoke, thinking to himself about the last time the topic had come up.

"That's just because one of the stories Ulforce showed him involved Duftmon falling in love with Alphamon," Dukemon said with a hearty laugh.

Raijinmon folded his arms and frowned. "That may have been my story…" he informed them with some annoyance in his tone. "I had a copy mailed to the Order for fact-checking and constructive criticism but I never received a reply…"

Dukemon slowly turned back to face Raijinmon, smiling sheepishly as another bead of sweat rolled down the back of his neck. "R…Really…"

Sleipmon mumbled to Examon. "Dukemon's doing great tonight," he sarcastically said.

"Maybe we should rescue him," Examon agreed.

Dukemon chuckled awkwardly and scratched his cheek with a finger. "Oh, that one! I loved that one! You really – er – captured Duftmon's essence well!" he exclaimed trying his best to backpedal out of the hole that he dug for himself.

Raijimon leered at Dukemon blandly. "I made it as factually accurate as I could. Was I wrong to include the sexual tension with Alphamon that I noticed in Duftmon's published memoires and journals?"

"_Apart from the fact that he doesn't have a romantic bone in his body?_" Dukemon thought to himself. "Not at all!"

* * *

The night continued to loom over the city of Facture. The grey clouds sprawled across the sky, blocking moonlight and threatening rain in the near future.

On the side of the river that was opposite to Emperor Chaosdramon's estate was one of the several manufactories. It was somewhat separated from the urban part of the district because it had to be fenced off and allow a good line of sight. About a kilometer away, near the edge of the city, was the giant base of the D-Brigade.

This manufactory was surrounded by an electrified fence and several metal watch towers possessing spotlights that covered 360 degree radiuses. In one of the corner towers, which was somewhat close to the riverbank, was an Andromon on guard duty. He was a cyborg Digimon possessing a humanoid form. He had metal over his slender, partially robotic body. Beside him was a large, thick spotlight that slowly turned via a gyrating gear system that was present at the base of the light. The perpetual movement of the gears created an incessant click-clacking sound as they made the light pivot from one side of the tower to the other. The light scanned the ground and the bank of the river.

The Andromon stood beside the spotlight and adjusted it every so often. He also kept a look out, himself, although he wasn't at his most alert. 98% of guard duties were boring and uneventful. He doubted this would be any different.

He simply gazed across the serene river to the lights coming from Chaosdramon's palace, which he admired from afar with a bit of envy. The cyborg Digimon glanced up at the sky. "Wonder if it will rain…" he mumbled to himself. He started to analyze the clouds with his optical sensors. "I suspect there's a 40% chance…"

The Andromon's attention was pulled away when he noticed a flash of light out of the corner of his eyes. The spotlight beside him burst with sparks and flickered several times before going dead. The guard backed away with surprise before sneering. The area around the tower was suddenly dark.

"Damn thing…" he muttered, bending over and starting to tinker with the dead light. "It must have blown a circuit or the bulb… I had better not get blamed for this."

As the Andromon fiddled with light, he was unaware of the shadow that slipped in behind him.

With frustration, he kicked the spotlight and stood up straight again. "Forget it; I'll go ask for a replacement…"

It was in that moment that his optical sensor began to sense something looming behind him.

Before he could react, a black hand reached out from behind him and went in front of his face, covering his mouth. The Andromon's eyes widened and his sensors began to alert the danger. He started to resist, but he could only release a sharp, muffled yell when three claws pierced into his back and emerged out of the front of his metal body. Oil dripped down his chest and his body shut down before bursting into data.

Standing behind the cloud of glowing data particles was GrandisKuwagamon, who slowly lowered the Gran Killer that he stabbed the guard with. "You'll need a replacement. That's for sure…" he said as he stepped through the data particles, passing by them.

The black insect Digimon walked to the railing of the watch tower and whistled. He watched as Blitzmon and Bolgmon stealthily emerged from the shadows of the riverbank and began making their way up the metal ground. When they grew close to the electric fence, GrandisKuwagamon flew down and landed on the opposite side of the fence.

Blitzmon approached the fence and nodded at GrandisKuwagamon. "I'll do the honours," he said in a low voice. He grabbed hold of the electric fence, which immediately began to surge with electricity. Blitzmon, however, was a Digimon of electricity, so the effect was much weaker than it would have been. He growled and tore the fence open with a strong heave, creating an opening large enough for Bolgmon to go through.

"Good. Let's go before we're spotted and the D-Brigade comes down on our asses," GrandisKuwagamon said, turning and heading towards the giant building inside the fenced area. Blitzmon stepped through the fence and Bolgmon rolled in after him.

The manufactory itself was forty feet high and much, much wider. It was made with light metals, and there were several vents and vapour ducts at various points around the building.

The three quietly approached in the darkness of the night. Bolgmon rolled up beside the leading two as quietly as his treads would allow. "How do you guys wanna infiltrate?" he asked them in a whisper.

"With as little attention as possible," Blitzmon responded, surveying the building carefully as they drew nearer. He turned to GrandisKuwagamon. "Zone Black Hole?"

"I like to know what my exit looks like when I do that…" GrandisKuwagamon responded hesitantly. "But I guess it beats bashing the door down. These walking scrap heaps have metal rods up their ass ports when it comes to security."

Blitzmon nodded. "Then let's stick with the plan." He turned to the tank Digimon. "Bolgmon?"

"Yeah, I'll cover the exit from out here," he said, driving towards the wall of the manufactory.

GrandisKuwagamon stepped up to the side of the building. Nearby, a vent unleashed a surge of warm steam. "Good. Blitzmon and I will infil, find the factory director's office, get the blueprints, and then exfil." He looked around warily before turning so that his back was to the building. "Now give me some space."

Blitzmon and Bolgmon both reversed several paces, giving GrandisKuwagamon room to move.

"Slide Evolution."

GrandisKuwagamon's form became encased in a blackish-grey aura that wasn't too noticeable in the darkness of the night. Within this umbrous aura, GrandisKuwagamon's body grew substantially in size. While he still retained some of his characteristics like his black exoskeleton, orange hair, and long, jagged pincers, his body became very different. He took on the appearance of a giant, beast-like insect, with four, clawed legs. Instead of one red eye, he had two, and his four wings pointed back. Extending from his sides, between his fore and hind legs, was a pair of arms.

"GranKuwagamon…"

As he emerged from the darkness, the insect Digimon's spiked head looked around to make sure that nobody saw him.

"We're fine," Bolgmon said, glancing around and fidgeting a bit. "Now get a move on."

"Get on my back, Blitz," GranKuwagamon told him. "Keep that big, metal ass of yours outta sight, Bolg,"

"Uh huh. Just don't fuck up," Bolgmon retorted, reversing.

"With the pay this job has? Don't plan to," GranKuwagamon answered.

"And remember, the office should be on the second level near the middle of the building. Overlooking the assembly line," the large, armoured insect reminded them.

"We know," Blitzmon answered, mounting GranKuwagamon's back.

GranKuwagamon's red eyes flashed and his long, scissor-like pincers began to cut through the very fabric of space. "Zone Black Hole!"

His jagged forceps sliced open the space in front of them, creating an incision that expanded and revealed a large hole leading to a black void. The void in front of him was an inter-spatial rift. Going through it allowed GranKuwagamon to emerge wherever he needed to get to in the general area. He planned to travel through it with Blitzmon in order to get inside the factory.

The abyss opened itself up to him, inviting him. Without hesitation, GranKuwagamon flapped his wings and flew through. Blitzmon held onto him tightly.

Bolgmon watched as they went through the tear in space. As soon as the whole of GranKuwagamon's body went through, the rift shut behind them. It was as if it had never been there.

A gleeful expression formed on Bolgmon's face. "This is gonna be a fun night..."

* * *

Outside, in the sizeable backyard that overlooked the adjacent river, Magnamon, Duftmon, and UlforceVeedramon stood near some of the other party guests.

Like the rest of the Royal Knights, they all had formal wear on as well. Magnamon had a dark blue formal vest, pants, and bowtie, and a gold, long-sleeved undershirt. UlforceVeedramon wore a blue suit and a gold tie over a white dress shirt. For leg wear, he had on his blue tights that he always wore with his combat armour. Duftmon was more extravagantly dressed, with a dark brown suit and pants, studded with golden buttons, a white undershirt, and a long, rippling cravat from his neck down to his chest. He also had his usual red sash around his waist, deeming it nice enough to add to his attire.

"So, Duftmon," UlforceVeedramon said with a broad grin. "Are you going to go and socialize with all of these Digimon?"

Duftmon folded his arms. "If I see anybody worth having an intellectual conversation with, then I will speak with them. Otherwise, I won't waste my time," he responded.

"So… unlikely," UlforceVeedramon joked.

"I like meeting new Digimon," Magnamon said, looking around. "There are so many different types of Digimon in the world. So many personalities and stories… It's interesting."

"Not to me," Duftmon spoke. "What do I care about another Digimon's life story? Digimon aren't fascinating; _ideas_ are fascinating. History, sciences, warfare, politics, philosophy, literature… things that are intellectually stimulating. You can't have a meaningful debate about Digimon…"

"I think that's relative, Duftmon…" Magnamon told him.

"Yeah, we debate about you all the time," UlforceVeedramon teased the tactician with a playful elbow to his arm.

Duftmon gave him an annoyed, sideways glance. "Please refrain from scuffing my jacket."

UlforceVeedramon's eyebrow cocked. "Jackets can scuff?"

Magnamon smiled. However, his attention was drawn away by the thunderous footsteps nearby. He turned and looked up, seeing the tallest, most fearsome Digimon at the party stepping out of the building. A giant, gold and beige-scaled spinosaurus Digimon inadvertently loomed over them as he walked into the night air. He was at least forty feet tall – twice as large as regular Spinomons – and he had a giant, fearsome sail of blades. It was King Spinomon, the monarch of the Mesozoic Kingdom.

Flying beside his face was Sinduramon, the Rooster Deva and one of Baihumon's servants. He talked loudly, making no effort to hide their conversation, to try and match King Spinomon's booming voice.

"It's true! Omegamon betrayed the Royal Knights to join DarkKnightmon!" Sinduramon told the giant dinosaur. "I saw it with my own eyes!"

"When you were their prisoner, you mean?" King Spinomon said thunderously, looking over at the rooster Digimon with a grin in the corner of his oversized mouth.

Sinduramon flushed momentarily at the memory and then turned his head to look away indignantly. "W-Well… I suppose so. That's how I know it's true!"

"Then what's he doing in there?" the dinosaur monarch asked, thumbing with his claw over his spiked shoulder. "Wouldn't the Royal Knights have thrown his ass out?"

"Oh, the Royal Knights are a bunch of bleeding hearts," Sinduramon responded dismissively. "That's why the World Tree took so much damage during DarkKnightmon's Coup. It's their fault that Baihumon wanted to pluck my tail feathers out one-by-one."

"I think that was your own fault for using your beak too much," a voice said.

Both Spinomon and Sinduramon stopped. Spinomon craned his head down and saw Magnamon standing in front of them, arms folded and looking annoyed.

"This is a private conversation, Magnamon…" the Spinomon monarch told him.

"Really? Because with the way you two were talking, it sounded like you were addressing the whole party," Magnamon responded, narrowing his eyes. "Omegamon probably heard you."

"This is my speaking voice," King Spinomon said with a bit of a snarl. He took a threatening step towards Magnamon. Despite Spinomon being nearly ten times his size, the unfazed Magnamon didn't even flinch.

"Even so, you could be more considerate," Magnamon told him. He turned and looked at Sinduramon. "Especially by not indulging in baseless gossip."

Sinduramon felt a bead of sweat run down his avian head. "S-So, I suppose you know the truth of the matter, then?" the rooster Deva challenged, not giving Magnamon an inch. "Because I saw Omegamon for myself. He was covered in black armour and he even held me down as they interrogated me!"

"Which he feels terrible about," Magnamon responded defensively. "I know he would tell you himself if you talked to him."

"If that were true, he knows where I am," Sinduramon protested indignantly.

"He isn't good with initiating conversations. He's more action-oriented…" Magnamon sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Look, Omegamon was corrupted by DarkKnightmon using dark data. He had no control over his actions. He really is a good guy, and he feels awful about what happened."

Sinduramon opened his beak to retort as he flapped in place, but he frowned and thought better of his reply. "…Well, I'll speak to him later for my apology and that'll be the end of it, I guess."

"Thank you…" Magnamon responded sincerely.

"You have a lot of guts and heart in that tiny body, Royal Knight," the dinosaur monarch observed with an amused expression.

Though he maintained a calm smile, there was an annoyed twitch in Magnamon's face. "…I'll take that as a compliment, your majesty," he replied before nodding and walking back to UlforceVeedramon and Duftmon.

Sinduramon then turned back to King Spinomon. "So, have I mentioned that Cherubimon has a thing for Ophanimon?"

"But doesn't she like Seraphimon?"

As the two went further into the backyard, Magnamon rejoined his friends.

"That was pretty good of you, Magna: sticking up for Omegamon," UlforceVeedramon told him, putting his hand on Magnamon's shoulder.

Magnamon blushed. "Yeah, well… He's a good friend," he answered.

"Would you do that for me and Duftmon?" UlforceVeedramon asked with a playful grin. Duftmon scoffed.

"You would probably both deserve it," Magnamon teased back.

"Yeah, yeah…" the cobalt Royal Knight said. He then flashed Magnamon a grin. "You so would, regardless."

"That depends on how many times you mentioned my height that day," the Knight of Miracles mentioned, beginning to head inside. "I'm going inside to talk with some of the other guests. Are you two coming?"

"Sure," UlforceVeedramon responded, following him in. "It looks like it might rain tonight anyways."

"If I must," Duftmon answered reluctantly.

The three Royal Knights walked back into the palace ballroom, unaware of what was going on across the river.

* * *

Inside the factory, two Digimon walked down a wide, sturdy, metal catwalk. The catwalk was attached to the side wall of the factory, beside several small windows that overlooked the fenced-off loading yard and the river. On the other side of the walkway was the factory floor, twenty feet below it. The elevated walkway offered a good view of the production and the workers in order to ensure efficiency. At the end of a catwalk was a door leading to the factory director's office, which overlooked the entire factory floor from the end of the room.

The two Digimon walked side by side, heading towards the office. The factory was dark except for the light in the factory director's office. They were the only two in the factory. One was a broad, mechanical robot Digimon with two long arms, claws on his back, a horned, beetle-like head, and a electromagnetic armour over his blue and red body. The AtlurBallistamon walked alongside a tall, humanoid cyborg covered in black armour. The HiAndromon also had a red and blue turbine on his left and right shoulders respectively.

"Everything is secured and shut down for the night, factory director," the AtlurBallistamon said, turning his head to look at the HiAndromon beside him.

"Good," HiAndromon responded. "We have increased productivity by 7% and reached our quota well ahead of Chaosdramon's deadline." He turned his head and looked at AtlurBallistamon. "I-…"

"What is it?" the AtlurBallistamon asked.

"Did you hear something?" HiAndromon queried.

"No… Perhaps it was the machinery cooling down," AtlurBallistamon suggested to his superior.

"I don't know," HiAndromon said sceptically. He turned and looked around through his visor. His gaze tightened and he scanned the dark factory. "Look out!"

"What?" AtlurBallistamon sputtered, turning around upon hearing the sharp crackle of electricity behind him.

"Thor's Hammer!" a voice shouted.

Blitzmon's body flew up suddenly in front of the railing of the catwalk. His fists were balled together, swelling with electricity as he raised them above his head. He slammed his fists down, bashing the back of AtlurBallistamon's head and sending electricity flowing through his metal body.

The stocky mecha Digimon let out a shout of pain and surprise, stumbling forwards and slamming into the wall. He pushed off of the wall and swung around, tightening his fists. "Wh-What was that?! That hurt!" he exclaimed with shock, the horn on his head sparking up. "But he's just a Blitzmon!"

Blitzmon smirked and landed on the railing of the walkway, his features highlighted by tendrils of electricity. "I'm not your average Blitzmon…" he told them.

"Intruder!" HiAndromon shouted, rushing forwards and levelling a punch at Blitzmon.

Blitzmon lunged off the railing, jumping over the punch, and threw his leg into a sweeping kick. His metal boot impacted the HiAndromon's cheek and sent him careening onto the sturdy metal catwalk.

HiAndromon sneered and clutched his face as blood dripped from the corner of his lip. "That shouldn't be possible… How is a champion-class hybrid Digimon capable of delivering such a strong blow?!"

The mercenary insect man gave him a dark grin. "I'm not constrained by your limits. Not when I'm a hybrid Digimon with the X-Antibody. I've taken down Megas before."

"X-Antibody?" AtlurBallistamon asked with an angry frown.

"He looks exactly like a regular Blitzmon, though," HiAndromon muttered. "Forget it. Destroy him, AtlurBallistamon!"

As AtlurBallistamon's upper body surged with electricity, Blitzmon merely flew back, away from the catwalk, his horn sparking.

"Rocket Bunker!" AtlurBallistamon droned dynamically, extending his arm and launching his fist with high speed, pneumatic pressure.

The fist flew towards Blitzmon, but Blitzmon vanished in an instant, reappearing over on the catwalk.

"He's fast…" AtlurBallistamon muttered.

"Anti-gravity field," Blitzmon explained with a calm grin. "Thunder Toppler."

His horn surged with flashes of electricity. The light streaked through the air as Blitzmon rushed forwards and drove his horn into the AtlurBallistamon's chest. The sturdy horn went right into the cannon port of the AtlurBallistamon's midsection. With all of his might, Blitzmon then lifted him into the air and sent electricity coursing through him. As the machine Digimon grunted with pain, Blitzmon threw him off the catwalk and AtlurBallistamon landed on a set of mechanical equipment below with a thunderous crash.

"Don't think you'll get past me, even with an X-Antibody," HiAndromon spoke, clenching his fists.

Blitzmon smirked and looked past him, down the catwalk. At the end of the walkway, he saw GrandisKuwagamon step out of the factory director's office with the blueprints under his arm.

"We already did," Blitzmon replied, nodding behind HiAndromon.

"What?!" HiAndromon demanded, spinning around to see GrandisKuwagamon.

"Don't worry," GrandisKuwagamon told him with a grin. "We'll give you guys a quicker end than Chaosdramon would. I don't think he tolerates incompetence of this level, does he?"

"Mercy deletions all around," Blitzmon spoke, cracking his electrically-charged knuckles.

HiAndromon unleashed a furious shout and charged GrandisKuwagamon desperately, preparing to do whatever he had to in order to get those blueprints back.

* * *

Meanwhile, a figure stood outside of the palace. The air was cool, but not so much that it was uncomfortable. The flickering stars were overtaken by grey clouds.

Gankoomon leaned against the metal fence that surrounded the palace. The electricity had been turned off for the party. He stood on a metal road, which led down from the city and passed in front of the palace before stopping at the steel river bank. The twelfth and newest Royal Knight was positioned right beside the entrance gate that led into the palace grounds and up to the building itself. It was guarded by two, strong-looking D-Brigade members.

Unlike the other Royal Knights, he didn't make an attempt to dress in formal attire, which caused an argument between him and Duftmon on the way there about showing them up. Instead, he just wore his usual clothing: his white jacket, black bodysuit, and red geta. In Gankoomon's mouth was a kiseru pipe that had been imported from the eastern continent. It was medium-length and slender, and had a bamboo base dyed red and two clean, metal tips. In one hand, he had a box of fine, brown threads of kizami tobacco, which he gently plucked out with his fingers. He then closed the box and placed it in the pocket of his jacket before placing the clump of tobacco in the palm of his hand and gently rubbing it into a ball. When satisfied, he placed it into the mouth of the kiseru pipe.

As Gankoomon took out a box of matches, he glanced over his shoulder, through the metal fence, over at the palace where the party was taking place. He could hear the music playing and the loud, reverberating rumbles of some of the guests. Exhaling through his nose, Gankoomon looked forwards again, struck the match, and brought the ember to the tobacco, softly lighting it. After grasping near the end of the pipe with his fingers, Gankoomon flicked the match onto the steel ground as while gently inhaling.

As he blew out a gentle puff of smoke, he watched as the Tankdramon guard who helped stand sentry at the palace gate suddenly rolled over and picked up the match in his long claws. The guard then shifted into reverse and placed the match into a nearby garbage can. Gankoomon observed this with a curious expression as he smoked, suddenly wondering if he managed to break a littering law or something.

"Hey, Gankoomon!" a voice called out.

Gankoomon turned his head and looked up the road. He saw two figures walking down from the city towards him. One was Captain Karatenmon, the captain of the Royal Knights' Stealth Forces. The black, anthropomorphic, corvid Digimon walked towards him with a small grin.

Walking beside him was a humanoid Digimon, similar in shape to Gankoomon, but leaner and more agile. Over his body, he wore a white, blue, and black, skin-tight bodysuit. While he was mostly organic, his right arm was cybernetic and completely made of metal. Thanks to the Extend Transmitter implanted in his back, the arm could shift into three different modes: the Blitz Arm, the Accel Arm, and the Critical Arm. Currently, it had the same size and form as his left arm, meaning it was in its Blitz Arm state. The top three quarters of his head was completely covered in a metal helmet, and the rest was covered in a mask. Around his neck was a long, red scarf. Both ends of it flowed in the breeze as he approached with Karatenmon.

"Karatenmon," Gankoomon greeted after releasing another breath of pungently aromatic smoke.

"Not joining the party?" Karatenmon asked him, stepping up to the knight. "I never would have thought you to be anti-social."

"I'm not. Just don't feel like it. It's too pretentious in there," Gankoomon responded with an indifferent shrug. He took the pipe out of his mouth to talk properly. "What are you doing? I thought you—"

Karatenmon placed his hand on Gankoomon's shoulder and casually led him away from the guards. He gave a subtle glance in their direction to indicate to Gankoomon that they could hear them. "My friend and I were looking around while we waited but we ran out of places to visit. For such a big city, there's not a lot in the way of tourist attractions," he innocently spoke to cover up the real reason he had accompanied the Royal Knights on their journey.

Gankoomon walked alongside the Royal Knights' spymaster up the road towards an adjacent street, away from the guards. "Oh…" he spoke in reply. He glanced over at the Justimon who accompanied Karatenmon. "And who is your friend? Does he speak?"

"He can count without using his fingers too," the superhero Digimon responded with a smirk, raising the index finger of his mechanical hand.

"On a good day," Karatenmon teased, looking over at the Justimon.

"I'm Justimon," he greeted, offering his Blitz Arm to Gankoomon. "Junior Commander of the Tactical Division of the New Dramon Army."

"Gankoomon. Nice to meet you." Gankoomon replied, switching his pipe to his other hand and shaking Justimon's hand firmly. "And you two are friends?"

"Yeah. We met in a bar in Cloudspire," Karatenmon explained. "We were both there for work."

"Sounds unprofessional," Gankoomon mused. He then grinned. "I like it." After a moment, he glanced over his shoulder to see if the guards were watching them. When he saw that they weren't, he leaned in and spoke quietly. "Weren't you supposed to be spying, Karatenmon?"

"I was," Karatenmon whispered back. "It's harder than it looks in Facture. There's a lot of security."

"Then I bumped into him," Justimon explained.

"Right when I thought I saw something across the river," Karatenmon added, looking at Justimon.

"Across the river?" Gankoomon asked, turning around and looking down the road to across the river.

"He _claims_ he saw something," Justimon spoke, looking as well.

"I'm a ninja and an avian Digimon," Karatenmon reminded him. "My eyesight is impeccable."

Gankoomon placed his kiseru in his mouth and inhaled slowly as he watched the opposite side of the river. Right as he exhaled a wisp of smoke, he saw a bright light flare up in the distance. It was followed by a nearby explosion. Across the river, flames plumed and billowed into the night sky, soon followed by a deep reverberation.

"What the…?" Gankoomon muttered, glaring.

"I definitely saw something that time," Karatenmon spoke, flapping his wings and floating off the ground.

"An explosion?" Justimon asked, his face darkening.

"Karatenmon! Go check it out!" Gankoomon said, quickly upending his pipe and tapping the tobacco out. "I'll get the others!" He took off running, dashing down the street and turning at the gate. The Royal Knight ran up the pathway to the palace to inform the other Royal Knights of the chaos taking place on the other side of the river.


	3. Chapter 2: A New Threat

(Author's Notes: Sorry this took awhile. Trying to get a few chapters written in advance. That might cause a longer-than-usual release for Chapter 3 as well. Anyways, here it is. Enjoy!)

**Chapter 2: A New Threat**

In a dark room that was dimly lit by a candle, the sounds of heavy breaths and the wet sucking of lips filled the air. Dynasmon and Rosemon were in a guest bedroom tailored for Digimon of their size. Their arms were wrapped around the other and they kissed passionately while gripping each other's clothed bodies.

"Mm, Councillor…" Dynasmon said with a deep, husky groan as he pulled away from her face somewhat.

"You may call me Rosemon," she told him with a smirk, raising her hand and gently rubbing his broad neck. "Unless you'd rather call me Councillor."

"Good to know, Rosemon," Dynasmon responded with a cheeky grin.

"So, the rumour about the Royal Knights taking vows of celibacy was false after all..." Rosemon said in a playful voice, rubbing his shoulders through his tuxedo.

"Most definitely," Dynasmon answered, winking. "Nothing would get me out of the Order faster than that."

"Good. Just as long as we both understand that what goes on here is strictly for pleasure, not business," Councillor Rosemon said, unknotting Dynasmon's tie as she forced him to sit down on the bed behind him.

"That suits me just fine," Dynasmon assured her, placing his hands on her hips.

"Speak of suits…" Rosemon spoke, slowly starting to unbutton Dynasmon's tuxedo suit from the collar down.

Dynasmon grinned broadly and relaxed, getting himself comfortable.

That is, until he heard the sound of an explosion in the distance. "What was that?" Dynasmon asked, sitting up somewhat.

"Probably just another firework or males having a silly competition outside," Rosemon said dismissively, continuing to unbutton his shirt.

Dynasmon frowned and moved his head, looking over the Councillor's shoulder, past her, to the window opposite to him. He looked out into the night and saw another fiery explosion ripple upwards from a building across the river. "An explosion…" he spoke, his eyes widening. He frowned and began to move, taken out of the mood. "Damn it. Sorry. I have to see to this."

Rosemon continued to unbutton his undershirt. "Let the D-Brigade take care of it. It's the Metal Empire's problem," she insisted. "It's probably just a guerilla attack from the JumboGamemon loyalists. You don't have to deal with that do you?"

"We're the Royal Knights. We don't know borders when it comes to helping the world," Dynasmon replied, gently lifting her off of his lap and over onto the bed. He stood up and headed towards the windows. "I'll make it up to you. I promise."

"D-Dynasmon!" Rosemon protested. When she saw Dynasmon get onto the balcony and flap his wings to lift off, she released a sigh of annoyance. "Insufferable Royal Knights…" she murmured, flatly looking out the window.

Dynasmon flew away from the palace, buttoning his suit up as he glided across the river.

* * *

"Haahahaha!" a voice cackled maniacally.

Bolgmon stood in the loading bay of the factory, hunched over with his cannon arms on the ground to brace himself. Before him was the manufactory – the entire building was ablaze and the wall in front of him had a massive hole in it. The end of his cannon leaked residual energy and smoke. The flames and cinders in front of him highlighted the wild, unhinged expression painted on his metal face.

As part of the factory collapsed, HiAndromon staggered towards the hole, surrounded by flames. He was missing most of his right arm, the stump of which sparked and spurted out oil. "Damn you…" he hissed, glaring through the collapsed wall at Bolgmon.

Bolgmon's grinned widely as the targeting display that emerged from his back put HiAndromon in his sights. "We're the Black Pincer Company! We've been damned for awhile!" he explained with a sharp cackle. "Field Destroyer!"

The end of his cannon horn suddenly glowed and surged with power once again. A massive beam ripped from the muzzle and expanded. The positron laser shot straight through the factory and consumed HiAndromon, disintegrating him immediately. The beam ripped another explosion out of the center of the factory and continued through to the building behind it, causing another series of explosions.

"Heh," Bolgmon grunted, straightening himself upwards and admiring the destruction he caused.

GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon flew around the burning factory, towards him. The sound of warning sirens began blaring across the city of Facture.

"What the hell, Bolgmon?!" GrandisKuwagamon shouted at him. "What part of 'stealth op' don't you understand?! Why'd you start blasting?!"

"You boneheads were spotted! I saw you fighting! I decided I'd save your asses again!" Bolgmon countered.

"Hey, great job! Thanks! Now the whole friggin' D-Brigade knows we're here!" GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically rebuked him.

"So, let's get out of here!" Bolgmon told him. "You got the blueprints, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I managed to get them before you could torch them along with everything else. Dumbass," GrandisKuwagamon answered with a sneer, gesturing to the papers under his arm.

"He's right, Grandis," Blitzmon said, looking over at the black insect Digimon. "We need to leave."

"No shit!" GrandisKuwagamon responded, flapping his wings. "Come on, let's exfil this place. Try not to leave a trail of destruction that'll lead them straight to us, Bolgie."

"Tch," Bolgmon scoffed, turning his treads to full gear and steaming out of there.

"What's the escape plan, Bolgmon?" Blitzmon asked him, as he was always in charge of logistics.

"Let's head to the bridge south of here," Bolgmon told them, blasting through the fence with an Ultimate Thunder blast. "We'll make a break for the gates."

"The D-Brigade's base is to the south west," GrandisKuwagamon protested. "The D-Brigade'll cut right across us on an interception course!"

"Not if we're faster!" Bolgmon countered.

"You're just looking for an excuse to fight them," GrandisKuwagamon growled. "Well, sorry, but I'm not risking this job or my life for that. I've got a better idea!"

Bolgmon raced down the street and looked over his shoulder to glare at GrandisKuwagamon.

"What's that?" Blitzmon asked GrandisKuwagamon, flying beside him.

"It's—damn it." GrandisKuwagamon interrupted himself when he looked past Blitzmon and saw Commander Fujinmon as well as Dynasmon heading towards them from over the river. "We've got company. It ain't the D-Brigade, but it's something."

"Keep going; we can't afford to slow down!" Bolgmon told them.

"Blitzmon, keep 'em away!" GrandisKuwagamon told him.

Blitzmon nodded and built up intense electrical energy in his horn. "Lightning Blitz!"

* * *

As he flew across the river, Dynasmon watched as a stream of electricity shot up towards Fujinmon, who soared a ways ahead of him. Fujinmon gracefully dodged the lightning bolt. The two swords on his arms immediately ignited, allowing the glowing red and yellow beams to emerge.

Fujinmon spun around in the air, whipping up a contained cyclone of wind with his body. "Marut Cyclone!" he spoke, unleashing the funnel of extreme winds towards Blitzmon, who lingered behind Bolgmon and GrandisKuwagamon slightly.

The wind swept down but Blitzmon swiftly swerved away. He managed to deftly avoid the blast as it slammed into the metal road beside him, hard enough to create a huge dent in the ground. Blitzmon briefly flipped onto his back in the air and sent another torrent of electricity towards Fujinmon from his horn.

Fujinmon narrowed his eyes but easily avoided the attack. "Impossible," he murmured as lightning shot by him. He couldn't believe that the Blitzmon could move so fast.

Dynasmon watched the fight unfold while trying to catch up to the faster flying Digimon. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Karatenmon swoop down beside him.

"Dynasmon," he greeted. "I don't think these fireworks were planned."

"Me neither," Dynasmon said to the Captain.

"I'll head over to what's left of that factory to see if I can find out what's going on before the D-Brigade shows up," Karatenmon told him.

"Sounds good. Just don't get seen or they might get the wrong idea," Dynasmon replied. "I'll try to stop these firebugs and find out who they are."

Karatenmon nodded and flapped his broad, black wings strongly before veering away and heading towards the blazing factory.

Dynasmon watched as Karatenmon flew away before turning back to the green cyborg Digimon far ahead of him. Fujinmon was still exchanging ranged attacks with Blitzmon, but neither could land a hit due to the other's speed.

The Royal Knight soon felt a presence behind him and turned to see UlforceVeedramon and Examon swoop over to him.

"Ulforce, Examon," Dynasmon greeted, looking at them before looking forwards again.

"What's going on here?" Examon asked him calmly, loading a shell into the chamber of the Ambrosius as he flew.

"Alphamon asked Ex-sama and I to check out those explosions," UlforceVeedramon explained, floating on the night breeze. "The green guy up there is Commander Fujinmon, isn't it?"

Dynasmon nodded. "The Hurricane Commander. And I have no idea. I'd say it was the JumboGamemon loyalists, but I'm pretty sure that that's a GrandisKuwagamon along with the Blitzmon and Bolgmon," he explained. "Maybe they hired a merc?"

UlforceVeedramon blinked with surprise, watching as Blitzmon continued sending streams of electricity towards. "That's a Blitzmon?! Damn, he's fast. Almost as fast as Fujinmon," UlforceVeedramon observed.

"Loyalists?" Examon asked the other two. "They're the ones who sided with Emperor JumboGamemon when Chaosdramon took over in a military coup d'état a few decades ago, right?"

"Yeah," Dynasmon responded. "Which begs the question: which side do we help?"

UlforceVeedramon smirked lightly. "Hmm… The side that's blowing up factories or the side that rules with a literal iron fist?" he added.

"In that case, maybe we should stay out of it," Examon suggested.

"Innocent Digimon could be caught in the crossfire," Dynasmon replied. "We should get both sides to stop and talk it out."

"Yeah, not much chance of that happening," Ulforce pointed out, speeding up considerably towards the skirmish as Fujinmon began to dive down.

* * *

"Do you think that I'll let you get away?" Fujinmon demanded with a calm but angry tone, leering at Blitzmon. He began to manipulate the wind so that it blasted at his own back, speeding up his flying considerably.

Blitzmon narrowed his eyes when he saw their pursuer's sudden burst in velocity. He turned forwards. "Grandis!" he called out to GrandisKuwagamon.

"Got it! Slow down, Bolgmon! We're doing things my way!" GrandisKuwagamon said, speeding forwards in front of the cyborg Digimon.

Bolgmon grunted but conceded. "Fine! Do it, already!" he called up to him as steam and dust was expelled from his zooming treads.

"Slide Evolution!" GrandisKuwagamon yelled out, his body becoming encased in light. His form began to grow in size. "…GranKuwagamon!"

GranKuwagamon emerged from the grey light and shot in front of Bolgmon as power began to build up in his pincers. "Zone Black Hole!"

A spatial rift ripped open in front of him like a gaping wound in the fabric of space. GranKuwagamon flew into the black abyss. Once inside, he stopped and turned around, waiting for his two comrades before closing it. Bolgmon skidded to a stop in front of the rend, stalling as he gazed into the darkness.

"Get a move on, Bolg!" Blitzmon yelled to him from behind.

Bolgmon hissed. "Okay, okay!" he responded, moving his treads again and steaming inside the void.

"Oh no you don't!" Fujinmon shouted, closing in on Blitzmon and raising his right arm up to slash the laser sword down on him.

As Blitzmon neared the rend, he spun around and unleashed a blast of electricity from his horn into Fujinmon. The Hurricane Commander seized up momentarily as the electricity ran through his metal body. This gave Blitzmon the opportunity that he needed to tumble into the Zone Black Hole. As soon as his body was in the abyss, the portal snapped shut and disappeared as if it had never been there.

Fujinmon released a shout of frustration and angrily slashed the air with his Critical Arm. "No!"

After fifteen seconds, UlforceVeedramon caught up to him and flapped his wings strongly so that he came to a stop.

"Who were those three?" UlforceVeedramon asked him.

"Intruders," Fujinmon spoke bitterly, glaring at the area in front of him.

"Informative," the cobalt knight dryly responded.

Fujinmon turned to face him with a look of frustration and annoyance on his face. "I. Don't. Know," he admitted. "Now, please, would you kindly go back to the party and let the D-Brigade take care of this?"

"We could help," Dynasmon spoke, flying up to UlforceVeedramon alongside Examon.

"Thank you, but we have an orderly way of dealing with crises. Your help would likely be a disorganizing factor," Fujinmon spoke as politely as possible, although, by the tone of his voice, he was all but telling them to bug off.

Dynasmon frowned and looked at both UlforceVeedramon and Examon.

"Let's go back," Examon advised them. "We can explain to the other knights what we saw."

UlforceVeedramon nodded. "We'll leave you to it, Commander."

Fujinmon grunted. "Thank you for your kind support," he told them before wordlessly flying off to meet the D-Brigade force that scrambled from their base.

Dynasmon sighed and turned around, beginning to fly back towards the palace. He looked over at the two Royal Knights beside him. "Just what was that about…?" he wondered.

* * *

The three Royal Knights had returned to the palace. Most of the guests had come outside to see what the commotion was about. Those of who that didn't were being politely forced out of the party, which had been formally ended soon after the explosions across the river erupted.

"Tch," King Spinomon scoffed, walking away from the palace, up the middle of the street, as he began heading out of the city. "I knew Chaosdramon was putting on airs. This is what happens when you don't assert yourself as a strong, capable leader. Dissension is a sign of a weakness. For all his talk about having a unified, peaceful, orderly society, he can't even keep violence from breaking out in his city when he's showing off to guests. Strength, capability, and respect; that's what makes a good leader."

Sinduramon flew beside King Spinomon's head. "You should have seen the look on Chaosdramon's face when he saw the explosions. He looked like his circuits were going to overload!"

King Spinomon let out a laugh. "Well, at least it made a boring party more exciting. These things never have enough action!"

Meanwhile, the Royal Knights walked out of the palace gates alongside Captain Karatenmon.

"I could only see a GrandisKuwagamon, a Blitzmon, and a Bolgmon," Dynasmon explained to the others.

"Ditto," UlforceVeedramon said.

"That's a pretty small group for such a brazen attack," Alphamon said.

Duftmon nodded in agreement. "Right in the industrial heart of the capital city when Chaosdramon was hosting a party for prominent Digimon… It can't simply be a coincidence. They must have wanted to make Chaosdramon look foolish."

"I don't know…" Karatenmon spoke up, rubbing his feathery chin. "I don't think it was the old loyalist faction. My sources say they've either been killed, exiled, or forced to give their loyalty to Chaosdramon. It's really unlikely that they could have conspired to attack in a city as secure as Facture," he explained.

"And there's the fact that they're bugs," Gankoomon added. "Yeah, two of them are technically cyborgs, but the GrandisKuwagamon isn't, and the other two are pretty buggy too."

"If they're an external party, then what motive would they have to attack the Metal Empire?" Duftmon asked. "The Empire is neutral. They aren't at war with anyone, and they have a substantial army, so who would be foolish enough to agitate a sleeping giant?"

"I don't know," Karatenmon replied, shrugging. "I'll have to do my own investigation."

"Just be careful," Alphamon advised him. "If you get caught, they'll think you had something to do with it."

Karatenmon smiled. "I won't get caught."

Dukemon walked and thought to himself. "GrandisKuwagamon, Blitzmon, and Bolgmon, huh?" he asked aloud. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"I was thinking that too, actually," Magnamon spoke. "I can't place where…"

"We'll check the databases when we get back home," Alphamon told them. "This might be worth looking into."

"I'll say. Something about this doesn't seem to fit," Dynasmon mused as the group of Royal Knights turned the corner down a large street.

Alphamon nodded and looked at Dynasmon. "…Oh, and Dynasmon?" he said glancing down a bit.

"Yeah?" Dynasmon wondered.

"Your zipper is down," Alphamon mentioned, giving him a small, coy glance before turning around.

Dynasmon quickly tried to zip himself up, tinting red with embarrassment. Gankoomon let out a laugh as he passed him, slapping his shoulder. "Y'should have stayed outside with me after all, bull-face."

"I'll take a pretty lady instead of you any day, moustache," Dynasmon muttered, rubbing the back of his neck and walking after the group.

* * *

The twelve Royal Knights returned to their headquarters after a long travel. By the time they returned, all they wanted to do was shower, get changed, and get some rest.

The castle had undergone some renovations over the past half year. The walls had been reinforced, and extensions had been made to the side of the main building, adding several extra areas. Most of the smaller hallways inside the castle itself had also been widened for ease of access. Along with that, there had been changes to the Royal Knights' forces too. Many new recruits had been accepted into the Order, and the Republic of Node had donated a company of handpicked soldiers to incorporate into the Order's military as well. This resulted in many new faces in the Order. Because of this, several new barracks and private sleeping quarters had been constructed as well.

Two of these new recruits walked into the marble foyer together, talking. One of whom was a medium-sized, quadrupedal white dinosaur. His body were hard, sharp, and metallic. His hind feet were blades which clacked with every step against the marble floor, and his long, bladed tail whipped behind him contently. Over his back was a red cape that was attached to a red hood that had on it a pair of goggles and a row of decorative, metal teeth on the hem of the hood. On the reptile's head was a large V-shaped head crest and a long, bladed, nose horn. His striking yellow eyes looked over to the larger dragon beside him.

Beside him was a blue dragon in black and gold armour who was over twice his companion's size. Despite the Imperialdramon Dragon Mode's large, fearsome appearance, it was clear from his eyes and his complexion that he was the same age as the smaller Digimon beside him.

"You should really wear those rubber things over those feet, BaoHackmon," Imperialdramon Dragon Mode advised the dinosaur beside him with a deep but teenaged voice, eyeing the blades on his hind legs. "You'll get in trouble for scuffing the marble again."

"I hate wearing those damn things, Peri," BaoHackmon responded, calling Imperialdramon by the nickname that he was commonly known by, partially due to his comparative youth and so that he wouldn't be confused for Imperialdramon Paladin Mode. "They're awkward to wear."

"Still, you don't want your heroes getting mad at you, do you?" Imperialdramon asked, looking down at him with a grin.

"Didn't you go wild in your hometown when you evolved and attacked RhodoKnightmon and Sleipmon?" BaoHackmon countered with a grin. "I at least never tried to blast my heroes to smithereens."

Imperialdramon Dragon Mode grimaced a bit and flushed. "That was an accident!" he exclaimed defensively. "Besides, that's why I'm not taking advantage of their generosity. They were nice enough to accept me into the Recon Forces, so the least I can do is not scratch up their floors with my claws."

BaoHackmon sighed. "Yeah. I guess you have a point, Peri…" he conceded, beginning to walk out of the foyer and towards the building's exit. "Come on. Let's go practice our moves at the attack range."

"Okay," Imperialdramon replied, walking down the stairs with heavy footsteps.

As the two reptile Digimon headed down the entrance hall, the front doors at the end of the hall suddenly opened. The giant, wooden doors swung open and the twelve Royal Knights entered in an orderly fashion. Imperialdramon Dragon Mode and BaoHackmon saw them and quickly moved to the sides of the hall to allow them to pass.

"Welcome home, Sirs," Peri spoke, raising his forefoot to his head to salute.

"Thank you," Alphamon responded, saluting as he walked past him.

As Gankoomon passed, he knocked BaoHackmon on the forehead with his knuckles. "You're scuffing up the floors again, BaoHackmon…" he told him with a mildly annoyed voice.

"Ow! Sensei!" BaoHackmon complained, rubbing his forehead.

Dukemon chuckled. "Don't worry about it, kid," the crimson knight assured him, patting his head. "Floors are made to be walked on."

BaoHackmon blushed. "Y-Yes, Sir."

"Don't listen to Dukemon," Duftmon spoke. "He's a bad influence."

"Yes sir," BaoHackmon obeyed.

"Duftmon!" Dukemon protested.

"Well, it's true," the leopard knight responded. "You have a disregard for rules, you're tardy, and—"

"Okay, Duftmon. We've heard all your opinions before," Dukemon told him, walking up to the foyer.

Gankoomon looked over his shoulder. "I expect you back here in one hour for your studies, BaoHackmon. Don't. Be. Late."

BaoHackmon sighed. "Yeah, yeah…" he responded half-heartedly. When the Royal Knights were all in the foyer and heading into the great hall, he walked back to Imperialdramon and they both headed outside.

The Royal Knights walked down the long, wide, marble hall towards the council room at the very end. Upon reaching the end of the ostentatious great hall, Alphamon pushed the door open and stepped inside, heading to his symbolic seat around the round table. The eleven other Royal Knights followed him in and took their seats around the white, stone table.

Gankoomon let out a sigh of relief at being able to give his legs a rest. "So… This is about what happened in Facture, right?" he asked, looking over at Alphamon.

Alphamon nodded. "Indeed. It's worth discussing what went on."

"What _did_ go on?" RhodoKnightmon asked them. "We can't really know for sure. The Metal Empire will try to sweep the incident under the carpet in an attempt to save face. They will likely blame the explosions on an industrial malfunction or something."

"I definitely saw those three Digimon fleeing the area though. Commander Fujinmon gave chase but they escaped through some portal the GranKuwagamon made," Dynasmon informed them.

"I'm still trying to place why those Digimon sound familiar," Dukemon mused. "GrandisKuwagamon, Blitzmon, and Bolgmon…"

"We should get MetallifeKuwagamon to check our databases," Dynasmon suggested aloud.

"Do you still not know how to use a computer, Dynasmon?" UlforceVeedramon teased him.

Dynasmon muttered and looked away. "They're complicated…"

"Karatenmon went ahead to meet with him and explain the situation," Alphamon explained.

"I was thinking that we should get Metallife in here anyways," Magnamon spoke up. "He is originally from Facture, after all."

"He's on his way," a voice said from behind Dynasmon's chair.

Dynasmon let out a surprised yelp and looked over his shoulder abruptly. Behind him was Captain Karatenmon, standing with arms folded. "Stop doing that, damn it!" Dynasmon complained, flushing at his surprised reaction. "How do you keep sneaking up so quietly?"

Karatenmon smiled mysteriously. "A ninja never gives away his tricks."

"I thought that was magicians," Dynasmon muttered blandly.

"Karatenmon," Alphamon greeted. "How did it go?"

Instead of answering, Karatenmon looked over to the door of the council room and watched as, five seconds later, MetallifeKuwagamon stepped inside.

The head of the Royal Knights' Technical Division stepped in, holding an electronic tablet-like device in his mechanical hands. The small, book-sized flat screen has a small glowing chip jutting out of its side. The metallic, humanoid insect walked over to Karatenmon's side and nodded at the Royal Knights. "Welcome – um - home," he greeted. "How was the party?"

"Fine, thanks, Metallife," Magnamon told him.

"Were you able to find anything in our database on those three Digimon?" Alphamon asked, looking at the two.

"Yes," MetallifeKuwagamon responded, stepping forwards and placing the screen on the table in front of Alphamon. On the screen was a depiction of a GrandisKuwagamon along with some cursory information about him. Alphamon pressed his finger against the screen and pressed a button on it, switching to Blitzmon's file next. After scanning the page, he went to Bolgmon's file before passing the electronic tablet to Omegamon.

"So they were in our database," Alphamon spoke. "Who are they?"

"They're called Black Pincer Company," Karatenmon responded, folding his arms. "They're a tiny mercenary company consisting solely of GrandisKuwagamon, Blitzmon, and Bolgmon."

"Is this all we have on them?" Omegamon asked, looking at the screen in his hands before passing it to Dukemon.

"Afraid so," the spymaster told them. "They survive by keeping a low profile and letting bigger mercenary companies like Kowloon or dangerous freelancers take all of the attention. They live in the shadows. They're nobodies… and that's the way they like to keep it, I think."

"Everybody comes from somewhere," Craniamon spoke, frowning. "Do we really have nothing?"

"We don't even know where they come from," Karatenmon admitted. He looked over to Gankoomon, one of the more well-travelled knights. "I don't suppose you know them, Gankoomon?"

"'Fraid not. Never heard of 'em," Gankoomon said, frowning to himself.

"Me neither," Dynasmon admitted. "I've heard the name before, but that's it." He scratched his scaly chin. "They must have screwed up in Facture. It sounds like they wouldn't have wanted a lot of attention, especially when a party full of people like us were in full view of the explosions."

"So, you don't believe they were politically motivated?" Duftmon asked. "Given their species, they could have been from the Metal Empire originally. Blitzmon and Bolgmon are both cyborg types, and GrandisKuwagamon could be divergent from the Kokuwamon line. Not all mercenaries are totally pragmatic. Perhaps they opposed the coup d-etat that Chaosdramon dealt against JumboGamemon."

"Or maybe they were there on a job and they were hired precisely because they could pass for Metal Empire citizens," Karatenmon proposed as a counter argument. He then shrugged. "But both of these theories are just speculation at this point."

Magnamon looked over at MetallifeKuwagamon. "What do you think, Metallife? You're the expert on the Metal Empire," he asked him gently.

"Well…" MetallifeKuwagamon spoke, rubbing the back of his head shyly. "I don't think that it's politically motivated. There's next to zero resistance movement in the Metal Empire after the Corrosion Purge."

"The whatnow?" Dynasmon asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"It was the purge of dissidents and JumboGamemon loyalists by Chaosdramon and his supporters following the coup 'etat," Duftmon explained. "_Try_ to keep up, Dynasmon…"

"Fear of resistance was part of the reason why the Metal Empire is so rigid and secure now. That and the protection of their industries," MetallifeKuwagamon explained with a soft frown. "That's why they're so intent on finding me. I dared to defy them and I know an incredible amount about their technologies and how they operate…"

Magnamon stood up and walked over to his friend, placing his hand on the insect Digimon's shoulder.

MetallifeKuwagamon had hatched in the Metal Empire and grown up there. Eventually, he became one of their foremost inventors and technicians. He created incredible achievements in the Metal Empire's technology and he was rewarded for his service.

However, he got tired of the way the overbearing, domineering, oppressive government acted, as well as their constant demands of him. Feeling stifled, he escaped the Metal Empire one night and travelled to south. This was against the rules, as the Metal Empire went to great lengths to protect the secrecy of their projects, and MetallifeKuwagamon, being the genius inventor that he was, knew far too much.

It wasn't long until the government branded him a spy and a traitor, saying that he had been secretly working for somebody else. They sent an elite task force from the D-Brigade after him to drag him back. They soon caught up to MetallifeKuwagamon and attacked him, but Magnamon, who had been out on patrol, saw his plight and defended him. The Royal Knight was able to destroy the task force after a hard fought battle. Magnamon took the wounded defector back to the headquarters, and the Royal Knights decided that it would be safer for him to stay under their protection. Out of gratitude for being saved and given asylum, MetallifeKuwagamon offered to put his skills to use for the Royal Knights.

"So, what was their goal?" Sleipmon wondered.

"Um, actually," MetallifeKuwagamon spoke up. "I was able to hack into the D-Brigade's communication system. The factory in question was a smaller assembly factory for the state's primary heavy industries manufactory. The D-Brigade investigated the scene and saw that a safe had been broken into in the factory director's office and several blueprints inside had been taken. I can try to find out the nature of the blueprints, but even in private communications they're vague."

"It sounds like they were hired to steal them," Alphamon deduced.

"Or maybe they're going to sell them to the highest bidder," Dynasmon suggested. "Some mercenaries resort to underhanded tactics when there's a dry patch in commissions."

"It'd be better if we knew more about this Black Pincer Company," Dukemon said.

Karatenmon took a step forwards. "Why don't we use a contact who's well in tune with the mercenary lifestyle?" he proposed, looking over at Examon specifically. He gave him a light grin. "A friend of yours, maybe?"

Examon looked at Karatenmon. "Dorbickmon…"

"Exactly," Karatenmon replied.

"That's not a bad idea," Dukemon agreed. "His info has led to us cracking down on a bunch of those criminal mercenary groups."

Duftmon folded his arms. "I'm sure we could have accumulated that information without the mercenary's help," he put forth, not liking the fact that they're relying on a mercenary.

"As the spymaster, I find it's really helpful to have somebody on the inside," Karatenmon responded. "It's better for the contact to genuinely have their profession rather than just sending one of my spies in there undercover. They'll know the trade inside and out already, and have a pre-existing network of relations. Plus, they won't have to act as much."

"I suppose that's true…" Duftmon conceded, although with a slight frown.

"Great," Dynasmon replied. "So, let's get Dorbickmon on the thingie."

"Do you mean the LRAC?" Magnamon asked him.

"The what?" Dynasmon replied, raising an eyebrow.

"LRAC," MetallifeKuwagamon responded, taking a mechanical wrist bracelet out of his bag. The bracelet looked like a watch, but instead of a clock, it had a small audio receiver on the top. He handed the device to Examon, who put it around his wrist. "Long Range Audio Communicator."

"Yeah, the thing," Dynasmon said, folding his arms.

Examon used the tip of his claws to turn the LRAC on and set the frequency. He held the watch-like device up to his face. "Hello, Dorbickmon?" he spoke into the receiver.

"Ssssssssssssssk," the LRAC fizzled between the fluctuating, electronic sound of frequency signals.

"Hello? Dorbickmon? Can you hear me?" Examon spoke. He received no reply. The dragon knight frowned with disappointment. "It's no good. There's too much interference on the data streams so communications aren't very good."

"Oh, that's right. There's a data storm to the north west, isn't there?" Karatenmon mused. "Looks like we'll have to do it the old fashioned way."

"Allow me," a voice said from the door.

The Royal Knights and others turned to see the red, bird-like form of Zero ARMS: Grani float in.

"Oh, Grani. Hey," Dukemon greeted with a smile.

"Hello, Grani," Karatenmon said, glancing over at him.

"Karatenmon," Grani replied swiftly, hovering over to Dukemon's side. "Everyone."

"What do you suggest?" Alphamon asked the red, metallic dragon.

"My scouts will find him in no time at all," Grani assured them.

"No need. My spies can handle it," Karatenmon responded with a slight, competitive smile below his beak.

Grani shot him a restrained look. "That isn't necessary, Karatenmon," he explained. "After all, my scouts are the swiftest, sharpest, and the most adroit around. This job requires locating someone, not sneaking around in the shadows."

Karatenmon gave him a nonchalant shrug. "If you think you and your scouts can handle it, go ahead," he told him. "No feathers off of my back."

"Very well, then," Grani replied closing his eyes. "Thank you for your flexibility. That has always been one of your most prominent features."

Karatenmon chuckled a little. "I could say the opposite for you, Grani."

"Well then," Alphamon spoke, placing his hands on the table and standing up before the passive aggressiveness between them could continue. "That's settled. Grani, have your scouts locate Dorbickmon and have them bring him here, if you'd please."

"Of course," Grani responded dutifully. "It shouldn't take more than several hours."

"Enough time for me to continue writing my story," Karatenmon mused. He looked at the Royal Knights. "My services are no longer needed?"

"You're free to go, Captain," Alphamon told him.

Karatenmon nodded and began to walk out of the room. "Good luck with your hunt, Grani," he told him with a smile, looking over at the Zero ARMS.

"Why, thank you," Grani responded. "And good luck with your fiction."

"Thanks," Karatenmon answered, stepping out of the council room and turning to the nearest side door in the great hall.

"I'll get to work," Grani responded. "Goodbye, Dukemon, everyone." With those words, the Zero ARMS floated away from the table and flew down the length of the great hall to contact his Recon Squadron.

Dynasmon cleared his throat gruffly and stood up as well. "If we're done here, I'm going to go have a shower. Any of you coming with me?" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, I'm comin'," Gankoomon agreed, standing up as well.

"Me too," Dukemon spoke.

"I'll… come with you, Dukemon," Omegamon said.

"And me!" RhodoKnightmon announced.

UlforceVeedramon chuckled. "Fine, but no touching, no staring, and no flirting," he told him.

RhodoKnightmon huffed and folded his arms. "Then what is the point, Ulforce?" he complained.

* * *

Hours passed until it was the late afternoon. The clouds began to glow a warm orange as the sun began to set. A mild autumn breeze swept across the landscape blowing the rippling grasslands around the Royal Knights' impressive castle and headquarters.

Two guards stood on duty outside the entrance to the main building that sat at the exact center of the walled community. One was a bulky knight Digimon in heavy plate armour. The other was a caped warrior mage Digimon in majestic armour and clothing. The Knightmon and Mystimon flanked the giant doors on each side.

"So," the Knightmon guard began, looking over at his Mystimon companion. "If you were a girl, which Royal Knight would you want to date?"

The Mystimon guard turned and looked at him with a flat expression. "…Seriously? We've exhausted all other topics of conversation?" he asked him.

"Have any better ones?" the Knightmon countered.

The Mystimon paused and thought. He soon sighed. "…Fine. And don't say, 'if I was a girl'. That automatically precludes RhodoKnightmon since he – you know – likes men."

"Ooooh, so you're a Rhodo man, are you?" the Knightmon asked with a smirk.

The guard pondered. "Well, I'd want someone who can cook good food…" the Mystimon replied. "But—please, never call me a 'Rhodo man' in public again…" He palmed his face with embarrassment and exasperation.

The Knightmon laughed heartily. "So, is that your answer?"

"I don't know," the Mystimon replied quickly, not wanting to commit to an answer. "I need to think about it more. What about you?"

"Oh, Dynasmon, definitely," the Knightmon responded decisively. "He seems like a generous lover."

"Have you thought about this ahead of time?" the Mystimon said to him incredulously. "Never mind. I don't want to know."

"However, Magnamon also—"

"Shut up," the Mystimon said abruptly upon spotting something ahead of them. "People are coming. I don't want our barracks hearing about this."

The Knightmon turned and looked down the stone road that led up from the front gate towards the main building and the main street and courtyard. There, he saw the muscular, crimson, draconic body of Dorbickmon striding towards them. Dorbickmon looked around the castle grounds as he carried himself with a relaxed confidence.

Hovering beside him was a Sparrowmon scout, whose lightweight, golden, metal, jet-like form floated on the soft breeze. The Sparrowmon had folded arms and an annoyed, indignant expression.

"Great… It's him again," the Mystimon muttered, glaring at Dorbickmon as he continued up the street towards them

"Who? Sparrowmon? Sparrowmon's a guy?" the Knightmon asked.

"No, the other one. Dorbickmon…" he responded with a sneer.

"Oh, Examon's friend?" the larger guard questioned.

"And the mercenary who attacked us in the Battle of the World Tree," the smaller one replied. "I don't trust him."

The Knightmon frowned. "Yeah, but Examon does. And so does Alphamon and Dukemon, and I'm sure the others do too. Otherwise, they wouldn't have him spying for them."

"I know, but…" the Mystimon trailed off and looked annoyed.

"You trust the Royal Knights, don't you? I do," the Knightmon guard said to him.

"I do, but… well, you didn't take one of that guy's stone pillars in the chest. He nearly broke my bloody ribs, so I don't have to like him."

"Suit yourself," the Knightmon spoke as Dorbickmon and Sparrowmon approached.

"Halt. Who goes there?" the Mystimon guard said, holding his sword horizontally in front of the door.

"It's me, Mystimon," Sparrowmon responded with a look of impatient exasperation. "Just let us through; I'm not in the mood for this."

"Does he have authorization?" the Mystimon guard asked, looking at Dorbickmon.

Dorbickmon rolled his eyes and folded his arms. "Yeah. I do. The Royal Knights sent for me," he responded as if this wasn't the first time he's been through this. "Like the last thirty times I showed up here."

The Mystimon shot him a quick glare before turning to Sparrowmon. "Did they?"

"Yes…" Sparrowmon replied. "Can ya move now? Please?"

The Mystimon scoffed and sheathed his sword, wordlessly letting them pass.

"Hey, Sparrowmon," the Knightmon guard spoke up. "I have a question."

"Can you make it quick, Knightmon? I want to get this guy off my hands," the yellow jet Digimon responded.

"I can feel the love," Dorbickmon sarcastically muttered.

The Knightmon guard nodded. "Are you a guy or a girl?"

The Sparrowmon scout merely stared at him. The avian Digimon suddenly clenched its small fists and glared offendedly. "Y-YOU BIG, STUPID JERK!" the Sparrowmon yelled before smacking the Knightmon across the face, putting its jet engines into overdrive, and speeding off in near tears.

Dorbickmon released a sly grin. "…Yeah, that's a sensitive topic with that Digimon. I know from experience."

"Ow…" the Knightmon murmured, rubbing his cheek. "…Hey, was that a punch or a slap?"

"I'll just go inside myself," the dragon man said, walking past the two guards and pushing the huge, reinforced doors open.

Dorbickmon walked up the long, stone entrance hall, and up the few steps near the end. He reached the door that led to the foyer and opened it. He looked around as he stepped inside the octagonal, marble foyer, seeing the two halls and two staircases that branched off from the side walls.

The mercenary decided that the Royal Knights were probably waiting for him inside the council room, so he walked forwards, across the foyer. As he neared the doorway to the great hall, he knocked his knuckles on one of the several marble pillars in the foyer. Dorbickmon went on into the great hall and walked down the vast, ostentatious room. He noted that this display of pomp was one of the reasons why he couldn't join the headquarters like Examon suggested.

Dorbickmon reached the end of the great hall and walked into the doorway at the end. He stepped into the council room and saw all twelve of the Royal Knights sitting there. They all turned or looked up when he stepped into the room.

"Finally," Craniamon muttered, leaning back in his chair boredly.

Examon saw Dorbickmon and stood up from the table. "Dorbickmon," he greeted with a small smile.

"Yo, Examon," Dorbickmon responded, giving him a quick look. "You guys summoned me?"

"My idea," a voice said from behind Dorbickmon.

Dorbickmon tensed up with surprise and spun around on sheer instinct, swinging his arm to punch the presence behind him.

Karatenmon raised his hand and nonchalantly caught Dorbickmon's fist in his talons before it could hit him.

The dragon mercenary slackened and sighed, retracting his hand from Karatenmon's palm. "Cripes. Don't sneak up on me like that. I could have roasted you," Dorbickmon told him with a sideways leer.

"Sorry; habit," Karatenmon responded with a half smile. "We want your professional opinion on something."

"Yeah?" Dorbickmon asked, walking over to the table. "What's that, exactly?"

"I'll fill you in," Alphamon told him.

Dorbickmon listened as Alphamon explained to him what had happened during their visit to the Metal Empire. The dragon man nodded and followed along.

"Okay… So, a GrandisKuwagamon, Blitzmon and Bolgmon took some blueprints and destroyed a factory," Dorbickmon summarized.

"Do you know them?" Karatenmon asked him. "They call themselves Black Pincer Company."

Dorbickmon folded his arms and thought to himself for a moment. "Black Pincer Company… Yeah, I know them," he responded.

"You do?" Examon asked, looking at him.

"Well, I guess I should say I know _of_ them; I don't know 'em personally," Dorbickmon clarified. "I've never worked with them on any jobs. We have different skill sets and ways of operating, so we have very different clientele."

"How do you know them?" Dynasmon asked. "If it's through the rumour-mill, it's not exactly helpful."

"We frequent the same bar, actually," Dorbickmon explained with a grin.

"Of course you do," Duftmon muttered.

"Which bar?" Dukemon asked him.

"It's called The Severed Arms," the mercenary answered. Dorbickmon let his arms rest at his sides. "It's a grotty little place in Shroud, but the beer and entertainment is pretty good."

"You've been to Shroud?" Magnamon asked him.

"Well, duh. I don't think it's any secret here that my past isn't exactly sunshine and rainbows. I've needed a place to lay low a few times," Dorbickmon explained.

Examon rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry… but what's Shroud?" he sheepishly asked.

Dorbickmon turned and stared at Examon incredulously. "…You seriously don't know what Shroud is?" he questioned. He walked up to Examon and flicked his nose horn with his claws playfully. "I know you lived in the United Dramonic Coalition forever, but come on; how dense are you? Aren't you Royal Knights supposed to be informed about stuff?"

UlforceVeedramon chuckled. "Gankoomon's supposed to be the naïve fresh meat now, Examon. You're off the hook," he joked.

"I'm probably more well-travelled than most of you," Gankoomon insisted.

Examon flushed and scratched his cheek with embarrassment. "I haven't seen Shroud on any maps."

"You have been looking at the wrong maps," Duftmon told him. "It is definitely in 'Atlur's Atlas', although I find his pun name for the collection extremely trite," he explained, referring to AtlurKabuterimon, who was better known as AncientBeetlemon of the Warrior Ten. In addition to that, AtlurKabuterimon was an explorer and a cartographer – one of the most respected ones, at that.

"Shroud's a large town in the north area of the continent," Gankoomon explained. "The people in charge are pretty corrupt, so they rent the city out as a safe haven for outlaws, mercs and criminals in exchange for money. It's not really well known because there's a perpetual data storm raging over the place, which means communications don't work and it's hard to see from the air."

Dorbickmon grinned a bit. "I'm a little surprised you knights haven't tried to take the town by storm if you know that much."

"Refuges for outlaws are beneficial to us as well, Dorbick-kun," Karatenmon explained to him with a teasing smile. "Why wipe out a gathering ground for criminals and a great source of information?"

Dorbickmon turned and looked at the avian spymaster with a look of confusion on his scaly face. "Dorbick-what?" he asked, unfamiliar with some of the terminology that originated from the eastern continent.

"Dorbick-kun and Ex-sama," UlforceVeedramon laughed. "I like it."

"So do I…" RhodoKnightmon said with a mischievous glint in his helmet.

"Can we please get back on topic?" Duftmon asked with a tired sigh. "I _do_ hate tangents…"

"I'm not a huge fan of cosines, myself," UlforceVeedramon spoke up with a smile.

Duftmon shot him a glare. "Mathematics are not a joking matter."

Dorbickmon rolled his eyes. "So, was that all you guys wanted from me? Info on those low-rent mercenaries?"

"Well, we could use more information," Alphamon explained. "What else can you tell us about them?"

The dragon mercenary folded his arms and thought to himself. "Let's see… They've been a mercenary group for about seven years. It's been GrandisKuwagamon, Bolgmon, and Blitzmon from the start, and they don't hire any new members. I dunno why not, but my guess is that it's because they're pretty close knit and more members would mean less reward money for each cut."

"What sort of mercenary work do they do?" Alphamon asked him.

"Covert ops," Dorbickmon answered. "Since they're a small group and pretty low key, it works for them. They're usually pretty good at it too."

"What kind of covert ops?" UlforceVeedramon questioned.

"Infiltration, theft, extortion, sabotage, espionage, kidnapping, assassinations, blowing stuff up…" Dorbickmon explained. "Pretty messy stuff. They'll take any job they can handle with three guys; doesn't matter who their client is."

"So, they're unscrupulous," Dukemon said.

Dorbickmon nodded.

"Hmm…" Captain Karatenmon hummed, thinking to himself. "Are they a part of a ninja clan? Or have they ever been? That shopping list of activities you just mentioned has the hallmark of a ninja," he mentioned, being a ninja himself.

"I got no idea," Dorbickmon responded with a shrug. "Their past is a big blank. I don't even know where they're from. I heard a rumour that they used to be petty thieves and street rats before they started their own merc team, but who knows if that's true?"

"So, the Metal Empire was outsmarted by a handful of insect guttersnipes?" Duftmon asked rhetorically.

"Hey, if it's true, that means they're pretty street smart," Dorbickmon responded to Duftmon's derision. "You have to be to begin with, if you want to survive in the mercenary business."

Gankoomon nodded. "True enough."

"Dorbickmon, can you find out more about Black Pincer Company?" Alphamon asked him. "You wouldn't be opposed to that, would you?"

"That can be arranged," Dorbickmon responded, folding his arms confidently. "I'll have to be careful though."

"Don't do anything that would put yourself at risk," Examon told him with a soft frown.

"I won't. I can handle myself, Examon," Dorbickmon told him with a grin. "Cripes. You worry as much as my mom."

Examon narrowed his eyes and folded his winged arms.

"Examon has a point," Alphamon said. "Don't be obvious."

"I've been doing this for several months now, haven't I?" Dorbickmon told them. "I know it's hard, but trust me. I'll find out what I can about the bugs."

"See if you can find out what the blueprints they stole were," Duftmon told him. He looked at Karatenmon. "You, as well, Captain. It might give us a clue as to who their client might be and what they want."

"Gotcha," Dorbickmon spoke.

"Leave it to me," Karatenmon agreed.

"Thank you," Alphamon told them.

Dorbickmon placed his hands on his hips. "So, is that all?"

Examon paused and looked at the other Royal Knights. After a few moments, he looked back at Examon. Why don't you stay the night? You came all this way, after all."

Dorbickmon raised an eyebrow and looked uncertain and leery at the prospect. "Stay the night…? I don't know…" he looked at the other Royal Knights, half-hoping that there would be enough protest at the idea. While he didn't really want to walk all the way back to the inn where he had been staying which was hours away, he didn't entirely feel comfortable sleeping at a place like this. He was also well aware that he wasn't liked or trusted by a lot of the Order.

"You don't have to, of course…" Examon responded, wondering if he made another social gaff. "I just thought that it would be a waste for you to come all the way here just for a few minutes."

"I certainly don't mind," Alphamon suggested. "We have several free guest rooms."

The other Royal Knights gave nods of tacit approval or shrugs of indifference.

"Yes, stay the night!" RhodoKnightmon exclaimed, looking between Dorbickmon and Examon.

Dorbickmon stalled. He gave a quick glance over at Examon. Examon looked at Dorbickmon, waiting for his reply. The mercenary wasn't sure if it was him, but he thought he saw a hint of expectation in Examon's otherwise neutral expression. Dorbickmon sighed and shrugged. "Yeah, okay. Curious to see how good you knights have it here, anyways," he replied. When he saw Examon begin to smile, he punctuated, "But just for one night."

"Very well," Examon spoke calmly.

"Then I think we're done here," Alphamon said, "Unless anybody has anything else they want to bring up…?"

The Royal Knights shook their heads.

"Then the meeting is adjourned"

Examon nodded. "I'll show you around, Dorbickmon."

"_Yes_," RhodoKnightmon thought to himself. "_Show him to your big, comfortable bed… Do it, Examon! For the sake of love!_"


	4. Chapter 3: Times Past and Time Present

(Author's Notes: Big thank you to everybody for your reviews and your patience. Sorry I couldn't get around to replying to them because I've been pretty busy. I'll try to do so with this chapter. Supper big thank you to GlacialCranberry AKA J3rry1ce over at Deviant Art. She drew some awesome comics of A Dragon in Shining Armour and you should all check her art out because it's really nice, Unfortunately I can't put in links here because fanfiction net is stupid that way. But yeah. Anyways, enjoy.)

**Chapter 3: Times Past and Time Present**

Two half moons loomed in the starry sky. The low growl of an engine harmonized with the clicking of metal treads rolling across the grass and the low drone of insect wings beating. Three Digimon moved swiftly under the cover of night.

Bolgmon sped along the ground, kicking up dirt and clumps of grass behind him. Meanwhile, GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon flew above him, with their backs against the night sky. The metal insect below them suddenly began to decelerate and roll to a relaxed speed.

"I think we're in the clear now," Bolgmon said with a sigh, looking around the general vicinity.

They were in a vast stretch of grassland that went on for kilometers. The only things in the immediate vicinity were a small pond that was way over to their left and a random yield sign sticking up in the grass in front of them.

"No thanks to you," GrandisKuwagamon said, shuddering his wings as he flew down and landed beside the signpost.

"I _said_ sorry," Bolgmon responded with a roll of his eyes as he drove over to the sign and stopped in front of GrandisKuwagamon.

"Great, thanks, Bolgmon," the black insect muttered. "Now we've probably got a team of Dick-Brigade special forces chasing after us. Those scrapheaps will chase us like a Greymon chases a steak… especially since we've got some of their precious blueprints."

"In that case, they were going to chase us anyways," Bolgmon retorted.

"But now they know what we look like and we've lost our head start on them," GrandisKuwagamon challenged.

"Arguing isn't going to solve anything," Blitzmon told them.

"No, but it's a good way for me to relieve stress," the black insect answered, folding his arms and flexing his scissor-like mandibles.

"Let's go incognito for a bit," Bolgmon suggested. "Lay low in Shroud or Dark Point or somewhere until the heat's off us. The client said we can take as long as we need."

"Bad idea. They're not gonna stop looking for us," GrandisKuwagamon countered. "Those blueprints are hot; I'd rather hand them off as quickly as possible."

"You're so cynical, Grandis," Bolgmon told him with a look of levity in his eyes.

"Yeah, and I'm still alive and kicking so why fix what isn't broken?" He turned his crimson eye over to Blitzmon. "What d'you think? You're the tiebreaker again."

"Hmm…" Blitzmon folded his arms and frowned. "You've got a point about handing off those blueprints as soon as possible… but we don't know where to meet up with our client. If we're being chased, I don't want to figure that out on the fly. We should lay low until we figure out our next move."

"Fine," GrandisKuwagamon said. "I don't want to stay in one place for too long though."

Blitzmon nodded. "I agree."

"So, Shroud? Couple rooms at the Severed Arms?" Bolgmon suggested.

"Yeah. I could kill for some real beer," GrandisKuwagamon agreed. "Not that piss they served in Facture."

Blitzmon nodded. "Let's head out before we lose our lead."

The three insect Digimon took off and passed the signpost, hurrying south, towards their safe haven.

* * *

The next day was a warm one in the Free Area. The sun was unrestricted by clouds, so it could send rays of heat and light beating down across the grassy landscape.

Inside the Royal Knights' castle, Dorbickmon trudged out of the guest room that he stayed in. The rushing sound of the river that ran beside the south wall of the castle prompted him to go to relieve himself. He released a yawn from his draconic mouth and walked down the stone hallway.

Upon reaching the end, the big, red, dragon man opened a door at the end of the hallway and walked in before closing the door behind him. A minute passed and Dorbickmon washed his hands and opened the door to walk out. After a few steps, he stopped abruptly.

Standing several paces away from him was OuRyuumon.

OuRyuumon walked down the hallway towards the washroom, stopping as soon as he saw Dorbickmon appear from the lavatory. He narrowed his eyes when they locked with Dorbickmon's.

The mercenary stopped upon noticing OuRyuumon. He saw the gold dragon's sharp, violet eyes staring into his own. A bead of sweat rolled down the back of his head and he waited for OuRyuumon to make the first move.

Neither of them forgot their last face-to-face encounter. OuRyuumon had been DarkKnightmon's prisoner and when the Royal Knights came to rescue him, Dorbickmon put his sword to his throat and used him as a meat shield.

The air grew thick with tension, discomfort, and anticipation. Both dragons waited for the other to do something.

Dorbickmon watched OuRyuumon carefully. There was a fierce yet unreadable look in OuRyuumon's eyes. He watched the Captain of the Strike Forces grit his teeth. Dorbickmon's own eyes glanced down and he was relieved to see not a sword in OuRyuumon's hand but a large toothbrush. At least he couldn't do much damage with that.

OuRyuumon released a short breath and began striding towards the mercenary. "Hey! Exadork's friend!" he called out to Dorbickmon gruffly as he made his way towards him. "I've got a score to settle with you!"

"_Here we go…_" Dorbickmon thought. He shrugged. "Would it help if I said I was sorry?"

"It might if I thought you meant it," OuRyuumon said in a growly voice as he stepped up to Dorbickmon, standing up straight so that his tall form loomed over Dorbickmon's in a display of dominance. He bent down so that he was face to face with Dorbickmon. He raised his hand and stuck his toothbrush against Dorbickmon's chin threateningly. "Forget your sorries."

Dorbickmon inwardly sighed and thought that this was going to be a hassle.

"Get your weapons to MetallifeKuwagamon and install the training program," OuRyuumon suddenly continued. "You and me are sparring at noon."

Dorbickmon blinked. He was expecting to be cussed out or punched in the face right there in the hallway. "What?"

"You heard me. Fight me dragon to dragon and maybe I'll forget about you being a complete dick," OuRyuumon told him. He prodded Dorbickmon's neck with his toothbrush. "Unless you're a coward."

After a few moments of shock, the mercenary grinned competitively. "You're on, but don't expect me to let you win."

"Damn well better not, Dorbickdick," OuRyuumon responded with a smirk of his own. "By the way, borrow Exadork's toothbrush. Otherwise your breath will finish me off before the match even starts."

"Tch," Dorbickmon responded. "You talk big."

"Uh huh," OuRyuumon fired back, passing Dorbickmon and heading into the washroom. "Don't be late!"

"I won't," Dorbickmon said, looking over his shoulder. When the washroom door closed, Dorbickmon walked away.

After brushing his teeth and having a shower, OuRyuumon emerged from the washroom in a long, custom-fitted black shirt and red shorts. He felt fresh and ready to face the day while he rubbed the towel across his damp purple hair. He tossed the towel over his shoulder and started making his way down the hallway.

Alphamon turned the corner at the end of the hallway and began to walk towards him.

OuRyuumon saw him and smiled. "Morning, Alphamon," he greeted.

"Good morning, OuRyuumon," Alphamon responded with his own smile. He observed him for a few moments. "You showered over in this wing of the castle?"

"Yeah. Craniamon was using the shower in the other wing and Magnamon was next in line, so…" OuRyuumon shrugged.

"I see," Alphamon answered with a nod. He looked at OuRyuumon. "You smell nice."

OuRyuumon flushed mildly but he grinned at the innocuous comment. "Thanks."

"…At least, better than usual," Alphamon added with playful levity.

OuRyuumon laughed and tossed his wet towel onto Alphamon's face. "Smart ass."

Alphamon chuckled and pulled the towel off of him. "Can I use this? I'm about to shower, myself."

"Go nuts. There's plenty of hot water left," OuRyuumon told him.

Alphamon nodded. "By the way, I should warn you…"

"Dorbickmon's here?" OuRyuumon asked. "Saw him."

"And… can he still walk?"

OuRyuumon grinned. "I haven't touched him. Unless you're asking if Examon did something to him overnight," he playfully added.

Alphamon's cheeks tinted at the idea. "I wasn't. So, you're not mad at him?"

OuRyuumon shrugged. "I'm trying not to hold a grudge. We're going to thrash it out in a controlled sparring match later. That way I can still get a _little_ bit of payback," the Captain said.

Alphamon smiled. He was proud that OuRyuumon was acting more mature than he used to. Not to mention that he was finding comparatively healthier ways to release his adrenaline and aggression. "It should be an exciting match. I'll check it out if I have time," he told him. "Try not to lose your temper if you lose."

OuRyuumon laughed and folded his arms. "Who said anything about losing?" he asked him confidently.

Alphamon grinned. "_Well… Somewhat more mature…_" he inwardly thought. "We'll see. Talk to you later, OuRyuumon."

OuRyuumon smirked and nodded. "Later, Alphamon," he replied, beginning to walk past him and down the hall.

Alphamon passed him and disappeared into the washroom.

As he did, OuRyuumon glanced over his shoulder. Part of him wanted to go in there after him. He kind of hoped that they could pick up their relationship where they left off.

However, doubt seized OuRyuumon. He wasn't sure if the timing was right for Alphamon. Alphamon hid it from the others well, but OuRyuumon knew that he still felt guilty over killing DarkKnightmon. There was also the fact that OuRyuumon didn't feel confident enough to ask Alphamon that big question. The only reason he had been able to confess his feelings to him in the first place was a string of five beers on a fateful night. He didn't think it would have the same effect a second time.

Instead, OuRyuumon gave him a lingering glance and turned forwards, heading down to the end of the corridor.

He reached the point where the hallway ended and turned left at a ninety degree angle. Just ahead of the corner was a staircase that lead down to the foyer on the first level of the castle. He made his way down and emerged in the marble room. From there, OuRyuumon headed down one of the hallways towards where the computer room was. He expected that MetallifeKuwagamon would be in there at around this time.

Indeed, when OuRyuumon walked to the doorway of the computer room, MetallifeKuwagamon was in there, talking with Magnamon.

"Hey, Metallife," OuRyuumon hailed. "Magna."

Both MetallifeKuwagamon and Magnamon turned to look at him. "Hello, OuRyuumon," the humanoid, cyborg insect replied.

"What brings you here?" Magnamon asked him.

"I came to ask Metallife if he could put the training program on my scimitars when he's got the time." OuRyuumon turned to look at MetallifeKuwagamon. "Can you?"

"Sure. Just the Gairyus or your body as well?" the technician asked.

"My body too," OuRyuumon responded. "I'm having a match against Dorbickmon so I'm gonna go all out."

"I suppose it will go double for him," MetallifeKuwagamon assumed.

"It better. His sword was friggin' hot," OuRyuumon spoke, remembering the time the Tyrant Collbrande was held at his throat. He paused for a few moments before heating up. "I didn't mean it like that!" he suddenly insisted, worried about his phrasing.

"Pardon? Mean it like what?" MetallifeKuwagamon asked with confusion.

"Some people have such dirty minds," Magnamon said with an amused smile, understanding what OuRyuumon was embarrassed about after a few moments of thought.

"But I was—" OuRyuumon rubbed his flushed face. "Never mind. I'll come back with Dorbickmon when you're free, Metallife."

MetallifeKuwagamon nodded. "Before lunch?" he asked.

"Sure," OuRyuumon quickly said as he turned around and left the room to disappear around the corner.

MetallifeKuwagamon nodded again. After a few seconds, he suddenly blushed and rubbed his face. "Oh… I see what he meant now," he murmured.

Magnamon chuckled. "I shouldn't laugh. He's obviously still insecure about it," he said, though still smiling.

"I don't see why he should be," MetallifeKuwagamon spoke. "The Strike Forces all respect him for his combat prowess."

Magnamon shrugged. "Everybody has something that they're insecure about," he replied consciously.

"Even Duftmon?"

Magnamon laughed lightly. "I'm sure even Duftmon. But I doubt he would ever admit to what it was."

MetallifeKuwagamon sat down in his swivel chair and looked down at his lap.

The Knight of Miracles noticed his change in body language. "Metallife?" he asked him with a hint of concern.

"…This theft of the blueprints from the Metal Empire… It's sure to rile them up. They'll likely send multiple covert task groups from the D-Brigade all over to hunt down the thieves. I know from experience their tactics, after all…" MetallifeKuwagamon said, narrowing his eyes with worry.

"Are you worried they'll start hunting for you again?" Magnamon asked him.

MetallifeKuwagamon nodded. "They might even suspect that we had something to do with it. I'm sure they know by now that you and the other Royal Knights are harbouring me."

Magnamon placed his hand on MetallifeKuwagamon's shoulder. "We're not 'harbouring' you. You're one of us now. That means if Chaosdramon and his D-Brigade want you, they'll have us to answer to," he said before giving MetallifeKuwagamon a reassuring smile.

"Thank you, Magnamon," MetallifeKuwagamon told him. "I would likely have been deleted or placed under house arrest if it weren't for you."

"As I said before, I was just in the right place at the right time," Magnamon insisted. "Besides, you've more than repaid the favour with all you've done around here."

MetallifeKuwagamon turned his chair to face the massive computer system installed against the wall. He began to type away rapidly at the keyboard. "Well, I would rather use my talents to aid a noble cause than to help the Metal Empire elites get richer and more powerful."

Magnamon chuckled lightly. "See? You're thinking like a Royal Knight now too," he told him.

MetallifeKuwagamon smiled inwardly. "This Order is lucky to have you as one of the founding members," he mumbled to himself, his eyes scanning the screen in front of him.

The golden knight, who was making to leave, stopped and glanced over at the insect Digimon. "Pardon?" he asked, not having heard him.

"Nothing," MetallifeKuwagamon responded with a shake of his head. "Just running a DADAR system scan."

Magnamon smiled. "I'll leave you to it, then. See you later," he told him, walking out of the room.

The Miracle Knight meandered down the stone hallway. He supposed he might go for a run since he'd been feeling a bit groggy ever since waking up.

At the opposite end of the hallway, walking towards Magnamon, were Sistermon Noir and Sistermon Blanc.

The taller, darker-clothed of the two led the way. Sistermon Noir walked with her arms lazily rested behind her head. "I'm so damn booored…" she complained. "Gankoomon has BaoHackmon all day, so we don't even get to help him train."

"Maybe do something productive…?" the younger, shorter, white-clothed sister suggested in a meek voice.

"Like what, Sis?" Sistermon Noir asked boredly.

"The library…?"

"Heeey, yeah. Maybe they'll let me shoot some old books!" Sistermon Noir said excitedly.

"Th-That wasn't what I meant!" Sistermon Blanc protested, grabbing hold of her older sister's arm in case she ran off.

Sistermon Noir rolled her eyes and kept walking. "Hey, isn't that Magnamon?" she asked aloud, noticing the familiar form at the end of the corridor.

Sistermon Blanc suddenly squeaked, let go of her sister, and ducked into the nearest room.

"Maybe he—huh?" the dark-garbed Sistermon asked upon noticing that Sistermon Blanc had suddenly disappeared.

Sistermon Blanc hid in the doorway of a supply closet and meekly peered out Magnamon with a blushing red face.

The Royal Knight headed towards Sistermon Noir. "Hello," he greeted politely.

"Hey," Sistermon Noir replied confidently.

"You're not training BaoHackmon today?" Magnamon asked her.

"Nah. Gankoomon said he'd take care of that," she responded. "Hey, did you see where my sister went, by any chance?"

"Sorry. Isn't she usually with you?" Magnamon questioned.

"Yeah. At least, until she's near a cute guy," Sistermon Noir explained, knowing full well that her sister could probably hear her.

Sistermon Blanc blushed intensely at the words and prayed that Magnamon wouldn't pay any attention to her.

Magnamon chuckled a bit, not realizing that it was him that Sistermon Noir meant. "I see. Is it Ulforce?" he asked, wondering if that was who she meant.

Sistermon Noir grinned knowingly. "You're not far off…" she playfully answered.

"Well, if I see her, I'll let her know you're looking for her," Magnamon told her, passing her and heading closer to the doorway that Sistermon Blanc was hiding in.

She panicked and stepped further in the room, hiding inside until he passed.

After several moments, Sistermon Noir spoke up. "It's safe to come out now!" she chimed loudly.

Sistermon Blanc cautiously emerged from the room, looking down both ends of the hallway. She sighed with relief when she saw that she was in the clear. Sistermon Blanc walked out and over to Sistermon Noir. "J-Jerk…"

Sistermon Noir grinned. "What? It's not like I told him you like him."

"Sis!" Sistermon Blanc protested at the statement.

Sistermon Noir ignored her and thought to herself. "Wait, does that mean he thinks UlforceVeedramon's cute? Hmm. That's what you should worry about instead of getting mad at me, y'know," she told her younger sister.

"…Jerk!" Sistermon Blanc yelled in a high, sharp voice. She stomped away from Sistermon Noir and marched down the end of the hallway that Magnamon had come from.

"Oh, come on!" Sistermon Noir called after her, following her angry sister. "I was just joking! Mostly!"

* * *

Beam bullets tore through the warm, late morning air. The glowing, yellow blasts of energy slammed into two wooden, humanoid targets standing side-by-side. The bursts tore the ambiguously shaped, fake Digimon to splinters. The structural integrity of the targets faltered and they broke into bursts of data. When the data clouds emerged, the patter of rapid gunfire faded. Five seconds after the data faded, the two destroyed targets were replaced by a new pair that shot up from the ground.

A female Paildramon faced the Royal Knights' target range. She had a lean, athletic, draconic build and possessed an air of composure and confidence. Apart from being slightly more svelte and more feminine-bodied than the average male Paildramon, she retained all the other characteristics. She had sleek, smooth blue scales and a white underbelly with an XV symbol on it. She also had the standard black and green armour over her legs, torso, upper body, and forearms. The muzzles of two teal cannons that flanked her hips breathed smoke and residual beam energy as they cooled. She lowered her cannons and adjusted her tail and wings for balance.

Paildramon swiftly raised her arms out in front of her, spreading them diagonally so that they aimed at two targets in her peripheral vision. "Cable Catcher!" she spoke. As the second syllable left her lips behind her red and white helmet and mask, her ten finger claws ejected from her gauntlets and shot forwards. They were guided by flexible metal cables which provided her with a degree of control over them as they soared through the air.

Five claw-tipped cables stabbed into the head and chest of the target dummy on the left. The other five wrapped around the target on the right, ensnaring it. She them pulled her right arm back powerfully and ripped the target from the ground. These two targets also burst into data and were replaced in their stations by new ones.

"I'm coming over," a male voice announced himself abruptly from behind her.

Paildramon retracted her cable claws back into her hands and relaxed her stance, signifying that she was out of her combat mode. She looked over her shoulder to see who was addressing her.

UlforceVeedramon smiled and meandered over. "You've got good aim," he complimented.

"Thank you," Paildramon replied, turning around to face him calmly. "It's easy to hit stationary targets, though."

With a grin, UlforceVeedramon stopped in front of her and placed his hands on his hips. "I could activate the moving target system, if you want," he suggested with a friendly grin.

"Maybe after I get warmed up, Sir UlforceVeedramon," she answered.

"Oh, you can just call me Ulforce. Six syllables is kind of a mouthful, isn't it?" he said with a light laugh.

Paildramon smiled slightly. "Try saying 'Imperialdramon: Dragon Mode' every time you evolve."

UlforceVeedramon laughed again. "My sympathies. I hope you start mid-evolution." He smiled eagerly. "I don't think we've had much of a chance to chat since you joined a few months ago. You're Councillor Imperialdramon's daughter, aren't you?" he asked.

"I prefer 'Paildramon', but yes," she responded with a hidden, playful smirk.

"Sorry," he apologized, rubbing the back of his horned head. "How are you settling in? I know living here at our headquarters must be different from being in the Republic of Node's military."

"I'm settling in fine. It's nice that the barracks here are relatively private," Paildramon responded.

"Glad to hear you don't mind," UlforceVeedramon said.

"Not at all," the dragon woman replied.

"How long have you been in the Republic's military, do you mind me asking?" the cobalt Royal Knight followed up.

"About six years," she explained.

UlforceVeedramon smiled. "Oh, yeah? I've seen you in action and you're pretty impressive."

"Thank you," Paildramon responded, looking at him with a knowing smile. "But why do I get the feeling that you're trying to flatter me?"

UlforceVeedramon chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey, I was being genuine," he insisted. "But okay. You have me. Would you be interested in going for a drink with me at some point?"

Paildramon looked at him with a diplomatic gaze. "I don't want to be rude – especially not to a Royal Knight – but… I'm not interested. At least, not in the way that you're intending…" she answered. "I'm sorry, UlforceVeedramon. I don't think it would be a good idea."

UlforceVeedramon rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled sheepishly. "No, I'm sorry. I'll just slink away now…" he playfully responded.

Paildramon smiled. "It's nothing personal, honestly. It's just a general rule I have not to get involved with people I'm working with. It's unprofessional and it could lead to complications," she explained. "Especially when they happen to be one of the Royal Knights."

"Yeaaah, that's probably smart, actually," UlforceVeedramon said with a half smile. "I understand."

"However…" Paildramon added. "If you wanted to go for a drink in a purely friendly, gallant manner, I wouldn't have any objection to that."

UlforceVeedramon smiled a bit wider. "In that case, you're on," he replied. "The tavern later?"

Paildramon nodded. "I'm usually finished my jobs by sunset."

"Great, I'll see you then," UlforceVeedramon told her. "There's a few things I need to see to."

"Bye, UlforceVeedramon," she said to him, turning around to face the target range again.

UlforceVeedramon flapped his wings to fly into the air. When airborne, he darted over the castle grounds and headed towards the headquarters.

* * *

"S-Sensei… Can I stop now…?"

BaoHackmon panted as he raced around the edges of the training grounds. Sweat dripped down his body and he ran more sluggishly than he did when he first started. The training grounds was a vast area inside the castle walls, so just two laps around the area would be enough for a decent amount of exercise. BaoHackmon had lost track of how many laps he had done.

In front of him was Gankoomon. He was running backwards at a leisurely pace so that he could face his teenage student. He didn't wear his trademark jacket as it would have likely fallen off during the running.

"You're the one who decided you wanted to become a Royal Knight," Gankoomon reminded him, still running in reverse as he looked at him. "You're gonna need to do better than this if you want to have any chance of getting knighted."

"But…" BaoHackmon began before suddenly thinking better of himself. His gaze hardened with determination at Gankoomon's words and he began to push himself harder. He picked up his speed with a burst of reinvigoration. His sweat-drenched, hooded, ruby cape rippled behind him as he ran. "I can… do it…" he muttered between grunts.

Gankoomon grinned and picked up his speed as well. He found that training his eager student was much easier ever since joining the Royal Knights and moving them into the castle. Since BaoHackmon was surrounded by his heroes and inspirations, it made him want to work harder, and it generally made him more obedient too. They seemed to be a positive source of motivation for him. On the other hand, it made BaoHackmon eager to want to impress them too, which sometimes led him to be reckless.

"Good, because I think Dukemon is watching," Gankoomon told him with a smile.

"H-He is?!" BaoHackmon asked, looking around eagerly. As his attention grew distracted, BaoHackmon's legs wobbled and he began to trip. "Whuagah!" he exclaimed as the muscles of one of his forelegs shuddered and his legs buckled. BaoHackmon crashed to the ground and skidded a little, getting a face full of grass and dirt.

Upon seeing this Gankoomon stopped running. "…Okay, maybe that's enough for the day," he stated, placing his hands on his hips.

BaoHackmon's yellow eyes grimaced and he felt his face heat up with embarrassment. He slowly lifted his head and looked up at Gankoomon. "Dukemon saw that, didn't he, Sensei?"

Gankoomon grinned and walked over to his student to help him to his feet. "Hey, even Royal Knights make asses of themselves sometimes."

"Not often," BaoHackmon muttered, not looking around out of fear of making eye contact with somebody after that embarrassing moment. "Can we go get a drink? I think I swallowed some dirt…"

Gankoomon chuckled. "Sure."

The dinosaur Digimon trudged across the training grounds alongside Gankoomon. He released a tired yawn and inwardly looked forward to giving his tired legs a rest.

The Royal Knight folded his arms and looked down at his student. "So, Hack – sorry – BaoHackmon…" he began.

The caped reptile quickly looked up at him. "That wasn't a yawn, Sensei," he insisted as they neared the edge of the training grounds.

"Whatever you say," the grinning Gankoomon said. "What I was going to ask was if you're really still intent on becoming a Royal Knight one day."

"Of course I am!" BaoHackmon exclaimed with an excited, determined smile. "Now more than ever!"

"I see," Gankoomon replied. "You want to be on the same level as your sensei one day, huh?"

BaoHackmon laughed, though it came out more like a wheeze as he was still trying to catch his breath from all the running. "That'll be a nice bonus. You won't be able to boss me around as much."

Gankoomon gave him a toothy smirk. "Who says?" he teased. "So, I guess your perception of the Royal Knights hasn't been shattered by living with them and seeing them in person? Sometimes one can get a pre-conceived idea of who their heroes really are, and when they meet them in person they become disappointed. Not the case with you?"

"Not at all," BaoHackmon responded with an honest smile. "Actually, now that I've really met them, they're even cooler than I imagined! Before, they were these awesome, gallant heroes who stood up for weaker Digimon. Now, they're still that, but it's like they're still regular Digimon too. They're so cool!"

Gankoomon couldn't help but laugh and ruffle his apprentice's horned head, causing the dinosaur to blush and try to pull away in agitation. "I gotta hand it to you, BaoHackmon; you're an optimist."

"That a bad thing?" BaoHackmon asked, glancing up at the Royal Knight.

"Nah," Gankoomon replied. "You keep trying to become a Royal Knight and I'll keep helping you train, kid."

BaoHackmon smiled. "Awesome. So when can I go on a patrol?"

"Don't push your luck."

"Peri goes on patrols," BaoHackmon stated, referencing his friend.

"Imperialdramon's had eight months of recon training," Gankoomon responded just as quickly. "And he's a Mega level while you're a Champion."

"He's the same age as me!" Gankoomon's squire protested.

"Enough with the backchat, BaoHackmon," Gankoomon told him. "Unless you want to do a few more laps."

"I don't mind," BaoHackmon insisted, pretending like his leg muscles weren't sore and trembling from exhaustion.

"Oh, really?" Gankoomon asked, looking at him with an expression that told him that he wasn't making idle threats.

BaoHackmon ducked his head and glanced away. "Y-Yeah… But maybe later…" he mumbled.

Gankoomon smirked. "Uh huh. Let's get some food inside you. Or will you puke it up?"

"I'll be fine," BaoHackmon assured him. "Even if I do, the taste of Sir RhodoKnightmon's food makes it worth it."

"Yeah… He's kinda weird but he's a hell of a cook. I'll give 'im that," Gankoomon admitted.

"His food's way better than anything you ever made, Sensei," BaoHackmon teased.

Gankoomon lightly swatted his head. "You've turned into a smartass since coming here," he told him with a grin.

BaoHackmon grunted but smiled at him. "You always said I should be more assertive."

"Uh huh. Just don't forget that I'm one of the Royal Knights now too," Gankoomon reminded him. "You're not a Royal Knight yet, kid."

"And I'm not a kid anymore, either, Sensei," BaoHackmon countered.

Gankoomon smiled and shrugged as they walked across the road towards the castle. "Point taken. Just don't get ahead of yourself."

BaoHackmon sighed but managed a small grin. "Yeah, yeah. Message received…" he answered. The dinosaur Digimon walked towards the entrance and smiled inwardly. "_One day… I'll be able to save Digimon just like the Royal Knights do… I just need to keep training."_

* * *

An hour passed since noon.

OuRyuumon and Dorbickmon's friendly spar had taken place out in the training grounds not long after BaoHackmon and Gankoomon left the area. It had been an intense, hard fought, cathartic match for the two Digimon.

"Hell…" Dorbickmon grunted as he slogged across the grass.

His arm was over Examon's back, just above his large wings. The dragon knight had his arm around Dorbickmon's waist, helping the exhausted mercenary walk. Dorbickmon's body was dripping with sweat and he panted with husky breaths as he walked.

Craniamon and Dynasmon strode beside them at a leisurely pace.

"Pretty close match," Dynasmon said with a satisfied expression as he counted the money in his claws.

Craniamon cast an annoyed look at Dorbickmon. "Too bad he beat you. I was betting on you, you know."

Dorbickmon shrugged. "I let him win. I felt bad about the whole 'using him as a hostage' thing," he asserted.

"Suuure. Whatever you say," Dynasmon replied, nudging him with his elbow.

"Knights don't throw matches," Craniamon tersely spoke. "Especially not ones that other people are betting on."

"Hey, I'm no knight," Dorbickmon replied, giving Craniamon a tired, toothy grin. "But damn. Those electric shocks pack a hell of a punch."

"They beat real attacks, don't they?" Examon asked, looking at his friend.

"Yeah, guess so. And that nerdy bug came up with that system?" the mercenary inquired.

"MetallifeKuwagamon?" Examon replied. "Yeah, but I don't know about 'nerdy'…"

"Yeah, well, you're a big nerd yourself so you're probably biased." Dorbickmon looked at him with a grin.

Examon raised an eyebrow and glanced at Dynasmon. "Define 'nerd'."

"Duftmon," Dynasmon clarified.

"Heh," Craniamon chuckled briefly.

"I am not like Duftmon," Examon indignantly insisted.

"You're both smart," Dynasmon pointed out.

"Neither of you are very good socially," Craniamon added.

"You're both kinda snobby and uptight," Dorbickmon chimed in.

Examon grumbled. "Come on, I'm not _that_ bad."

Dynasmon laughed. "Okay, you're a nicer version of Duftmon."

Examon rolled his eyes. "That isn't a whole lot better…" he responded. He looked at the Digimon who he was helping to walk. "What are your plans for when you leave, Dorbickmon?"

"Fishing for those bugs," Dorbickmon replied.

"Where are you going to start?" Examon inquired.

Dorbickmon and the others stepped onto the courtyard road in front of the castle. It contained several buildings like the blacksmith's, a barracks, an armoury, and various merchant shops that had permission to sell inside the castle grounds.

The mercenary shrugged. "I'll probably start with Shroud. Since they're on the run from the Metal Empire, that'd probably be the first place they'd go, if we're talking geography. If they're not there, they might have gone down to Dark Point on the west coast of the continent. I think I remember seeing them in a bar there called 'The Hook and Eel Pub'."

"Another shady place," Craniamon remarked.

"If you're on the wrong side of the law, you don't exactly want to go out in the daylight," Dorbickmon replied with a light, toothy grin.

"S'pose not," the violet armoured Royal Knight responded tersely.

"Anyway…" Dorbickmon said, looking around the courtyard and noticing a bunch of male soldiers around. "It sure is a sausage fest around here."

"It is?" Examon asked, raising an eyebrow and looking around. "I don't see or smell any sausages…"

Dorbickmon turned and stared at Examon blandly. After a few moments, he turned to the other Royal Knights. "Is he serious or does he just have a really dry sense of humour that I'm not getting?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand.

"He's serious," Craniamon replied.

Examon blinked curiously. Dynasmon leaned over and whispered into Examon's ear, causing the dragon Royal Knight to blush. "Oh, a sex joke…" he spoke sheepishly, sweat dripping down his head.

Dorbickmon shook his head. "The things I need to teach you…" he said with a sigh.

"Anyway, nah," Dynasmon said to Dorbickmon. "There are a good number of female Digimon in the Order. Shutumon's in charge of administration, for example. I can see why you say that though. There's definitely more men and not enough women."

"We know why you want more women, Dynasmon," Craniamon said, eyeing him.

"Nothing wrong with being sociable," Dynasmon replied. He responded to Craniamon with a playful glance. "It sure beats bringing a spear and shield to bed."

Craniamon stared at him flatly. "I do not bring Claiohm Solais and Avalon to bed. I put them on their racks."

"I bet those aren't the racks that Dynasmon's interested in," Dorbickmon said with a chuckle.

Examon sighed. "You should speak with better manners, Dorbickmon," he recommended.

"Hey, I'm not part of the Order. I can speak how I want," Dorbickmon insisted. "This is why people think you're a prude."

Examon shook his head with exasperation. "So, when are you heading out?"

"After supper," Dorbickmon responded. "Might as well stay for another meal if it's half as good as lunch was."

"So you liked RhodoKnightmon's cooking, huh?" Dynasmon asked with a grin.

"Who doesn't?" Craniamon replied matter of factly.

Examon gave Dorbickmon a light smile. "He was shovelling it down."

"I know good food when I see it," Dorbickmon asserted.

Dynasmon chuckled. "Well, Rhodo's got to have some good qualities to balance out all of the annoying ones."

"He's a good fighter when he can be bothered to get off his ass," Craniamon added.

Another laugh escaped Dynasmon's mouth. "That's true. I remember he wiped the floor with you during your proving duel. Hahah! The look on your face was priceless, Craniamon! I thought you were going to burst into tears!"

Craniamon growled and reached over to punch Dynasmon's arm painfully. "I've gotten much better since then," his deep voice echoed behind his helmet.

Dynasmon winced but maintained his smirk. He rubbed his sore arm with his large hand. "Sorry. Still a touchy subject over six years on, I guess…"

"Have you gotten any better since founding the Order, Dynasmon?" Craniamon asked, eyeing him coolly. "And I'm not talking about getting attractive women into bed."

"Hey, you're acting like I'm a complete lecher," Dynasmon protested. "I treat women well and I'm a hell of a knight on top of that."

Craniamon rolled his eyes. "Well, it doesn't really help our pious image."

"Image schimage," Dynasmon protested. "We're a military order first, and a religious order second. Don't tell me you're super religious, Craniamon, because I know you aren't. Besides, sex has nothing to do with our religion. And also, Ulforce and Examon are both believers of the Fanglongmon faith, not the Yggdrasil one. Most Digimon don't care about that."

Craniamon folded his arms and grunted.

"He's just really proud of being a Royal Knight, aren't you, Craniamon?" Examon said, looking over at the violet Royal Knight with a smile.

Craniamon averted his gaze and didn't respond, embarrassed by the personal question.

Dynasmon chuckled. "He's probably blushing behind that scary helmet of his now."

"Get stuffed, Dynasmon," Craniamon responded with a sideways glare.

"Yup, I knew it. He's a big softy on the inside," Dynasmon snickered.

As the group of four approached the front entrance of the main building, Dorbickmon pulled his arm away from Examon. "Okay, I'm fine now, " he said quickly, stepping up to the doors and pushing them open before the guards could get to them first.

"You took some serious shocks, Dorbickmon. I know they aren't life threatening, but you still shouldn't overdo it," Examon insisted, going after him.

"My muscles are just a bit tingly. I'm fine," Dorbickmon insisted with a dismissive shrug, walking down the entrance hall obstinately.

"Stop trying to look cool," Examon said with a sigh.

Dynasmon smirked. "Who're you trying to impress, Dorbickmon?" he asked him, following along behind Examon.

"Nobody, tin cans!" Dorbickmon exclaimed, looking over his shoulder. "But I _don't_ need help walking!"

As if on cue, the next step Dorbickmon took caused his leg muscles to quiver. A numbing jolt shot up Dorbickmon's leg and caused it to buckle. The mercenary collapsed in front of the several stone steps and landed flat on his face.

As Examon jogged over to the collapsed dragon, Craniamon stifled a chuckle and Dynasmon burst out laughing.

With his face a deeper crimson than usual, Dorbickmon nudged Examon's claws away and tried to stand up on his own. "Let's forget that happened…"

* * *

Omegamon walked through the castle gardens which was located between the right side of the main building and the southern wall. He stepped down a path that was flanked on both sides by a myriad of beautiful colours. When he looked up, he could see the cloudy sky glowing with a warm, pink and orange hue as the sun set behind him. He could hear the sound of rushing water coming from the other side of the stone wall. It was a small river that curved and headed east towards the ocean.

As Omegamon walked down the path, enjoying the peace and atmosphere, the path led him towards a large, finely sculpted fountain. In the middle of the fountain's marble, water-filled basin was a sculpture of a long, fearsome, majestic sea serpent. Its body was coiled up and a blocky, draconic head rose from the apex, aimed at the sky. From the serpent's mouth gushed a jet of water that shot into the air, rolled down his marble body, and gathered in the basin. The Digimon was GigaSeadramon, the leader of the Deep Savers. The Deep Savers was a group of marine Digimon who controlled the Net Ocean to the east of the continent. GigaSeadramon was an ally of the Royal Knights and he had commissioned this fountain for himself before giving it to the Royal Knights as a gift.

The Royal Knight stopped in front of the fountain and watched the water splash down in front of him, causing countless ripples in the basin. The glowing sky was distorted in the fountain's reflection. Omegamon began to turn, heading to sit down at one of the nearby stone benches so that he could enjoy the peaceful gardens. However, a arm reached out behind him and rested on Omegamon's back and shoulders.

Omegamon tensed up for a moment. He turned towards the presence beside him. He saw Dukemon standing there with a grin.

"Oh, Dukemon," he said, relaxing a bit.

"Hey, Omegamon," Dukemon said cheerfully.

"What are you doing here?" Omegamon questioned, still mindful of the arm on his back. "Were you looking for me?"

"No, I just came out here to stretch my legs," Dukemon replied. "Beautiful evening out, huh?"

"Yes, it is," the white Royal Knight agreed. He paused for a moment. "I thought you preferred sunrises to sunsets."

Dukemon chuckled. "Yeah, true, but I can't be picky." He walked over and sat on the stone bench with his back to the fountain. He raised his arms and rested his elbows on the rim of the fountain, closing his eyes and relaxing.

Omegamon sat down next to him and leaned forwards, resting his forearms on his legs. He glanced over at the crimson Royal Knight pensively.

Dukemon opened his right eye and looked back at Omegamon. "So, how are you doing?" he asked him.

"I'm fine, thanks. Yourself?" Omegamon answered.

"I'm good. No complaints," Dukemon casually replied.

Omegamon smiled. "Did you come out here to check up on me?"

Dukemon turned his head towards him. "Check up on you?" he asked quizzically. By the change in his expression, it was clear that he realized what he meant. "No… I'm the last person who would do that."

"Why is that?" the white Royal Knight inquired.

A grin flashed on Dukemon's face. "Never mind…" he responded, dodging the question. "So… How long have we known each other, Omegamon?"

Omegamon frowned and sat up straight. "A couple years before the Order was established… It was back in our adventuring days. I was travelling with Imperialdramon and you were travelling with Grani."

Dukemon leaned back against the fountain and looked up at the warm, colourful sky. "That sounds about right…" he spoke nostalgically. "You and Imperialdramon saved my butt a few times - the reckless guy that I was."

"You returned the favour a few times," Omegamon answered with a small smile. "Like when we were swarmed by Death-X Digimon."

Dukemon chuckled softly. "I made a hell of an entrance, didn't I?"

"You got a kick out of that, didn't you?" Omegamon queried with a reserved but playful tone. He slouched forwards again and placed his arms back on his knees. "Why ask about when we met, Dukemon?"

"No reason… I was just thinking about how different our lives were back then," Dukemon responded, watching as the orange and pink hue contended with the dusky blue above him. "We didn't have the responsibilities that we have now."

Omegamon nodded understandingly. "Do you miss it? Being off on your own – or with Grani – that is…"

"Not at all," Dukemon answered without a second thought. He turned towards Omegamon and smiled. "Being a Royal Knight… Being friends with you… with _all_ of you… I wouldn't give it up for a single thing." Dukemon played his words off casually and he leaned his head back, gazing back up at the vestiges of sunset in the sky. He didn't want to seem like he was getting too sappy or intense. However, there was a look of contentment on his face. "And you?"

Omegamon smiled at the warmth and honesty in Dukemon's words and then gazed down at his lap. "I couldn't agree with you more…"

Dukemon was about to reply, but something caught his attention. As he stared at the sky, something passed overhead that prompted him to stand to his feet.

"What the…"

* * *

The sounds of grunting and heavy, exerted breaths filled the air. Sweat rolled down the skin of Alphamon's toned chest as Sleipmon's hand grappled with his shoulder. Alphamon faced Sleipmon, who was also shirtless and sweaty. They grabbed for each other's arms and chests, trying to get the better of the other.

Alphamon huffed and broke Sleipmon's hold with his arm. He dashed forwards and wrapped his arms around Sleipmon's waist, just above where his body went from humanoid to beast-like. "You sure aren't going easy on me, are you, Sleipmon?" he said with a slight grin between breaths.

Sleipmon grunted and spread his six legs to keep balance. He placed his hand under Alphamon's arm, trying to pull it off from around his waist. As he did this, his other hand went down to grab hold of Alphamon's leg to try to throw him off balance. "I can't afford to," Sleipmon replied with a smile.

The two Royal Knights stood in the middle of a spacious room. Over half of the room was empty except for flat, smooth, bamboo hardwood flooring. The floor glistened pristinely as if it had been freshly swept and mopped. This section of the room was used for indoor practicing and hand-to-hand sparring. There was plenty of room to move around, making the area well-suited for those kinds of activities. For the purpose of Alphamon and Sleipmon's sparring, rubber mats had been moved over the floor to cushion any painful take downs as well as damage to the floor. Near the entrance of the room was a mat where Digimon had to place their footwear before entering, so as not to scuff the floor.

Further down the expansive room, making up the other half, was a gym. It was full of exercise equipment such as bench presses, pneumatic and weight-based exercise machines, free weights of various types and sizes, resistance bands, weighted items, and punching bags, to name a few. The one most often seen in this room was Craniamon. It was almost like a second bedroom to him, so he usually took it upon himself to clean it instead of the maintenance staff.

Off to the side, sitting against the wall, were RhodoKnightmon and Duftmon. RhodoKnightmon languidly watched Alphamon and Sleipmon wrestle, appreciating the eye candy while trying to strike up a conversation with Duftmon. At that moment, he was too lazy to do anything productive.

Meanwhile, Duftmon sat cross-legged against the wall and read a book. In one hand, he held the book, and in the other, he used a charcoal pencil to write down notes on a notepad resting on his leg. He largely ignored Alphamon and Sleipmon's physical grappling match.

"-that's what UlforceVeedramon told me, at any rate," RhodoKnightmon finished, glancing over at Duftmon. The strategist was silent, seemingly fixated on what he was doing. RhodoKnightmon sighed and realized that trying to get Duftmon to engage in the topic was a waste of time. "What are you reading?"

"A treatise on aerial envelopment tactics," Duftmon responded. "It was written by Gaiomon. The one who is currently the sitting advisor to the Council of Seven. I am writing a counterargument in response."

"Very clever, Duftmon. Cute as well," RhodoKnightmon mused. "Why has nobody made you theirs yet?"

"Please do not bother me with such nonsensical questions, RhodoKnightmon. I am trying to concentrate," Duftmon replied dismissively.

RhodoKnightmon smiled behind his helmet and place his hands behind his head, expecting an answer like that. "Oh, yes. That's why, isn't it?" he spoke. He looked back at Alphamon and Sleipmon. Alphamon was grappling with Sleipmon, trying to throw him off his six hooves, but his heavy lower half made it difficult. RhodoKnightmon looked back at Duftmon. "What about this, then? What do you think the Metal Empire will do next?"

Duftmon looked up from his book and paper. "They will probably send out an elite task force to hunt down the insects. If they catch them, they will probably interrogate them to get them to reveal their client" he replied matter of factly.

"And whom do you think their client might be?" RhodoKnightmon inquired.

"I won't speculate," Duftmon responded. "However, if it turns out to be a state wishing to acquire the technology for itself, then I wouldn't put it past Chaosdramon to wage war to get it back, unless it was very strategically unviable."

"That could be trouble," the pink Royal Knight said.

Duftmon nodded. "Depending on what happens in the coming weeks, we may have to intervene in a peacekeeper role… unless we use the hypothetical opportunity to take down Chaosdramon. We _have_ been looking for an excuse to get rid of him. He is diametrically opposed to our ideals, after all."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Alphamon spoke up from the sparring room floor before grabbing Sleipmon by the waist and hurling him off balance and onto the mats with a crash. Alphamon then jumped on top of him to try to pin him down, but Sleipmon resisted. "We… still don't know anything…f-for sure," he said between breaths and grunts as Sleipmon's arm pressed against his neck. "Wait for Karatenmon and Dorbickmon before… coming up with controversial scenarios like that."

"I was merely supposing," Duftmon responded, closing his eyes with a minor huff.

Alphamon grabbed hold of Sleipmon's arm. "Still-"

"I can find my own way, thank you," a familiar male voice said from the hallway. "I used to live here, you know."

Alphamon and Sleipmon both stopped in the middle of their wrestling and looked towards the door. Duftmon and RhodoKnightmon went quiet and looked over, recognizing the voice as well.

A white and blue draconic silhouette appeared at the door of the sparring room. He was clad in white and golden plate armour and had immaculate blue scales. There was something about the way that he carried himself that seemed innately heroic.

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode observed Alphamon and Sleipmon on the ground with a raised eyebrow and an amused smirk. "Am I interrupting?" he asked.

Alphamon let go of Sleipmon and stood to his feet. "Imperialdramon," he greeted his friend with bewilderment. After a moment, he turned and helped Sleipmon to his feet as well. Once the equine Royal Knight was up, Alphamon walked over to Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode, the founder of the Order. "What are you doing here? We weren't expecting you back for another few weeks."

Imperialdramon's usually light expression suddenly grew serious. "That's right… There's something important that we need to talk about," he explained. "Gather all of the Royal Knights."

"What is it?" Sleipmon asked as RhodoKnightmon and Duftmon made to stand.

"I'll go into details later," Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode responded with a frown. "I'll just say this… The Dark Area isn't stable."


	5. Chapter 4: Beneath the Surface

(Author's Notes: Sorry for the wait. Classes. I'll also be busy for the next two weeks, so expect another wait until the next chapter. But then I'm on summer vacation. Wooo! Hopefully this works for the time being. Enjoy!)

**Chapter 4: Beneath the Surface**

"Enter," a growling monotone accent boomed.

The voice echoed off of the huge, metallic walls of a vast throne room. They stood as tall as small buildings, and they were made of metal that was durable enough to withstand attacks and absorb sound.

Chaosdramon sat in an oversized, blocky, metal throne. The room itself was very minimalist, as it didn't consist of much else besides the throne. A giant, hybrid arc lamp that was powered by Facture's power plant shone an artificial light down onto his massive, draconic body. The cyborg's red digizoid armour shimmered with the hue of blood crimson. His similarly coloured eyes stoically watched as the massive throne room doors swung open.

Three Digimon strode into the throne room. One was green and svelte, one was gold and balanced, and one was red and bulky. The three Storm Commanders of the D-Brigade stepped forwards, walking along the long, red mat that led to the base of the throne.

Raijinmon stepped forwards first and bowed. The light reflected off of his gold armour and shoulder batteries. "Emperor Chaosdramon," he greeted with a lowered head.

Suijinmon walked behind Raijinmon with heavy footsteps from his four massive legs and long, robotic arms. He flicked his red tail behind his quadruped body and stepped up beside Raijinmon, lowering his head in a loyal bow. "Your Majesty," he said deeply.

Fujinmon was the last to approach. He leered at Chaosdramon with an unreadable expression. His long, green hair flowed behind him as he advanced. The green cyborg Digimon took his place to the left of Raijinmon and he crossed one of his sword arms in front of his chest as he quietly bowed. "Emperor."

Chaosdramon flexed the vice that made up his right hand. "Raijinmon, Suijinmon, Fujinmon," he greeted, looking at the gold, red, and green Commanders respectively. "You have had two days. I want a status report concerning our great matter."

Raijinmon stood up straight and clasped his hands behind his back, relaxing. "We have ruled out any rebellious action from JumboGamemon loyalists. We are certain that the attack was carried out by a team of three mercenaries. The D-Brigade's intelligence division suggests that they call themselves the Black Pincer Company. We haven't been able to figure out anything else about them."

Chaosdramon narrowed his cold eyes. "Mercenaries…? That's it? The guests were all laughing at us after the other night. They think that we are weak and rife with discontent."

"The good news is that we are not," Suijinmon spoke in his deep voice. "Mercenaries have no use for those blueprints. That means they were either hired by somebody who wants that technology for themselves or they want to sabotage us."

"Do we know who?" Chaosdramon questioned.

"Not until we get our hands on those mercenaries," Fujinmon answered. "We sent a task force after them."

"They'll get them to talk," Raijinmon added, glancing at his leaner, greener companion before looking back at Chaosdramon.

"Speculate regardless," Chaosdramon requested.

Suijinmon frowned with thought. He thought about the various options analytically. "The Mamemon Kingdom?"

"Possibly," Chaosdramon breathed. "PrinceMamemon… That jumped-up, empty-headed twit of a beach ball… He always wanted to be able to rival our empire with that puny plot of land of his. They could have hired those mercenaries to steal those blueprints to adapt the technology for themselves." He let out a soft, mechanical snarl. "Any other suggestions?"

"The Royal Knights?" Suijinmon put forth.

"The Royal Knights wouldn't do something so underhanded," Raijinmon countered, looking over at the Waterfall Commander. "If there's anything we can expect from them, it's consistency."

"We _are_ in a state of quasi-cold warfare with them, Raijinmon," the large, red commander stoically told him. "They disapprove of the way we run our empire. And there is that other matter…"

"MetallifeKuwagamon," Chaosdramon spoke, narrowing his eyes.

Suijinmon nodded. "There is enough reason to believe that they are granting him asylum, even if we do not have hard evidence. He has likely told them our secrets."

"And what about the other thing?" Fujinmon spoke up, glancing at his two comrades.

"What other thing?" Chaosdramon asked, turning his head to the green cyborg with a leer.

"We detected a momentary breach of our cyber security," Fujinmon explained. "It was only for a split moment before the signal disappeared, but we were definitely being hacked. We traced the signal through the data streams to around the Royal Knights' headquarters, but then a data storm interfered with further connections. We're increasing our security as we speak."

"Damn them…" Chaosdramon droned, despite his anger not being clearly conveyed by his voice. "Damn that bunch of holier-than-thou tin gods. Damn that treacherous insect."

"Perhaps they were just being meddlesome," Raijinmon suggested diplomatically. "They do have a penchant for intervening in things that aren't their business. Didn't they try to go after those mercenaries the other day, Fujinmon?" he asked, turning to the skinnier Digimon to his left.

"They stuck their noses in. That's all," Fujinmon replied. "With all due respect, Raijinmon, but you seem to be making excuses for them. Maybe you should find another group to exercise your creativity on."

"I'm just being realistic," Raijinmon answered, folding his arms. "If they were behind this act of aggression, then, of course, we need to respond heavily."

"Keep investigating," Chaosdramon ordered them. "Send a missive to those who attended the party apologizing for what happened. Tell them that the matter is taken care of. And find those thieving mercenaries. I am not about to break our stance of neutrality without sufficient evidence."

"Break our neutrality?" Fujinmon asked with a modicum of surprise.

"So, war is an option, Your Majesty?" Suijinmon asked him.

"Our most precious values have been attacked by somebody: our dominance in industry. We must retaliate… We must be _seen_ to retaliate. Our strong reputation depends on it," Chaosdramon answered. He opened and closed the vice of his right arm. "Whoever attempts to attack us shall be crushed thoroughly and completely, with the full weight of our martial capabilities..." He closed his eyes thoughtfully. "Find out who hired them…"

* * *

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode had gathered all of the Royal Knights into the council room. In addition to himself and the twelve were also Dorbickmon and Zero ARMS: Grani.

The twelve Royal Knights sat around the smooth, white, round table. They all looked at Imperialdramon with looks of curiosity and concern. Grani hovered behind Dukemon silently. Dorbickmon lingered near the closed doors of the council room awkwardly, unsure of what to do with himself. The air loomed heavy with uncertainty and bated breath at Imperialdramon's ominous words.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode walked up the single step on the far side of the room, standing on the elevated floor as he gazed up at the stained glass window of himself. He turned around and walked back down to the Royal Knights, stretching his wings and running his blue fingers through his blond hair as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"That thing is still up there, Alphamon?" he asked with a slight grin, nodding over his shoulder to the stained glass window. "I told you I don't like it; it's embarrassing."

Alphamon managed a smile despite his trepidation. "You weren't around enough to complain about it," he responded to his friend's playful complaint. "Besides, it was expensive."

"Well, I am now," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode replied, casting a meaningful look to Omegamon, who sat on Alphamon's right.

Omegamon inwardly appreciated the action. "Not that we aren't glad to see you, but why are you back so early?" he asked.

"And why am I here?" Dorbickmon spoke up from across the room. "Should I be here during one of your secret meetings?" he asked with an ironic grin. "I'm an untrustworthy mercenary, after all."

"He brings up a good point," Duftmon concurred, either ignoring or completely missing the irony in Dorbickmon's voice. "If this meeting is important, then it should be only Royal Knights and Captains privy to the information."

Dorbickmon rolled his eyes at Duftmon's sentiments, although he knew enough about him by now to expect it from him.

Imperialdramon walked back to the table and placed his hand on the top of the back of Omegamon's seat. "This involves Dorbickmon," he stated, looking at all of the Royal Knights before looking at Dorbickmon.

"Great. What did I do now?" he muttered under his breath.

"You mentioned that it was about the Dark Area," Alphamon pointed out, looking over his shoulder and up at Imperialdramon Paladin Mode.

"That it was unstable," Duftmon bluntly added.

"I'm getting to that," Imperialdramon responded to them, still looking at Dorbickmon. "Dorbickmon, you freed DarkKnightmon."

Dorbickmon folded his arms and grunted. "Yeah, I know. I'm an idiot. How many times do I have to apologize for that?" he fired back with exasperation.

"Bear with me," the founder of the Order assured him. "How did you do it?"

"I went to this pit that was full of stone pillars," Dorbickmon began to explain, gesturing with his hand. "Some Digimon species like me can sense the dragon veins that run throughout the Digital World. At that place, there was a big pocket of energy in the ground that was particularly close to the surface, kinda like the ones that surround the World Tree. I stabbed my Tyrant Collbrande into the ground and used my Burning the Dragon ability to manipulate the leylines." He shrugged nonchalantly. "It took a few days of exhausting work, but I was able to corrupt the barrier that surrounded the Dark Area."

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode nodded. "I thought so."

Dorbickmon blinked with a slowly dawning realization. "…Oh…" he said sheepishly. He then frowned and spoke up with protest. "Hey! Wait a second! I made sure to keep the thing stable so that only DarkKnightmon was able to escape! I closed the damn thing afterward!"

"You did, but you probably didn't realize that there was an unintended ripple effect," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode explained. "The barrier of the Dark Area is two-way. It's incredibly durable and it lies deep beneath the surface of the Digital World in a sort of pocket dimension where the Dark Area is. However, the barrier requires a lot of maintenance to its data. That's because it has the potential to become unstable if too much destructive pressure is applied to it. The reason for this is all the strain coming from both sides of the barrier. There are safeguards to prevent the prisoners from getting out and other Digimon from getting in, but you managed to do enough damage to bypass them."

"Simple terms, Imperialdramon," Dynasmon told him. "We're not all like Duftmon."

"More's the pity," Duftmon mumbled to himself.

Imperialdramon turned and grinned at Dynasmon. "Okay…" He turned around and pointed to the stained glass window of himself. "Imagine that I punched through that window there. I would break a hole straight through it and cause several cracks around the hole. I could take all of the pieces that fell out and glue them back into place to repair the hole, but all of the cracks would still remain. The fractures would look like a Dokugumon web, you see? That's what the Dark Area is like right now."

"There was that crack in Lupolford, right, Dorbickmon?" UlforceVeedramon said, looking over at the mercenary.

"The one in Dusk Forest too," Craniamon added, remembering the one that he and Examon encountered.

"And others too," Dukemon said with a frown.

"I did my best to close them," Dorbickmon said with an irritated look.

"We isolated all of the ones that we found," Alphamon said to Imperialdramon, "but that isn't enough, is it?"

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode shook his head. "That's just bandaging the problem… We need to find a way to fix the problem at its core, but it's too dangerous to just try different options and see what works. It could end up making the rifts bigger if something goes wrong. The rest of the prisoners could end up escaping if we aren't careful. I don't need to tell you all how terrible that would be."

Gankoomon raised an eyebrow and reached his hand behind him to scratch the red hair on the back of his head. "Uh… Actually," he spoke up. "What kind of prisoners are we talking about here?"

Alphamon looked over at Gankoomon. "All Royal Knights should have clearance to access the database of Dark Area prisoners. Haven't you used the personal computer in your room?"

Gankoomon looked away sheepishly. "For a desk lamp," he muttered, slouching in his seat and stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets.

"Does it _look_ like he knows how to use a computer, Alphamon?" Duftmon rhetorically asked with the usual air of haughtiness in his voice. "Gankoomon likely has the same technical competence that Dynasmon does."

UlforceVeedramon elbowed Examon playfully. "He managed to insult a quarter of the Royal Knights at once. Even I don't do that," he murmured with a large grin.

Examon smiled and muttered back. "I'm just happy the pressure is off of me now."

"Want to say that to my face, Poncemon?" Gankoomon snarled across the table at Duftmon.

"I thought I did," Duftmon responded matter-of-factly. "It seems as if you're lacking in the spatial-awareness department as well as the intellectual one."

Gankoomon became fired up and rose to his feet, gripping the edge of the council table. "That's it, pussy cat! CHABUDAI—"

"Oh no," Alphamon said with an exasperated sigh, palming his face. "Guys?"

"Dynasmon!" Dukemon exclaimed, leaping over and grabbing hold of Gankoomon's left arm.

"Gotcha," Dynasmon responded, going and gripping Gankoomon's right arm.

The two Royal Knights restrained the hotheaded Royal Knight and forced him to sit back down before he could flip the table over again.

Dorbickmon watched with a shit-eating grin. "Hey, these meetings aren't as boring as I thought."

Duftmon scoffed. "Why do these meetings keep becoming derailed from the topic at hand?" he asked.

"Because you keep insulting people, Duftmon," Alphamon said with an annoyed breath.

Duftmon blinked obliviously. "What? You aren't blaming me for these tangents, are you?" he asked incredulously.

Alphamon sighed and decided it would be better to just drop the issue and get back on point or else it would just make things worse. "Where were we again?" he asked. He then remembered and looked at Gankoomon. "You were wondering about other prisoners of the Dark Area?"

"Yeah," Gankoomon replied, settling down again and pulling his arms back from Dukemon and Dynasmon. He grunted and leaned back in his chair while placing his hands behind his head.

"We only keep the most dangerous Digimon locked away in there. We had to put DarkKnightmon in there, for example," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode explained. "There's GrandDracmon and Lykamon too."

Alphamon frowned and nodded. "The Seven Great Demon Lords are also locked in there on different levels of the Dark Area."

"The fallen angels who rebelled during the Heavenly War?" Gankoomon inquired. "They were locked away in the Dark Area?"

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode nodded in confirmation. "That's what we, the Warrior Ten, and the Heavenly Choir all settled on."

"That was six years ago," Gankoomon said. "The Dark Area's strong enough to keep them for that long?"

"It's strong enough to keep them and more," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode stated. "But these dark rifts are cracks in the barrier of the Dark Area and that's pretty worrying. Fortunately, the Dark Area interior is in a pretty much constant state of anarchy. There are several different factions competing for power in there, so hopefully they're too focused on that to notice the weaknesses in the barrier to try to capitalize on it. Both Anubismon of the Ten and Plutomon keep vigil over the Dark Area, so I'm having a meeting with them in a week to discuss the issue."

"Here I thought it was a place that the data of deleted Digimon went before being reformatted," Gankoomon mentioned, balancing on the back legs of the chair.

"That's what it was originally, but Plutomon discovered that it had ideal conditions to create a prison zone for highly destructive Digimon," Imperialdramon explained. "Now it's both. Luckily, the two functions have nothing to do with each other."

Dorbickmon walked over and leaned his arms on the back of Examon's seat. "So, you pretty much just came here to say that it was my fault? Great."

"It's a pressing matter that's worth warning all of you about," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode responded. "Keep an eye on those isolated rifts. I know you staunched the flow of dark data, but they might still be unstable."

"We will, Imperialdramon," Dukemon told him.

"So… Now that the serious stuff is done, how are you all doing?" Imperialdramon Paladin Mode asked with a light-hearted grin.

"Right now? Scared crapless," UlforceVeedramon snarked. This prompted a laugh from Imperialdramon.

"We're investigating an incident that went on in the Metal Empire, among day to day training and routine," Alphamon explained.

"Oh, yeah. I heard about that," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode said, rubbing his chin. "Bold move by whoever did it. It's dangerous, though. Industrial espionage is on the same level as murder in the Metal Empire."

"Speakin' of that," Dorbickmon spoke up, beginning to make a move. "I've gotta get moving. It's a long walk to the Locomon Rail Station from here. If I want to make it to Shroud by tomorrow, I need to hoof it."

"Very well," Alphamon told him. "Thank you for doing this on short notice."

"Hey, that's what you're payin' me for," Dorbickmon responded dismissively.

Examon stood up in his seat and turned to face Dorbickmon. "Be careful, Dorbickmon," he told him.

Dorbickmon grinned and shrugged. "Yeah, yeah. No promises, though. Unlike you, it's not in my nature."

Examon lowered his gaze and folded his arms.

"I think he's pulling your leg, Examon," Dukemon informed the dragon Royal Knight with a grin.

"He does that a lot, apparently," Examon spoke dryly.

Dorbickmon chuckled. "Anyway, later, losers. I'll be back in just under a week or so."

"Goodbye," Examon said to him.

"Make sure you get something on them," Craniamon reminded him, leaning his arms on the table.

"Or at least get to them before the Metal Empire does," Dynasmon added.

"Uh huh," Dorbickmon responded with a nonchalant wave of the hand over his shoulder as he walked out of the council room.

As he disappeared down the great hall towards the exit, Alphamon looked back at Imperialdramon Paladin Mode. "Was there anything else?"

"I don't think I'm missing anything," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode responded. "You don't mind if I stay here until I have to go meet the two dark and dreary Digimon, do you?"

Alphamon grinned. "You don't have to ask to stay in your old castle," he insisted. "We'd all like to have you around. There's a guest room free that we can prepare."

Omegamon nodded in agreement at this.

"Thanks, Alphamon," Imperialdramon responded.

"In that case, let's adjourn this meeting," Alphamon stated, placing his hands on the face of the table and pushing himself up.

Dukemon nodded and stood up. "Examon, Sleipmon, Gankoomon. You three have military command lessons with me, don't you?"

Gankoomon smirked and got to his feet. "Yup. Time to bust some ass."

"I'm not sure that you're supposed to enjoy it so much, Gankoomon," Sleipmon said, grinning as he began to trot out of the council room.

"He's a natural at the 'command' part," Examon dryly added, walking ahead with Sleipmon.

Gankoomon placed his hands behind his head in a relaxed manner. "You two just need to assert yourselves more. I'll show you guys how a man does it."

"There's more to it than just shouting," Dukemon said as he speed-walked to catch up with them.

Magnamon, Craniamon, RhodoKnightmon, Dynasmon, Duftmon, UlforceVeedramon, and Alphamon all began to head out as well.

"Are you two coming?" Alphamon asked, looking over his shoulder and wing at Omegamon and Imperialdramon Paladin Mode, who were lingering behind.

"Yeah, I just want to catch up with Omegamon for a minute," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode responded with an easygoing smile.

"Alright," Alphamon answered, heading into the great hall with the rest of the Royal Knights.

"Be gentle with him, Imperialdramon. He's our second in command!" UlforceVeedramon's voice rang out from the group of knights.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode chuckled and turned to Omegamon. "I see Ulforce still has his sense of humour."

Omegamon cast a look in UlforceVeedramon's direction. "That's debatable," he replied as he rose to his feet.

Another small laugh emerged from Imperialdramon's mouth. "You never did have much of a taste for humour."

Omegamon smiled at his teasing. "Given all of the jokes that you subjected me to, could you blame me?" he responded in turn.

The dragon knight smirked. "You know you love them." He reached out and placed his azure hand on Omegamon's shoulder. "But, seriously, how are you?"

"Good, thank you," Omegamon responded, raising his hand and placing it on Imperialdramon's arm.

Imperialdramon let go and lowered his arm. "No more dreams about Omegamon Zwart?" he asked him, his light-hearted expression morphing into a concerned one.

Omegamon shook his head. "Thankfully…" he murmured.

"Good…" Imperialdramon Paladin Mode replied. "Given that it was the negative energies from the Dark Area that caused that dark evolution, I don't need to tell you how dangerous this instability of the Dark Area is."

A grimace formed behind Omegamon's white helmet. "No… You're right; we need to find a way to fix it. If even a small rift can have an impact on me… though, I suppose it wasn't necessarily hard, given how I was feeling at the time."

"We can't be sure how much emotions played a part in that. Either way, it's dangerous to leave that kind of power unchecked," Imperialdramon insisted. "Not to mention those prisoners. I've been wracking my brain trying to think of a solution."

"What about the Omega Blade?" Omegamon asked him, looking over at the stained glass window of Imperialdramon holding the said blade in the air. "If you put enough energy into initializing the barrier, then maybe…"

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode frowned and shook his head in response. "No, it's too risky… It could reformat the whole barrier if I'm not careful. If it was on a small scale, then sure, but there're just too many variables on a large scale restructuring."

Omegamon sighed. "We'll think of something."

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode nodded and began to walk out of the council room, prompting Omegamon to walk beside him. "I sure hope so."

"I forgot to ask. How are you?" Omegamon wondered, looking over as he strode down the ostentatious hall beside Imperialdramon.

"I'm good. Busy though," Imperialdramon answered.

Omegamon managed a smile. "You act easygoing but you're always busy doing something, it seems," he pointed out.

Imperialdramon grinned at him. "If I didn't act that way, you'd probably worry about me."

"With good reason, but at least now I can check up on you more," the white Royal Knight replied.

"And? I'm in one piece, aren't I?"

Omegamon glanced at him. "As far as I can tell…"

The founder of the Royal Knights breathed a soft chuckle. "Come on. Let's catch up with the others. I want to see how they're doing."

The two white knights walked together and disappeared to the left upon reaching the end of the great hall of Imperialdramon's old castle.

* * *

"There it is…"

GrandisKuwagamon flew down from the air and landed in the middle of a wide, stone road. His feet touched down with a clack, and the droning of his rapidly beating wings came to a stop. He relaxed his upper body and glanced over his shoulder.

Blitzmon landed behind him gracefully. He lowered his elytra – the protective, armoured covering over his insectoid wings – and ceased the beating of his wings as well.

Bolgmon drove up the road on his mechanized tank treads. The metal clicking of his gradually slowed as he caught up to the two insects.

"Still looks as shitty as ever," Bolgmon remarked, looking past his two comrades and down the road.

The road led up to a huge gate that was large enough for a Mammothmon to walk through with ease. In fact, a Mammothmon was one of the Digimon guarding the gate. He was a massive mammoth Digimon covered with thick fur and donning a long, muscular trunk and deadly tusks. Despite this, he was dwarfed by the broad, solid, forty foot, rock walls that surrounded the city behind him.

They had reached the city of Shroud.

Shroud was a free city in the northern hemisphere of the continent. It was protected on all sides by the tall, well-crafted wall. On top of the ramparts of the wall were regular patrols of city guards who would stop any Digimon that tried to fly over the walls. There were only two ways to get in the city. One road provided thoroughfare to the city; it went through one gate, proceeded straight through the city, and then exited through the opposite end. To enter the city, one had to go through the gates and pay the entrance toll. Officially, this toll was for merchants who wanted to enter the city or use the highway through the city, but unofficially, this toll was actually they payment required for criminals to take safe haven in the city.

The most striking feature of the city was the dim darkness that was cast across the city and its surrounding landscape. This was due to the data storm that raged over the city constantly. The sun was blocked out from the morning to the evening by this data storm. The storm was a mass of swirling, dark grey and violet clouds which only sometimes allowed beams of sunlight through. The clouds often exhibited the appearance of blocky, fragmented data and they constantly loomed over the city.

Data storms are weather phenomena characterized by concentrated clusters of roaming data in the air. They cause disruption in the data streams as well as general poor visibility and storm-like conditions such as lightning. However, they usually pass like a regular storm would. Nobody knows why the data storm above Shroud is permanent and it's still a subject of debate and investigation among curious Digimon scientists. However, due to this natural (or unnatural) landmark, it's hard to see the city from the air and it's too risky to fly through the data storm safely. This means even aerial Digimon need to pass through the gate, and those who do try to fly over the wall are taken down by guards.

"Don't knock it, Bolgmon," Blitzmon said to him, beginning to walk forwards. "It's a useful place for Digimon like us."

"Doesn't mean it isn't dreary," Bolgmon retorted, rolling after him.

"I kinda like it," GrandisKuwagamon mused, leading the way towards the gate.

Bolgmon glanced up at the dark, tumultuous clouds storming overhead as he treaded forward. "Weirdo."

The three members of Black Pincer Company approached the gate of Shroud. Standing on one side of the gate was the Mammothmon who had been eyeing them as they drew near. "You know the drill," he rumbled.

"We paid for the year plan," GrandisKuwagamon responded, walking up to the fortified gate house attached to the wall next to the gate. On that side of the gate was the demonic form of a Zanbamon, who also stood on guard.

Black Pincer Company stepped up to the window of the gatehouse where Digimon paid to enter. GrandisKuwagamon rang the bell a few times to get the gatekeeper's attention.

After a few seconds, a small, ugly, demon Digimon leapt up from out of view and landed on the desk. The Evilmon narrowed his squinting, beady eyes at whoever interrupted him. "What? What?! I'm here already!" he snapped irritably, stamping his foot on the desk.

"We want to get in, pipsqueak," GrandisKuwagamon replied, looking down at the small devil Digimon. "We've got a year pass. GrandisKuwagamon, Blitzmon, and Bolgmon."

"Then let's see your passes," the Evilmon responded, tapping his foot on the desk. "Wouldn't be the first time I heard that one." He then began muttering about the 'pipsqueak' crack under his breath.

GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye and turned to Blitzmon. "Have 'em, Blitz?"

Blitzmon nodded and swung around his shoulder bag. He plunged his hand inside and rifled through its contents. After a few moments, he retracted his hand and pulled out three cards. They were photo IDs of the three Digimon with details about their official date of issue. He stepped up beside GrandisKuwagamon and placed them on the counter at the Evilmon's feet. "Here."

The Evilmon gatekeeper took all three of them and scanned them carefully with his red and blue eyes. "Lesse… Issued on the fourth day of the Month of Sandiramon…" He glanced up at the trio. "Okay, you guys check out. Just don't cause any trouble. Let 'em in, guys!"

With the gate now opened up to the three insectoid mercenaries, they passed through the wall and followed the road in. This main road, which went through the city, leading from one gate to the other, was the busiest one in all of Shroud. As the busiest thoroughfare in the area, the entire road was flanked by busy shops, restaurants, cafes, a few bars, markets, and countless merchant stalls. It was the commercial hub of the city. As a result, the road (as well as the streets branching off from the road) was bustling with Digimon. At around midday, there would be a sea of Digimon, big and small.

Many merchants flocked to Shroud. As Shroud was a free city built on a strategic road leading from the Republic of Node to the northern areas of the continent, it was popular with Digimon wanting to sell their wares and make money. There was a lot of Digimon traffic through the city, which made Shroud a popular place to set up shop. There was also the fact that there was a large population of seedy Digimon who used Shroud as a safe haven. Merchants took advantage of this to sell to them, where they might not be able to in other places. This made criminals and mercenaries an important part of Shroud's economy.

However, this didn't mean that criminals and mercenaries could do whatever they liked in the city. They were expected to abide by the laws in place. While bar fights and pickpocketing were common, there was generally not a lot of crime committed against Shroud and its local population. Since Shroud was a safe haven for outlaws, it was generally understood that they were not to "shit in their own backyard" as they would often say. This was because, if crime levels got too out of control, the mayor could decide that the cost of harbouring outlaws wasn't worth the price, and call in the Royal Knights or the Republic of Node's military to get rid of the unwanted elements. However, it never came to this, since nobody wanted to ruin a good thing. The local law enforcement only rarely made arrests and Digimon were generally fined for acting out of turn. They were mostly there to keep the peace when fights broke out and to keep situations contained so as to not attract too much attention.

Luckily for GrandisKuwagamon, Blitzmon, and Bolgmon, it was nearly the evening, so the main street was getting less crowded than it was in midday. The three broke off from the main road and headed down a side street.

"This is a pain in the ass," Bolgmon complained, as they turned down another, less crowded street. "How are we supposed to contact our client when we don't even know where he is?"

"He found us here last time," Blitzmon responded. "He'll be able to find us here again."

"Maybe he won't wear that hood this time when he does," Bolgmon added. "We never actually saw his face."

"I don't know why he didn't just let us find a place to make a dead drop," GrandisKuwagamon said, frowning. "I don't like walking around with hot blueprints and the D-Brigade on our asses."

Blitzmon shrugged as they walked down a dimly lit street. They headed towards a grotty-looking building at the corner of the street. It was a large, two-storey building made of stone. A wooden sign above the entrance read, "The Severed Arms" with an image of two bloody, separated arms on either sides of a coat of arms, in a sort of mock heraldry. The warm, orange glow of light could be seen through the building's paned windows as they approached.

As GrandisKuwagamon stepped forwards to push the large, wooden door open, it swung inwards and a drunken Diatrymon staggered out of the pub. "Moooove it!" the avian Digimon squawked, waving his colourful wing out to push the Digimon in his way aside.

GrandisKuwagamon sidestepped and allowed him to pass. "Easy, buddy," he told him, putting one hand on the bird's shoulder.

"Bug off," the Diatrymon retorted, pulling his wing away and strutting past them clumsily on his uncoordinated legs and talons.

GrandisKuwagamon grinned and shrugged, stepping forwards and pushing the closing door of the Severed Arms. "Come on, guys. I'll buy you two some drinks," he told the two insectoid Digimon behind him.

"You will?" Blitzmon asked suspiciously. "Your treat?"

"What's the occasion?" Bolgmon added, following the two inside.

"It's not my treat. It's that Diatrymon's," GrandisKuwagamon responded with a satisfied laugh, holding up a few coins that he pilfered from the avian Digimon's bag when they bumped into each other.

Blitzmon smirked and Bolgmon let out a chortle.

The trio of mercenaries stepped into the bar. The smell of food and alcohol was strong, and the sounds of boisterous laughter, slurred chatter, and curse words filled the air. The floor was stone and the tables, chairs and bar were all made out of wood, giving the place an unrefined, rustic feel. Many of the tables were chipped and stained, and the chairs were often wobbly and had broken legs taped back on. The bar was lit with small lamps around the walls and over the bar area, giving the pub a dim, orange glow in some areas and darker, more shadowed areas near the corners and the back area of the pub. All of the bar's occupants were a rough, mean-looking, or shady sort. The clientele matched the look of the pub.

GrandisKuwagamon, Blitzmon, and Bolgmon began walking towards the bar counter.

In the middle of the large room, opposite to the bar counter, was a worn out billiard table. It had scratches along the wooden frame and several scuffs and tears along the green cloth on top of the surface of the table. Surrounding it were three big, muscular, imposing Digimon: an Olegmon, a Minotaurmon, and an Octomon.

The biggest of the three patrons, Olegmon, was lining up a shot with the pool stick to strike the cue ball. Just as he was pulling his arm back to take the shot, GrandisKuwagamon was walking behind him. The black beetle Digimon accidentally nudged the Olegmon's arm as he was striking. The shot was thrown way off, with the stick clipping the side of the cue ball and sending it spinning wildly off the table and plummeting to the floor.

The Olegmon's two friends burst into laughter at the seemingly awful shot. Embarrassed and thinking that GrandisKuwagamon had done it deliberately, the burly, mega-level pirate Digimon swung around in a rage.

"What the hell was that?!" he demanded, glaring at GrandisKuwagamon and raising the pool stick over his head as if to hit him with it. "I was shooting, you ugly dumbass!"

GrandisKuwagamon stopped. Bolgmon and Blitzmon halted and turned to look between the Olegmon and their comrade.

The red-haired insect slowly turned around to stare at the Olegmon with his hardened, blood red eye. He glanced up at the poised pool stick and the back down to the pirate's face.

The Olegmon grew unsettled by GrandisKuwagamon's calm, fearless, yet foreboding gaze in the face of his threat.

"My bad," GrandisKuwagamon said coolly.

The muscle-bound pirate decided to lower the pool stick and slowly turn around, giving GrandisKuwagamon an annoyed, lingering look. "Whatever," he replied, turning his back to them and subtly tensing his shoulders up as he turned back to the game.

GrandisKuwagamon shrugged it off and continued his walk to the bar.

As the Octomon put the cue ball back on the table with one of his tentacles, the Minotaurmon leaned across it and whispered to Olegmon. "Olegmon, that was Black Pincer Company!" he whispered to him harshly.

"I know. Shut up and don't make eye contact," Olegmon muttered back as he prepared to take his shot again.

GrandisKuwagamon smirked and hopped on a bar stool, twitching his x-shaped wings slightly as he mounted the seat. Blitzmon sat to his right and Bolgmon rolled up on the other side of Blitzmon after moving a stool aside.

"Why didn't you tear him a new one, Grandis?" Bolgmon asked, looking down to GrandisKuwagamon.

"Uh, because we're supposed to be laying low? Don't exactly want to attract attention by starting a bar fight, do we?" the ebon insect queried rhetorically.

"I'm glad you showed restraint for once," Blitzmon spoke, eyeing him with a smirk.

GrandisKuwagamon elbowed his arm good-humouredly and hailed the barkeep. "Hey, Sagi!"

The Sagitarrimon bartender looked over his shoulder as he was filling a glass from the optics at the back. The centaur-shaped dragon man glanced over his shoulder. He took the glass over to the bar patron waiting for her drink and then walked up to the three. "Look who it is," he said with a jovial grin. "The Black Pincers."

"Any chance of us getting some drinks?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him, leaning on the counter.

"Comin' right up," Sagitarrimon replied, backing up on his four legs. "WarGreymon's Finest for the two handsome bugs and Requiem Oil for Bolgmon. Right?"

"That sounds right," GrandisKuwagamon said with a smirk.

"You don't want to a tip, do you?" Bolgmon asked with an annoyed glare at being singled out as not handsome.

Sagitarrimon laughed and started pouring them their drinks. "Don't be like that, Bolgie. I'll even put a little umbrella in your drink," he reassured him as he poured two pints from the beer taps. "It's been a few weeks since I've last seen you three. You guys back from a job?"

"Sorta," GrandisKuwagamon responded as he took his mug of ale. "We're laying low until we can meet our client."

"That reminds me, I need to go to the Spirits' Rest Inn to get us some rooms," Blitzmon stated.

"Just as long as you three drink here. You know they water down their drinks over there, right?" Sagitarrimon responded with a playful grin, leaning an elbow on the bar counter as he placed Bolgmon's drink in front of him.

GrandisKuwagamon took a gulp of the bubbly, bitter, dark gold liquid and sighed with contentment as it washed over his tongue and flushed down his throat. "And you'd never do that here, right, Sagi?" the black carapace'd mercenary challenged with a playful grin.

"Not worth the risk," Sagitarrimon insisted. "Anyway, who's the client? Maybe I've seen him around."

"Dunno," Bolgmon said with a shrug as he drank. "Wouldn't give his name and he wore a full cloak – hood and all – when we met him."

"Seemed like he wanted to keep his identity a secret," Blitzmon added with a frown.

"And you guys took a job from him?" the large bartender asked as he began cutting a watermelon-sized lemon. "That's unusually risky for you guys. He sounds dodgy."

"It's not the first time we've taken jobs that clients didn't want linked back to them. Maybe he thought we'd get captured and interrogated. The tin cans of the Metal Empire might be neutral, but they can get pretty nasty if your cross 'em," GrandisKuwagamon replied with a shrug.

"Besides, he paid us a quarter of the payment upfront as an incentive," Blitzmon responded. "If we complete this job, it will be a massive reward."

"And if he tries to screw us, we'll just screw his thumbs," Bolgmon stated with a laugh like crackling electricity.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side, Bolgie," Sagitarrimon said.

"You'll be fine as long as you keep getting me drunk," Bolgmon assured him, putting his arms behind his head and leaning back with a relaxed grin.

"As long as you keep paying, I won't stop," the bartender answered before walking off to tend to a thirsty Digimon at the other end of the bar counter.

Blitzmon finished off his mug of beer and put it down on the counter, the frothy head still inching down the sides of the glass. "Okay," he announced, standing up from the seat. "I'll go book those rooms at the inn."

"Watch yourself, Blitz," GrandisKuwagamon warned him. "Wouldn't be surprised if some D-Brigade spec ops are already here. It doesn't take a genius to assume that we'd go to Shroud."

"I'll be careful," Blitzmon responded calmly. He headed towards the exit and disappeared behind the door.

Bolgmon watched as he went. He then glanced over at GrandisKuwagamon. "If that's the case, why don't we hide out in that cave network we found in the Dragon Mountains?"

"Hell of a long way. Don't want to use the Locomon Rail," the humanoid insect Digimon answered. "Besides, you hate caves."

"Then somewhere else," Bolgmon said.

"It's too risky travelling out in the open. Yeah, Shroud's obvious, but there're a lot of places to hide here," GrandisKuwagamon responded. "And we know this city better than they do."

"Guess so. We could probably ambush them if we're sharp," Bolgmon agreed.

"I'd rather not have to," GrandisKuwagamon told him. "Just hope that damn client shows up soon so we can get our cash."

Bolgmon turned his mechanical head and looked over at his comrade's satchel. "Wonder what's so special about those blueprints anyways…"

* * *

Many kilometers away, in the middle of the northern hemisphere of the continent was a small kingdom. A really small kingdom. In fact, it was so small that it needed special inset maps to be seen in most map collections like Atlur's Atlas. Otherwise, it would just be a speck on the paper.

This was the Mamemon Kingdom. It was a place that Digimon thought so little about that many don't even realize that it existed. However, the Digimon of the Mamemon Kingdom were industrious, eager go-getters. Despite the fact that they couldn't compete with the Metal Empire in terms of size, influence, military, economy, or many other things, really, the Mamemon Kingdom was highly inventive. They had a large manufacturing base in which they built mechanicals goods to sell for cheap, often improving on existing inventions.

The small kingdom wanted most to be recognized and taken seriously. They were tired of being ignored and underestimated, and they wanted to be able to contend with their (one-sided) rivals, The Metal Empire.

In the capital – and only city – of Haganemame City, rain washed down the sides of a giant, metal dome. It was one of the largest buildings in the city. All of the buildings in the city, from the houses to the factories, were in the shape of a dome, as well. Some differed in size and some had parts jutting out that to lead to other buildings.

The large dome in question was the palace of PrinceMamemon, the self-appointed leader of the Mamemon Kingdom.

Sitting in a lavish, comfortable throne at the back of the throne room was a big, yellow sphere with arms and legs. Larger in size and larger than life than most Mamemon, PrinceMamemon rested on the throne with one elbow on the arm of the chair and his white-gloved hand resting against his ample cheek. The face on his spherical body was bright with emotion and vibrancy. He had big, animated eyes and rosy cheeks, although his usually winning smile was downturned into a frown at that moment. His sleeves and pants were made of a fine, blue cloth of high quality. He raised one of his legs to rest his pointed, rubber boot on his other leg. On his shoulders he wore ceremonial epaulettes and over his back he was garbed in a red and white, fur-collared cape, both of which gave him a stately appearance. Finally, on top of his round head and body, he wore a regal crown which further perpetuated the image of royalty.

"Ho hum," he announced with an exaggerated sigh. "The doldrums of this rain are surely dampening my mood. I would normally be full of joie de vivre were it not for this treacherous weather! I was planning on going out to meet with my loyal subjects this afternoon."

"Indeed, your majesty. The weather is truly regrettable," said the Digimon in front of him. "But perhaps I have some news that could lift your spirits."

PrinceMamemon perked up at these words. He leaned forwards on the edge of his throne and looked at the Digimon excitedly.

The Digimon was a tall, skinny, humanoid Digimon glad in green metal from head to toe. This wasn't armour but his body, since his torso was nothing but a mirror. Like his midriff, his face was also a mirror. However, this smaller, circular mirror contained a pair of disembodied lips beneath the surface of the glass. These lips moved as real lips would, opening with every word. The Digimon's head was skinny and conical in shape, much like his shoulders. On each of his forearms were two shields whose faces also consisted of mirrors. They were known as the Shields of Irony and they could fittingly reflect attacks back. Around his waist, ankles, wrists, shields, and the apex of his head was a decorative red and yellow pattern. This, along with the shimmering of his resplendent body in the light of the windows behind the throne, gave Mercuremon an ostentatious appearance befitting of PrinceMamemon's royal advisor.

"Yes? What is it, Mercuremon?" PrinceMamemon wondered.

"It is about the Metal Empire," Mercuremon informed him.

"Ohhhh?" PrinceMamemon hummed enthusiastically. "Has their invitation finally come through the mail for that party a few days ago? I knew that they would never intentionally ignore us! It has to have been that slow mail courier again. Can we get him replaced? He simply won't do!"

"I'm afraid that isn't what I meant, your majesty," Mercuremon replied, bowing somewhat. "However, it is about something that went on during that party."

PrinceMamemon hopped off of his throne and landed on his feet. "Oh? And what might that be?"

"It… appears… that there was an incident in Facture while the party was in full swing," the aristocrat made of metal and mirrors explained, placing his hands on his hips. "I have it on very good authority that mercenaries attacked one of their factories and stole several blueprints from them."

"Well! It serves them right for being so bold as to snub me and the Mamemon Kingdom from partaking in their gala," the royal exclaimed, folding his arms indignantly. "They are obviously threatened by our technological capabilities. Mmm… No, no. The invitation must have gotten lost in the mail. Yes! I'm certain of it." PrinceMamemon frowned. "But why tell me this, Mercuremon?"

"We might be able to use this information to our advantage, don't you think?" the royal advisor suggested.

"Ah! That's a wonderful idea!" PrinceMamemon exclaimed with a beaming smile. "…How?"

"Perhaps we can use the opportunity to get some leverage over the Metal Empire?" Mercuremon hinted with a twinkle in his mirror and a soft, calculating smirk on his lips. "The mercenaries obviously didn't steal the blueprints to keep for themselves, so that begs the question of who they are working for."

PrinceMamemon frowned and began thinking hard to himself. "If only we had those blueprints. We would be able to make better use of them than anybody else," he mumbled.

"Indeed…"

After a few moments of introspection, PrinceMamemon's face lit up like the sun. "Mercuremon! I have the most splendid idea!" he exclaimed.

Mercuremon gave him a half smile. "Yes, your majesty?"

"We could pretend to have stolen those blueprints!" PrinceMamemon announced proudly.

Mercuremon went completely silent. After a few moments, he finally spoke up. "Er… I am afraid that your majesty will have to explain his superior logic to me, for I am having trouble keeping up with it…"

"It's simple, really!" PrinceMamemon explained, folding his arms and nodding with self-satisfaction. "If we say that we stole their blueprints, it would show the Metal Empire that we are not a force to be trifled with! They wouldn't be able to ignore us then, now would they? Additionally, there are many Digimon who don't have a very high opinion of the Metal Empire after that dreadful coup d'etat. For example, our loyal and capable subordinates, the Royal Knights. If we show our bottoms to the Metal Empire, in a manner of speaking, surely our reputation will catapult and we will be able to have more sway in diplomatic affairs. Yes! The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that this is a brilliant plan!"

A bead of sweat dropped down behind Mercuremon's facial mirror. "I agree, your majesty, but how do you think the Metal Empire would react to such a claim? Our military is a fraction of what theirs is…"

"They wouldn't attack us," the royal said certainly. "They are neutral isolationists. They only care about what happens inside their territory."

"Even in the face of such a provocation?" Mercuremon probed.

"No, no, the worst they can do is not invite us to their parties, which they have done already," PrinceMamemon responded. "Besides, if they even dared to consider attacking us, our faithful and powerful subjects would be at their king's side in but an instant!"

The royal advisor eyed PrinceMamemon. "The Royal Knights, your majesty?" he asked, his voice as dry as the Claw Desert.

"But of course!" the Mamemon king responded. "I would like you to prepare an announcement and then ready the travel arrangements. I want to visit the Royal Knights at my summer palace in person. A good monarch doesn't leave his subordinates in the dark, after all!"

"You can rely on me," Mercuremon answered with a formal bow and a smile.

"Of course I can. You are such a competent advisor, after all. I am so happy that I invited you to court," PrinceMamemon stated. "You are free to go, Mercuremon."

Mercuremon rose and turned around, walking gracefully out of the throne room.

PrinceMamemon smiles broadly and hopped back onto his throne, placing his hands behind his head in smug satisfaction. "Oh, yes! This is my best idea yet! This will be the thing that propels the Mamemon Kingdom and my royal self into gloryyy!"


	6. Chapter 5: Objective Updated

Author's Notes: Sorry for the long wait. I had exams a month ago and, after that, I had to write two chapters before I could post a new chapter here.

Also, I lied at the start of this sequel. You totally do need to read "A Dragon in Shining Armour" before you read Holy War, or else you'll probably be very confused, so go read that if you haven't already.

Lots of plot set up going on in these chapters, so if there's not a lot of action at the moment, that's why.

Anyways, disclaimers are done. Here's Chapter 5. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 5: Objective Updated  
**

The aromatic, earthy scent of tea filled the clement, morning air. The shining sun beamed down warmly on the Royal Knights' castle on a cloudless day.

Four figures sat in the pavilion that stood freely from the main building of the castle. It was raised up, on level with the second storey of the castle, and it was connected to the main building via a stone foot-bridge. There was a second bridge leading over to the nearby, free-standing tower. The pavilion had a smooth, washed, stone flooring and was several meters in diameter. Although it was open-air so it had no walls, there was a simple-yet-elegant roof held up by eight posts. Since it was on the north side of the massive building, it overlooked the nearby training grounds, where a group of Order soldiers were doing training drills. Around the edges of the pavilion were ornate railings and a stone bench. From that vantage point, they could see the sea of emerald grass both within and beyond the castle walls.

Sitting on the bench were Alphamon, Imperialdramon Paladin Mode, Omegamon, and OuRyuumon. Each had a cup of warm tea in their hands.

Imperialdramon released a contented sigh. "Thanks. It's been too long since I've had a good cup of tea," he said, looking at others as he rested his greyish-white wings against the metal railing behind him.

"Eh. I like the tea that Gankoomon makes more. The jade kind from the Eastern Continent," OuRyuumon said between sips of his dark, steaming tea.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode smiled and looked at Alphamon. "Your friend doesn't approve of your tea-brewing skills."

"I know," Alphamon responded dryly.

"What skills? When we were younger, there used to be whole pieces of leaves in the cups," OuRyuumon explained, looking at Alphamon with a pointed smirk. "It was more like a salad."

Alphamon crossed his arms as Imperialdramon and Omegamon chuckled. "Let's not open the conversation of embarrassing things that we did when we were younger, OuRyuumon. You'll lose for certain," Alphamon warned him with a faint grin.

OuRyuumon placed his cup beside him and raised his claws up in front of himself. "Okay, okay," he conceded.

Omegamon smiled, took a gentle sip from his ceramic cup, and looked to the blue dragon man beside him. "So, you're heading out today, Imperialdramon?" he asked him.

"Yeah," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode answered. "Anubismon and Plutomon are meeting me the next day."

The white Royal Knight nodded understandingly. "It was nice that you could stay for this long."

"You're welcome to stay over any time," Alphamon added, picking up his teacup from beside him.

"Thanks," Imperialdramon told them. "What do you guys plan to do after I leave?"

"Continue waiting for Karatenmon's and Dorbickmon's reports on the Facture incident," Omegamon responded.

"Also… I've been thinking," Alphamon stated before bringing his cup to his mouth and sipping. He swallowed the tea and looked over at the other three. "I think we should collaborate with the other states about this Dark Area business."

"Is it a good idea to publicise this stuff, Alphamon?" OuRyuumon asked him, looking down at the three. "The more people who know, the more dangerous it is. What if someone has the same idea as Dorbickmon and wants to free the prisoners?"

"If we work with the other states, especially ones with large amounts of territory like the Republic of Node, the UDC, or the Mesozoic Kingdom, then it will be easier to find and contain any rifts that we may have missed. And they might have ideas on how to secure the Dark Area," Alphamon responded.

"I told the Four Holy Beasts last week," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode informed them. "That means the Devas probably know too, and since Majiramon is Qinglongmon's viceroy for the UDC, it's possible that the Four Great Dragons know as well."

"And since Anubismon knows, then the Warrior Ten also likely know," Omegamon added pensively.

"Then I guess it makes sense to coordinate our efforts, but you should still be careful," OuRyuumon advised.

Alphamon nodded. "Next week, I'll take a few volunteers and travel up to New Terminal to meet with the Council of Seven. We'll send a letter in advance so they can prepare themselves," he explained.

"Why start with the Republic of Node?" OuRyuumon inquired curiously.

"I need to head up that way anyways. Personal business," Alphamon responded.

OuRyuumon cocked an eyebrow. "Something to do with your parents? You never said anything to me…"

Alphamon frowned. "No, not that. There's something else that I need to do. Although, it would be nice to see them…" he responded.

"Mind if I come along?" OuRyuumon asked. "I wouldn't mind visiting my parents too."

Alphamon smiled slightly. "Sure. We can visit both of them while we're there."

"I'll stay here. Dukemon and I will look after things while you're away," Omegamon assured him. "Assuming that he doesn't want to go too."

"Thank you, Omegamon," Alphamon told him.

Omegamon shook his head, signalling that it wasn't a problem. "Tell your parents I say hello."

"He will. They always liked you. They think you're really polite and gentlemanly," OuRyuumon teased him.

Imperialdramon laughed. "He's a great guy to bring home to the parents, isn't he? Unlike OuRyuumon here," he said, teasing OuRyuumon right back. Omegamon grew embarrassed at the exchange and slouched in his seat.

OuRyuumon folded his arms indignantly. "I can be charming!"

A smile grew on Alphamon's face. "You can?" he asked wryly. "Is this in front of a mirror?"

OuRyuumon rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm no gentleman like you are, but I have my appeal."

Alphamon chuckled. "I guess you must," he half-joked.

OuRyuumon shot him a good-natured smile.

"Come on, Alphamon," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode announced, standing to his feet. "I want to thrash you in billiards before I leave this afternoon. And no excuses about you having stuff to do."

"I guess I can't get out of it, can I?" Alphamon relented, standing up and collecting his empty cup of tea.

"Not a chance, Sir Lord of the Empty Seat," Imperialdramon insisted, waiting for the others to stand up before heading inside.

Omegamon smiled and stood up with OuRyuumon. The four cleaned up and proceeded to head inside.

Outwardly, Imperialdramon played off lightly the dangerous situation that they faced. He often did this. However, both Alphamon and Omegamon couldn't help but be concerned about the Dark Area...

* * *

The data storm surged over the city of Shroud perpetually. The greyish-purple clouds swirled in the sky, accented by big, blocky, fragments of data. That day, the data storm melded with a rain storm, so droplets of rain came showering down over the darkened city and the surrounding grass landscape.

Dorbickmon walked up the well-traveled road to the southern gate of the city. Despite taking the Locomon Rail most of the way, he still had to walk a few kilometers from the station to the city. His body was dripping wet and the bag under his arm was fairly soaked as well.

He released a hiss and approached the massive walls and gate. There was a bulky Rhinomon and a svelte WereGarurumon guard on duty. They both held oversized leaf umbrellas over their heads to protect against the rain. The mercenary walked up to the toll station to the left of the gate. Once there, he leaned his arms on the counter and looked in, gaining some relative shelter from the rain.

Inside was the Evilmon attendant, who was reading a book and snickering to himself.

Dorbickmon rolled his eyes. "Hey, Evilmon," he spoke, catching his attention. "Put the porn down for a minute. I want to get in."

Evilmon peered over the top of the book with an annoyed glance. "You got a year plan, right? Let's see your ID."

Dorbickmon reached into his bag and pulled out his card to show it to him. "Happy?"

"No. It's pissing out and I've got people distracting me. You can go in, though," the Evilmon replied with a dismissive wave. "Rhinomon!"

"Hey, at least you didn't have to walk in it," Dorbickmon stated as the Rhinomon moved to open the gate. "Oh, by the way, you seen a GrandisKuwagamon, a Blitzmon, and a Bolgmon come in here over the past week?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Beats me," the Evilmon responded with a shrug, his buggy eyes turning back to his dirty book.

Dorbickmon grunted and reached into his bag. He pulled out a twenty. "Think this'll refresh your memory?" he asked, flashing the money in front of him.

Evilmon lowered his book and peered up at it with interest. "…The going rate is forty. You're not the first person to ask me that today, and that's how much he offered me," he told him.

"Tch. Fine, whatever. Forty and you tell me who else asked about them too," Dorbickmon replied, pulling out some more money and putting it on the counter.

"Deal." Evilmon collected the money and stuffed it into his belongings. "To answer your first question, yeah, the three bugs came in here a few days ago. As far as I know, they haven't left yet," he explained. "As for who asked me about them, it was a Darkdramon. There was a MagnaGarurumon, a BlackRapidmon, a Gigadramon, and a bunch of Sealsdramon with 'im."

Dorbickmon swore under his breath. He didn't like the sound of that. It sounded like a D-Brigade taskforce cell if he ever heard one. "Thanks. Keep the change," he muttered sarcastically.

As the dragon man began to step away from the booth, Evilmon eyed him. "I don't know what's going on, but don't cause any trouble or else Shroud Patrol will come down on your asses hard."

"I know," Dorbickmon responded with a dismissive wave while turning around. "I'm just here to catch up with some buddies of mine."

The Evilmon shrugged and returned to his book.

Dripping with rain water, Dorbickmon walked through the gates of Shroud. Due to the weather, there were barely any Digimon on the main road. While the buildings were open, the open-air stalls that usually littered the street were packed up and closed. There were still a few Digimon who ventured out in the rain: aquatic types and the ones that didn't mind the rain much.

Dorbickmon turned left down a side street and began heading towards the Severed Arms pub. As he walked, he looked around at the familiar buildings. He had been to Shroud many times before. Sometimes he had come because he needed a place to lay low after taking some dangerous or unsavoury jobs. Other times, he had come to get information. In many other instances, he came simply for the nightlife. Things were always lively in Shroud, despite its dreary name and appearance.

It wasn't long until Dorbickmon reached the Severed Arms. He opened the doors of the rough-looking bar and stepped inside to escape the rain. Rivulets of water ran down his armour and body. He shook himself off on the doormat before heading over to the bar counter and sitting down in front of it, still dripping mildly.

There were only about six other Digimon present in the bar, from what Dorbickmon could tell. None of them were GrandisKuwagamon, Blitzmon, or Bolgmon. Dorbickmon settled in on the bar stool. He didn't expect it to be that easy.

The Sagitarrimon bartender acknowledged him with a grin and walked over. "Hey, Dorbickmon," he greeted, recognizing him. "Crappy weather out there, even for Shroud, huh?"

"You're telling me; I can't wait to dry off," Dorbickmon responded.

"Before you do, want something to wet your tongue? Like a dark lager?" the Sagitarrimon suggested.

Dorbickmon smirked toothily. "Yeah, but just one. I'm on a job," he explained, leaning forward against the counter.

"Yeah? What sort of job?" the four-legged bartender asked as he grabbed a clean mug and started pulling a pint of the dark brown drink for the mercenary.

"Sorry. Can't tell ya. You could help me out with something though," Dorbickmon said to him.

"What's that?" the Sagitarrimon inquired as he placed the mug of beer in front of his customer.

"Have you seen Black Pincer Company around here? I need to talk to 'em," the spiky, red dragon man asked.

"Black Pincer?" Sagitarrimon repeated with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah. It's a bit early for them now, but they've been in here every night for the past few days. …Why?"

"Like I said, nothing bad. I just need to talk to them about something," Dorbickmon responded, bringing the mug of beer to his lips and drinking. "I could use their help."

As the two talked, a door opened down past the far end of the bar counter. A BlackWarGreymon stepped out of the male's washroom and began to head towards the table where his friends and drinks were. When he spotted Dorbickmon, he froze in his tracks.

"Crap," he whispered under his breath, spinning around and ducking his head to hide his face from the mercenary. He placed his black hands in his pockets and began to innocuously walk away in a different direction to avoid being spotted.

"Hey! Look who it is!" Dorbickmon's voice rang out.

Before BlackWarGreymon could react, Dorbickmon's arm reached out in front of him and suddenly pulled him back, into a strong headlock.

"My old buddy BlackWarGreymon!" Dorbickmon exclaimed with a dangerous grin, headlocking the black dragon man with intentional strength.

"Grgh! Guh… D-Dorbickmon…" BlackWarGreymon grunted sheepishly, grabbing Dorbickmon's forearm with his hands and trying to pull it off. "Hey…"

"It's been awhile!" Dorbickmon stated with a broad, affable smile that managed to show off all of his fearsome, jagged teeth. He tightened the headlock and pulled BlackWarGreymon closer. "The last time I saw you was in Lupolford! Yeah! We were fighting the Royal Knights, and you and your friend turned tail and ran while leaving me at the mercy of those damn, pompous tin cans!"

BlackWarGreymon swallowed hard and glanced over his shoulder to see Dorbickmon's grinning face. He assumed that hiding beneath that grin was a scowl that showed how much Dorbickmon wanted to kill him. "Uh…"

"So, how're the Cimmerian Adventurers treating you?" Dorbickmon asked him, raising his other hand to the back of BlackWarGreymon's head and playfully messing up his blond hair with his claws.

"F-Fine. Look, Dorbickmon. About Lupolford. There was no chance we'd win! I mean, we asked you to come with us!" BlackWarGreymon insisted, squirming and struggling to get out of Dorbickmon's hold. He inwardly wished that he brought his Dramon Killers with him.

Dorbickmon let out a fiery laugh. "Yeah, I remember that! I wanted to rip your head off when you did that!" he stated good-naturedly while also subtly squeezing the mercenary's neck and pushing his hand against his head harder. "But hey. You gotta look out for number one, right?"

A bead of sweat dripped down BlackWarGreymon's forehead. "Uh…"

Dorbickmon placed the tip of his horned snout right next to BlackWarGreymon's ear and spoke in a near whisper. "But it's good to help each other out too. So, maybe you can do me a favour. Then we'll call it even… buddy."

"S-Sure thing. Whatever you want, pal," the black dragon man told the red one. "You can count on me."

"Glad to hear it," Dorbickmon responded curtly, finally releasing him. "I need you to do a bit of information gathering for me."

BlackWarGreymon immediately stepped away from him and turned around, reaching up with a hand to rub his free neck. "…What sort of info?"

"About Black Pincer Company. Know 'em?" Dorbickmon asked him, folding his arms.

"Yeah. Aren't they those weird insect guys?" BlackWarGreymon responded. "I heard that they're data absorbers."

"That's just a rumour," Dorbickmon dismissed sceptically. "But yeah. The GrandisKuwagamon, Bolgmon and Blitzmon."

"What do you want with them?" BlackWarGreymon queried, walking over to the bar counter with Dorbickmon.

Dorbickmon hailed the bartender to get a drink for BlackWarGreymon. "I want to know what they're doing. I need to find out what the blueprints they stole were, what their job is, what they're going to do, and who their client is."

"Is this for a job or just personal interest?" the black-scaled mercenary asked, collecting his drink from the Sagitarrimon and beginning to sip.

"It's for a job. There's a lot of interested parties focused on them right now," Dorbickmon answered as he reached over and took his own drink.

BlackWarGreymon licked his lips and lowered his drink, glancing over. "Who'd they steal from?"

"Metal Empire."

"Damn. They're either brave, crazy or stupid," BlackWarGreymon muttered.

"Or all of the above. Anyway, apparently they're staying at the Spirits' Rest Inn a few blocks away. I'm gonna book myself a room there." Dorbickmon looked over at his fellow mercenary. "Just keep tabs on them without being obvious. Don't let them know you're following them. They're on the run from the D-Brigade, so they might end up assuming you're one of their agents and end up killing you."

"Great. Now you tell me it's dangerous," he muttered with humourless sarcasm. "Anything else?"

"I'm more dangerous than they are, so don't get any ideas about running off again," Dorbickmon reminded him with a sharp elbow, causing the BlackWarGreymon to spill a bit of beer over his claws. "Or selling me out."

"I won't, Dorbickmon. As long as we're definitely even after this," BlackWarGreymon told him with a sideways leer.

"Deal," the crimson dragon answered.

"And I get a cut of the reward," he suggested innocuously.

"Don't push your luck."

* * *

Back at the Royal Knights' castle, the afternoon had set in. A meeting in the council room was called to announce the departure of Imperialdramon Paladin Mode.

Dukemon, Examon, and Craniamon walked down the majestic, gold-hued great hall towards the council room. At the end of the hall they could see Gankoomon talking with BaoHuckmon. Beyond them, inside the council room itself, they could see most of the Royal Knights in their seats around the table.

"What's this meeting about?" Craniamon asked his two fellow Royal Knights.

"Imperialdramon is leaving, isn't he?" Examon asked, looking at Dukemon.

"Is that all? I was in the middle of training too," Craniamon said with a sigh, crossing his arms as he walked.

"You're allowed to take a break, you know," Dukemon reminded him with a grin behind his visor. "And it's not just that. Karatenmon is back."

"How do you know that?" Craniamon questioned, eyeing him with his glowing, red dots. "He was gone when I checked this morning."

"A little, red bird told me," the crimson knight explained with a smile. "Well, 'complained to me', I suppose. Something about Karatenmon being tardy and not finishing his report until later. Grani can be really talkative when he's upset. Then he goes all tight-beaked."

"You'd know that best," Craniamon replied, implying that Dukemon was as bad as Karatenmon in that regard. "…Karatenmon's back? Guess he's found something about the Facture thing."

"He went personally?" Examon inquired.

"Given how tight Metal Empire security is, especially after what happened in Facture, we only felt comfortable leaving it to a top ninja like him," Dukemon explained. "Even for most of the Stealth Forces, it would be risky."

"If surveillance in Facture is so good, then how did those Black Pincer mercenaries get in?" the dragon followed up.

Dukemon shrugged. "Good question. I guess they must be pretty skilled. We shouldn't underestimate them," he answered.

"That's why we should be taking the time to train," the violet Royal Knight spoke up.

"Again with that…" Dukemon said with a soft laugh.

"Maybe you should try training BaoHuckmon," Examon suggested, nodding ahead of him to the teenaged dragon Digimon.

"I wouldn't want to upstage Gankoomon," Craniamon replied confidently.

Dukemon chuckled. "Yes, you would. You'd just terrify the poor kid if you tried."

Examon smiled. "I don't know, Dukemon. I think BaoHuckmon would jump at the chance. Look at him." He nodded over at the dragon talking animatedly with Gankoomon.

"Come on, Sensei! Why can't I come into the meeting?!" BaoHuckmon complained.

"Because it's an official Royal Knight meeting and you're not a Royal Knight," Gankoomon told him plainly.

"But I'm going to be a Royal Knight! One day!" BaoHuckmon insisted, looking up at his sensei with eager yellow eyes. "Think of it as training!"

"Uh huh. If and when you become a Royal Knight, _then_ you can sit in on our meetings," the jacket-wearing Royal Knight explained. "If you're so focused on becoming a Royal Knight, go practice your combat form."

"But Karatenmon's in there. He isn't a Royal Knight," Gankoomon's apprentice attempted to argue.

"He's the Captain of the Stealth Forces. You run errands and help out around the castle," Gankoomon countered, folding his arms. "Not the same thing."

"Ugh. This is so unfair, sensei," BaoHuckmon complained.

"I don't even know what you want to be there for. These meetings are usually as exciting as watching grass grow." Gankoomon glanced over at Dukemon, Craniamon, and Examon. "Right, guys?"

"It's not as glamorous as it sounds, BaoHuckmon," Dukemon told him with a grin before walking inside with the others.

"But Imperialdramon Paladin Mode is in there. The founder of the Order of the Royal Knights! This is my chance to meet him in person!" BaoHuckmon stubbornly pleaded.

"You can get his autograph when he leaves," Gankoomon told him firmly. "No complaints."

"But—" BaoHuckmon was silenced by a stern glare from his teacher. He glanced to the side and muttered under his breath.

"And don't sulk or eavesdrop either," Gankoomon told him, patting the shoulder-high dragon's smooth, metallic head. He turned around and walked inside, closing the doors of the council room behind him.

BaoHuckmon let out a huff and then wandered down the great hall while muttering to himself.

Gankoomon took his seat at the table with the other eleven Royal Knights. Also in the room were Imperialdramon Paladin Mode, who stood behind Alphamon and Omegamon, and Karatenmon, who lingered off to the side of the room.

Alphamon looked around the room to make sure that everyone was present. "Alright, let's begin," he spoke, placing his arms on the table.

"We don't have to draw this out," Imperialdramon stated cheerfully, placing his hands on his hips. "I'm heading out now. If I'm late, Plutomon might end up hunting me down."

"You will let us know how it goes, won't you, Imperialdramon?" Duftmon asked him.

Imperialdramon nodded. "I will. I'll check up with most of you at some point next week to go over what we talked about," he explained.

"Most of us?" RhodoKnightmon inquired. Many of the Royal Knights excluding Alphamon and Omegamon looked at each other quizzically.

"Oops," Imperialdramon said, sheepishly looking at Alphamon. "And now I will hand things over to your leader."

Alphamon sighed. "Thank you, Imperialdramon," he said. "I'm planning to travel to the Republic of Node this coming week. There is some business in New Terminal and elsewhere that I need to attend to."

"What kind of business?" Dynasmon asked him.

"Some official and some personal," Alphamon answered coyly.

"What is the official business?" Duftmon queried, unconcerned with his personal business.

"I was planning to meet with the Council of Seven to discuss the matter that Imperialdramon brought up: the instability of the Dark Area," Alphamon explained, giving a quick look over to the white armoured dragon man as he spoke. "I think it would be best if we coordinated with other groups to secure the Dark Area. What do you all think about that?"

"That's a good idea," Dukemon stated. "The security of the Dark Area affects the whole Digital World, after all. Everyone would want to make sure that the prisoners don't escape and run amok."

"That makes sense," Duftmon concurred. "Although not necessary, it would be more expedient to use a greater number of Digimon to locate and isolate all of the rifts."

"That way, there's a greater chance of coming up with a permanent solution," Magnamon suggested in agreement. "If the brightest minds from the continent can think of something."

"Is it a good idea?" Craniamon asked, a doubtful frown emerging in his eyes. "To let information as sensitive as the weakness of the Dark Area out?"

"Who in the right mind would want to let the prisoners of the Dark Area out?" UlforceVeedramon asked with an emphatic shrug. "They're all nutjobs."

"Dorbickmon did with DarkKnightmon. He's sane. Stupid, but sane," Craniamon reminded him.

Examon rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, blaming himself more than he did Dorbickmon. "It wasn't entirely his fault," he asserted diplomatically.

"I'm not blaming the lizard, I'm just making a point," the violet Royal Knight stated concisely. "If he did it, there are some psychos who would jump at the chance."

"Pigtails is right," Gankoomon stated, nodding over to Craniamon. Craniamon's eyes shot over to glare at Gankoomon for the loathsome nickname, an atmosphere of ice and warning suddenly emanating from around his body. Gankoomon ignored him and leaned back in his seat. "I'm sure there's still some leftover rebels of the Heavenly War somewhere who'd want to release the Demon Lords."

"GranDracmon is extremely charismatic as well," RhodoKnightmon added. "There is a precise danger that he could manipulate Digimon through those dark rifts."

"We wouldn't be releasing this information to every single Digimon," Alphamon ensured them. "Only the top leaders of states and our allies will hear about it. We'll consider this information top secret."

"It's still a risk," Craniamon spoke.

"It doesn't take a genius to know that the Dark Area's security isn't running at top capacity when one thinks about the fact that DarkKnightmon escaped," Duftmon countered. "It shouldn't deter us from maximizing our resources."

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode folded his arms. "Most Digimon don't even know that the Dark Area is anything more than a purgatory for data. And I think those who do assumed that we fixed the security after that incident," he explained.

"Alright," Craniamon said, casually raising a hand in front of him and closing his eyes. "I'm just saying to be careful."

Alphamon nodded. "There are no objections, then?" he asked. Silence was the response, giving him his answer. "Good. Then I would like a couple volunteers to come with me. I already have OuRyuumon coming along. I'm leaving Omegamon in charge of things here."

Imperialdramon grinned and looked at Dukemon, thinking that he might volunteer himself. "Why don't you help Omegamon out, in case he ever needs to make a speech or get angry," he joked.

Omegamon gave Imperialdramon an annoyed look. "You mean like right now?" he said to his friend.

Dukemon chuckled and glanced at Omegamon. "Sure. I don't mind staying."

"I'm good here," Gankoomon stated. "I'll leave that politics stuff to you guys."

"I would love to go to New Terminal, but it is a long way away," RhodoKnightmon explained. "It sounds like too much effort for me."

"I'll come, Alphamon," UlforceVeedramon offered cheerfully.

"Yeah, me too," Dynasmon followed.

UlforceVeedramon thought for a brief moment. "Why don't we bring along Paildramon too? Her father is Councillor Imperialdramon, isn't he?"

Alphamon nodded. "Very well. I suppose that's not a bad idea. Five should be plenty."

"Now that that's dealt with," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode spoke, placing his hands on Alphamon and Omegamon's shoulders. "I should get going now."

Both the black and white Royal Knights stood up. "We'll see you soon," Omegamon told him, taking Imperialdramon's hand and shaking it.

"Yes, have a safe trip," Alphamon said to him warmly.

"Hopefully I'll return with good news this time," Imperialdramon replied, beginning to walk around the round table and towards the great hall. "Bye, guys."

The Royal Knights said their friendly goodbyes to the founder of their Order as he headed to the doors of the council room. "By the way," Gankoomon included, "Can you give BaoHuckmon your autograph? He won't shut up about it if you don't."

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode chuckled. "Sure thing," he spoke as he left the room and closed the doors behind him.

Alphamon and Omegamon watched the doors close before sitting back down in their seats. The Lord of the Empty Seat adjusted his chest armour and looked around at the other Royal Knights. "So, the next order of business. Karatenmon?" He looked over to the wall where he last saw Karatenmon, but found that he was no longer there.

"Where'd he go?" Dynasmon asked, looking around the room.

"Right here," a voice suddenly said from behind Dynasmon, right near his ear.

"Gah!" Dynasmon hollered with a start. He clenched his fist and spun in his chair to glare at Karatenmon with flustered embarrassment. "Stop doing that!"

Karatenmon smiled innocently and stood up straight. "Sorry. I couldn't resist."

"There you are," Alphamon said, looking across the table with a faint grin. "You told me you finished your investigation in Facture."

Karatenmon nodded and held his taloned hands behind his back attentively. "For the moment, at least. I've figured out all that I can for now."

"Do you know why Black Pincer Company stole those blueprints?" Dukemon asked him.

"Dorbickmon is our best bet for that," Karatenmon replied. "I was in Facture, and the machine Digimon were as clueless about it as we were. The most prominent theory is that there's a competitor."

"Did you find out what the blueprints were for?" Duftmon questioned next. "A weapon? Defences? A new Digimon?"

"That's just it," the humanoid raven answered. "I discovered what they were, but they were just blueprints for a new design of an electric arc furnace. It's not anything special; it's just used for making metal alloys. There's no real military application, and in order to even use it, you'd need access to certain technology that only the Metal Empire has."

"Then why would they steal it?" Magnamon wondered.

"Maybe it really was the act of mercenaries who needed money," Sleipmon suggested.

"I'm not so sure… It might be more political than we thought," Karatenmon said. "I heard something while I was in Facture. It's about the Mamemon Kingdom."

The Royal Knights looked at him with confusion.

"The what?" Dynasmon asked.

The silence that followed was interrupted by the sound of the council room doors swinging open.

Alphamon looked over, expecting to see Imperialdramon walking back in for one reason or another. However, he didn't see anybody there. Whoever opened it was blocked by the height of the table and the Royal Knights. "Imperial—" he began.

"'Imperial Highness'… Yes, I quite like the sound of that! Good thinking, Alphamon! Address me as that from now on," a high, eloquent voice spoke.

All of the Royal Knights turned to see who it was, some standing up in order to see the Digimon.

PrinceMamemon strode in as if he owned the place, his face haughty and his cape flowing behind him. Flanking him on both sides were his personal guards, four MetalMamemon. The spherical soldiers were shorter than him and were cyborgs possessing cannons on their left arms that were nearly as big as their bodies.

Alphamon palmed his face and muttered. "You must be joking…"

Behind the royal procession was one of the Royal Knights' guards, who followed PrinceMamemon in with an increasingly pleading and worried expression. "S-Sir, you can't just walk in during a meeting," the bulky Monochromon told him. He looked at the Royal Knights and bowed his horned head sheepishly. "I'm sorry about this."

"Oh, poppycock," PrinceMamemon dismissively replied. "This is my summer castle; I can do what I please."

Examon immediately cocked an eyebrow. "Summer…"

"…Castle?" Gankoomon finished, folding his arms and looking at PrinceMamemon incredulously.

Sleipmon tilted his head and turned to Alphamon. "Do we know him?"

"Oh, that's right! You three must be new here!" PrinceMamemon proclaimed, fabricating a reason for why they didn't know him. "I am PrinceMamemon; your king and monarch! The Royal Knights are my loyal vassals! You may kiss my hand whenever you're ready," he explained with a large grin while outstretching his gloved hand.

A stunned silence overtook the council room. Sleipmon, Examon, and Gankoomon looked first at each other and then the other Royal Knights. The other Royal Knights stood with an assortment of irritation, incredulity, embarrassment and pity. The shocked silence grew uncomfortable. The Monochromon blushed at the indignity and even some of the MetalMamemon began to avert their eyes with humiliation. For what felt like a minute, the only sound that could be heard was Karatenmon's awkward cough.

"…This is a joke, right?" Gankoomon asked. He turned to Alphamon. "Please tell me this is a joke."

Alphamon rubbed his forehead with exasperation. "PrinceMamemon, for the last time, the Royal Knights are autonomous. We are not your—"

"Oh, yes. I know. I allow you to do your own thing, but just as long as you help your humble king," PrinceMamemon replied with a wink.

"The sheer absurdity of this… We are the Royal Knights!" Duftmon protested. "We are not some lackeys for your tin-pot, trifling, sorry excuse for- mm?!" The Royal Knights' strategist found himself muffled by Dukemon's hand.

"I agree," Dukemon whispered to him, "but we don't need to make a diplomatic incident out of it. Nobody else takes him seriously, so why should you?"

Duftmon settled down and folded his arms, although still frowning with disapproval.

The Monochromon guard looked at Alphamon with a look asking if he should escort PrinceMamemon out. Alphamon softly shook his head, so the guard bowed his head and walked back out.

"What do you want?" Craniamon asked sharply, leering over at PrinceMamemon.

PrinceMamemon became frightful at Craniamon's intimidating gaze and picked up one of his MetalMamemon guards, holding him in front of him as if he could hide behind him. "Th-That's no way to speak to your king!"

Magnamon sighed. "I think Craniamon's wondering if you just came in for a fly-in visit or not," he reiterated more diplomatically.

"I think it has to do with what I wanted to talk about," Karatenmon stated as he glanced at the Royal Knights.

"I came here to discuss some official business," PrinceMamemon explained, placing his bodyguard back down. "I am sure you are all aware of what happened in Facture."

"More or less. We were there," Alphamon told him.

PrinceMamemon's eye twitched momentarily. "Oh, yes! If you were all there and I wasn't, my invitation surely must have gotten lost in the mail! Oh dear!"

"That must be it," Craniamon sarcastically muttered.

"Now where was I? Oh yes…" the Mamemon king remembered. "Blueprints of the Metal Empire's technologies were stolen, yes?"

Omegamon frowned. "How did you know about that?" he asked him.

"Oh, I have my sources, my dear Omegamon," PrinceMamemon responded with an audible wink.

"I cannot suffer this much longer," Duftmon muttered.

"Deep breaths," Dukemon said, sitting down beside him.

Karatenmon took a step forwards. "The rest of you had better sit down as well…" he suggested ominously.

"What is this about, PrinceMamemon?" Alphamon questioned suspiciously, although he sat down as well.

"I had the most wondrous idea the other day!" he boasted, placing his hands on his round hips proudly.

"What was it?" Dukemon asked him.

"Here it comes," Karatenmon murmured.

PrinceMamemon grinned. "The Mamemon Kingdom would pretend to be the ones who hired the mercenaries who stole those blueprints!"

A second silence swept over the council room. PrinceMamemon smiled innocently and expectantly as he waited for his praise.

"…That's a horrible idea," Duftmon stated plainly.

"I agree," Sleipmon concurred.

"Yeah," Dukemon spoke.

"Terrible," RhodoKnightmon added.

"Awful," Craniamon said.

Nods and utterances of agreement came from all of the Royal Knights.

PrinceMamemon's proud grin suddenly vanished. "…W-Wait a moment. Hear my reasons before you say that…!"

"Do you want to provoke the Metal Empire?" Duftmon asked him. "Do you know how seriously they treat industrial sabotage? Their technology is their pride and joy. Threatening that is tantamount to a declaration of war."

PrinceMamemon's face began to pale. "W-What? But it would make us seem like legitimate competitors to them!" he protested.

"Chaosdramon has been known to crush his competition," Dukemon explained. "Not to mention those who threaten the security of his technology."

"The D-Brigade is massive and incredibly disciplined," Magnamon added. "They could mobilize for war faster than most."

"But they don't declare war with other Digimon!" PrinceMamemon countered.

"They might if they were threatened like that," Alphamon stated. "In the best case scenario, you would find yourself in a cold war with them."

"I s-see…" the Mamemon king spoke, his lip quivering a bit. He then smiled nervously. "I suppose we will have to hope for the best then!"

Alphamon frowned at him. "What do you mean…?"

PrinceMamemon began to twiddle his fingers sheepishly. "Well… the thing is…" he began.

Karatenmon palmed his face.

"…I already made the announcement saying that we were responsible…"

A third silence crept over the room.

"…PrinceMamemon…" Alphamon spoke, slowly rising to his feet.

"Yes, Alphamon?" he asked with a proud grin.

"What in Yggdrasil's name were you thinking?!" Alphamon chastised him severely.

PrinceMamemon yelped and leapt back with surprising agility to hide behind his bodyguards. "I-I-I-It seemed like a fantabulous way of bringing the Mamemon Kingdom onto the world stage! Perhaps you just don't understand it!"

"I _understand_ that it is a 'fantabulous' way of wiping the Mamemon Kingdom off of the world map," Alphamon warned him steadily.

"Is it even _on_ a world map?" Craniamon sarcastically muttered.

"But-but-but surely they won't attack us!" PrinceMamemon protested.

"Do you want to risk being wrong?" Dynasmon asked him.

"…But if they did, you would protect me, wouldn't you?" he pleaded to the Royal Knights. "Chaosdramon is just a big, oafish bully!"

"We are not about to let you put us in that situation for no good reason," Alphamon told him firmly. "We don't want to risk a war with the Metal Empire and neither do you."

"But Alphamon…!" the self-appointed royal whined.

"No buts. I want you to go home and recant the announcement that you made," Alphamon calmly ordered him. "Publically assert that you were fibbing and that you did not steal the blueprints. The Metal Empire is looking for somebody to blame, and they would love an excuse to get rid of a competitor. You need to listen to me, PrinceMamemon. Is that understood?"

PrinceMamemon sighed. "Yes, Alphamon…" he conceded, although looking down and sulkily pawing at the floor with his boot. "You are my royal advisor, so I will do as you say…"

"Thank you…" Alphamon replied with a soft exhale. "And please do it within a couple days. If you leave it too long, the Metal Empire could take advantage or begin mobilizing its forces."

"I understand," PrinceMamemon replied, his voice noticeably downcast. "I will take my leave now."

Alphamon nodded. "Have a safe journey."

"I shall. Come along, my bodyguards," PrinceMamemon told the four MetalMamemon around him.

"Sire," the MetalMamemon obeyed in unison, although they all looked relieved to be getting out of there.

"I bid you good day, Royal Knights. I am grateful to have such capable and loyal subjects," PrinceMamemon said with a polite bow.

The Royal Knights were silent.

PrinceMamemon promptly turned around and marched out of the council room with his head up high (so to speak). Even though he had to back down, he still held himself with royal elegance and pride. When PrinceMamemon and his entourage of bodyguards left down the great hall, Karatenmon walked over to close the council room doors behind them.

"…Is that guy, serious?" Gankoomon asked aloud.

"Does he really think that we're his subordinates?" Examon followed up blandly.

"Somehow he got it into his head that he's a member of an elite royal family and he automatically assumed that we were his subjects," Alphamon said in a composed voice, although his eyes were closed and he was rubbing his temples, which indicated that he was barely containing his annoyance.

"I hate that guy," Craniamon muttered.

"I think he's hilarious," UlforceVeedramon said with a laugh.

"Oh, he's not a bad guy," Magnamon attempted to defend him. "He's harmless. He's just… delusional."

"And he might just provoke the Metal Empire into war," Dukemon countered. "I wouldn't call that harmless."

Omegamon looked over at Karatenmon. "Was that what you were going to warn us about?"

"Yes," Karatenmon answered. "I heard about it while I was in Facture. You can assume that Chaosdramon knows about it as well."

"Great," Dynasmon said with a sigh.

"Hopefully he won't take him seriously," Sleipmon put forward.

"Even if he doesn't, there is a chance that the Mamemon Kingdom could be used as a scapegoat," RhodoKnightmon explained.

Examon frowned. "Perhaps we should capture those mercenaries - Black Pincer Company," he suggested. "If we can get them to reveal their client, then the Metal Empire wouldn't be able to blame it on the Mamemon Kingdom."

"That might not be a bad idea, Examon," Alphamon replied pensively. "The only problem is that, depending on the real client, it could end up causing a whole other problem."

"Should I try to find out?" Karatenmon asked them.

"Let's leave it to Dorbickmon for now," Omegamon answered. Alphamon nodded and there didn't seem to be any objections.

"Alright," Karatenmon responded. "The last thing I have to report is that the Metal Empire has sortied a D-Brigade reconnaissance and capture team to go after Black Pincer Company. They seem to be heading to Shroud."

Examon frowned with concern.

"If Dorbickmon's smart, he'll stay out of it if a fight breaks out," UlforceVeedramon said.

Examon frowned harder.

"He might be compelled to get to Black Pincer Company before the D-Brigade does," Magnamon proposed.

"Hopefully he doesn't do anything reckless," Examon said, more to himself than the others.

"I'm sure he won't," Alphamon reassured him before looking at the other Royal Knights. "Unless there's anything else, I think we're done here." He turned to Karatenmon. "Thank you for your diligent work."

Karatenmon nodded. "I'll try to write up the official reports tonight or tomorrow. Try to tell Grani not to worry, Dukemon," he said with a coy smile.

Dukemon laughed and stood to his feet to leave. "That's asking a lot, Karatenmon."

Examon rose along with the rest of the knights, all of whom began funnelling towards the exit. He left the room with a pensive look on his face. Dukemon walked alongside him and suddenly reached his hand up and placed it on Examon's spiked shoulder.

"Don't worry about Dorbickmon. He'll be fine," Dukemon reassured him.

"I hope you're right," Examon responded, looking at the crimson knight. "I know he's street smart, but I've also come to realize how reckless he can be."

Dukemon gave him a comforting grin. "Reckless isn't always as bad as it's made out to be. Sometimes reckless works, as long as you can adapt."

Examon smiled a bit but retained his sceptical expression. "I think we'll have to agree to disagree on that, Dukemon. The few times I've been reckless have ended up with me falling flat on my snout."

Dukemon chuckled. "Okay, but give Dorbickmon more credit. As someone who's fought against him a few times, you know how tough and resourceful he is. Don't be so pessimistic."

The dragon Royal Knight sighed and smiled. "Maybe you're right…"

* * *

By the time the night settled in over Shroud, the rain had mostly died down. Just the regular data storm swelled over the city, giving the sky a gassy, grey appearance that was thick enough to veil the moons. However, the soaked roofs of buildings continued to drip and there were still small puddles of rainwater sitting in the various streets and pathways.

A few blocks away from the Severed Arms pub was the Spirits' Rest Inn. It was larger than the tavern, standing at a few storeys high in order to accommodate the many rooms that Digimon could stay in. The inn, like 90% of the city, wasn't in the wealthier district of Shroud. It wasn't exactly a first class bed and breakfast, but it was acceptable. On the first level was the check-in area, a lounge, and a bar that served food. Everything else above it were bedrooms.

Dorbickmon ordered one of these bedrooms for a few nights and he was currently sitting at a table on the ground level, eating a palatable plate of ribs. Every so often, he gazed across the dim but warmly-lit room to a row of booths against the far wall.

Sitting in the corner booth, near the edge of the bar counter, were Black Pincer Company. GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon sat opposite to each other while Bolgmon, who was too big for the seating, stood beside the booth.

Dorbickmon had staked the place out when he came in to book his room. Once he spotted the Black Pincer Company there, he had left to tell BlackWarGreymon the plan.

He took a bite of one of the ribs, using his sharp, vicious teeth to tear the meat from the bone. He licked the juice and sauce from his lips and dropped the bone on his plate before wiping his clawed fingers on a napkin. The sound of the inn's front door opened, causing him to glance over and see BlackWarGreymon walk into the inn.

BlackWarGreymon walked in and pretended that Dorbickmon wasn't there. He gave a quick scan around the room and saw Black Pincer Company sitting in the far left corner. When Bolgmon glanced over at him, BlackWarGreymon looked away and walked straight to the bar counter on the other side of the lounge.

Dorbickmon, not wanting to be suspicious, focused on his meal. However, he kept track of BlackWarGreymon using his peripheral vision.

The black dragon man stepped up to the bar and hailed the bartender. A Honeybeemon flew over. "Good evening," he greeted. "How can I help you?"

"Just a beer and a meat pie," BlackWarGreymon answered.

The Honeybeemon nodded. "Would you like them at the same time?"

BlackWarGreymon quickly thought about what would be best. "Please."

"I'll bring them over if you want to find a seat," the Honeybeemon told him before flying off to the kitchen.

The mercenary glanced over at Black Pincer Company. He took a calming breath and stood up. He walked towards them, garnering the trio's passing attention. BlackWarGreymon ignored their glances and walked up to the booth next to theirs. He sat down and waited nervously while trying not to be too suspicious.

Black Pincer Company continued their conversation, ignoring the nearby patron.

"This is getting really old, really fast," GrandisKuwagamon said before bringing his glass of beer to his insectoid mouth and drinking it.

"Just be patient, Grandis," Blitzmon told him from across the table, taking a swig of his own potent beverage.

"How can I be patient, Blitz?" the night-black insect Digimon asked him. "We've been here for a few days already and we still haven't heard from the client."

At the mention of a client, BlackWarGreymon perked up inwardly. However, he didn't make any suspicious movements like turning his head. The Cimmerian Adventures mercenary group were generally adept in stealth, so he knew how to handle simple eavesdropping. Instead, he just pretended to look bored and drummed his claws on the table as he waited for his drink and meal.

"Maybe he screwed off," Bolgmon suggested with an annoyed shrug. "Better not have, but he might've."

"Don't be stupid," Blitzmon said to his large comrade. "He paid us a quarter of the final payment upfront. Why would he do that if he wasn't serious about the job or if this was a set up? If he's messing with the Metal Empire, he has to know what he's doing."

"Sure, but don't act like they didn't send the D-Brigade after us," GrandisKuwagamon said. "If we keep sitting around here, it's only a matter of time until they show up here with their sticks up their asses and their guns aimed to kill. I don't even know how our client's supposed to find us, so excuse me if I'm a bit on edge."

"I get ya, Grandis, but all we can do is keep our guards up and wait until he shows himself or sends us some kinda message," Blitzmon reasoned. "We knew it was a risky job when we took it."

"Tch," GrandisKuwagamon scoffed, leaning back against his wings and folding his arms. His red eye darted over when he saw the Honeybeemon approaching their direction with a pint of beer and a plate with a steaming meat pie on it.

BlackWarGreymon, who had been listening intently, tensed up slightly when the Honeybeemon flew over to him, drawing Black Pincer Co's attention to the fact that he was sitting adjacent to them.

"Here you go," the Honeybeemon told him, placing the meal and the alcoholic beverage in front of him. "Enjoy."

"Thanks," BlackWarGreymon muttered, taking a knife and cutting into the savoury pie to release the steam from inside. He focused solely on his food and drink, pretending that the three insectoid Digimon behind him didn't even exist.

Dorbickmon glanced over momentarily. He felt a twinge of nervousness when he could see that GrandisKuwagamon was leering at BlackWarGreymon suspiciously.

The Honeybeemon flew back behind the bar upon noticing the front door of the inn open. BlackWarGreymon continued to cut up his meat pie and shovel a piece into his mouth, well aware of the crimson eye burning a suspicious hole into the back of his draconic head.

However, both GrandisKuwagamon and BlackWarGreymon were distracted by the Digimon who entered the inn. BlackWarGreymon looked up and saw a Digimon walk straight in their direction, walking along the row of booths against the wall.

He seemed to be a Wizardmon, judging from the distinct, pointed cap, the long, violet cowl, and the yellow and red jumpsuit that contained many zippers.

The Wizardmon made a bee-line for Black Pincer Company's table. He passed the booth that BlackWarGreymon was sitting in and hopped onto the seat next to Blitzmon, casually sitting at their table.

GrandisKuwagamon looked across the table at him with an 'Are you serious?' expression. "…The table's taken," he deadpanned.

"Black Pincer Company?" the Wizardmon asked them, looking around at the three mercenaries calmly.

"Yeah," Bolgmon replied. "Who the hell are you?"

Dorbickmon gazed across the room with scrutinizing eyes at the Wizardmon. He wondered if that was their client.

BlackWarGreymon continued to eat as he listened in.

"Wizardmon," the wizard Digimon answered simply. "I believe you have something for me."

"Wait a sec. You aren't our client," GrandisKuwagamon pointed out with a suspicious frown. "You're half his size."

"I'm simply an intermediary," Wizardmon responded. "He couldn't be here today, so he asked me to come in his place."

"Oh yeah? Prove it," GrandisKuwagamon said. "You could be a Metal Empire agent for all we know."

Wizardmon pulled a wand with a sun-shaped head from his cloak. He waved the wand over the table, causing the staff to glow brightly. Suddenly, a metal case appeared on the table, open and full of money. "It's real and it's all there," Wizardmon explained. "Count it, if you want."

"I'll do it," Bolgmon said, extending a fine needle from his large, right cannon arm. He then began shifting through the currency and counting in his head.

"It's yours, provided that you have the blueprints," the intermediary explained.

Blitzmon looked over at GrandisKuwagamon, who nodded to him. Upon receiving the affirmation, he took the blueprints out of his bag and showed them to the Wizardmon.

He looked them over studiously. "Good… The payment is yours. …But how would you like to double it?" Wizardmon asked them. Blitzmon looked over with interest.

"We would," GrandisKuwagamon replied. "Depends how. If it involves going back to Facture, forget it."

"No, it's much safer than that," Wizardmon assured him.

"Too bad," Bolgmon said, still counting their money.

"What is it?" Blitzmon asked him.

Wizardmon nodded. "My client wants you to take those blueprints and give them to PrinceMamemon of the Mamemon Kingdom."

GrandisKuwagamon frowned. "Up north again? …Who the hell is your client?" he asked him.

"Even if I knew, I would not be at liberty to say," Wizardmon responded simply.

"Why does he want to give the blueprints away after all that trouble?" Blitzmon followed up.

"I don't know. I'm just his intermediary," Wizardmon told him. "Does it matter?"

"The squirt's got a point. Who cares as long as we get paid?" Bolgmon replied.

"Guess so," GrandisKuwagamon said with a shrug. "Dunno why he'd bother kissing the ass of anybody in the Mamemon Kingdom though. I've seen outhouses more prestigious..."

"Would PrinceMamemon even want the blueprints?" Blitzmon quizzed the envoy.

"If he doesn't, it's your job to make him want them," Wizardmon stated. "You will only get paid if he accepts them. My client will know if he does or doesn't."

The black insect folded his lean arms and sat back against the seat's back rest. "So… He'll pay us double in exchange for us holding onto these blueprints while the D-Brigade are after us?"

"You've taken more dangerous jobs than that," Wizardmon told him. "All you have to do is not get caught. You three are pretty good at that, aren't you?"

GrandisKuwagamon looked down and thought for a few moments. He glanced between Blitzmon and Bolgmon. "What do you two think?"

"Hey, a job's a job," Bolgmon responded casually. Secretly, he hoped that he would get a chance to blast the D-Brigade. "It's better than nothing."

"It is risky holding onto these blueprints, but I like the sound of that paycheck," Blitzmon responded pensively. "Besides, it sounds like it'll get us some goodwill."

GrandisKuwagamon looked across at the Wizardmon. "Okay. You got a deal."

Wizardmon nodded. "When my client sees that you've completed the mission, I will meet you here with your payment. Is a week enough time?"

"Sounds fine," GrandisKuwagamon said, holding his hand out.

Wizardmon reached out and shook it with his gloved hand. "Thank you."

"Anything else we should know?" Blitzmon questioned.

The emissary shook his head and stood up from the table. "I'll see you in a week," he told them. "Good luck." He gave them a nod and walked towards the exit.

BlackWarGreymon glanced up and watched as he left. Dorbickmon momentarily eyeballed him as well.

Blitzmon eyed the large amount of cash in front of Bolgmon. "We'd better stash that at our hideout," he said to them. "Only idiots walk around Shroud with that much money."

"I'll take it," GrandisKuwagamon said, taking the case from Bolgmon and closing it.

"Why you?" Bolgmon countered, a bit miffed at that.

GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye. "Because I can't be followed, remember? Not when I use Zone Black Hole," he explained. "Get it, bolts-for-brains? I'm not gonna pinch more than my cut, if that's what you're worried about."

"I was just sayin'. Don't get all touchy," Bolgmon replied, wheeling into reverse away from the table. GrandisKuwagamon stood up, prompting Blitzmon to do the same.

"Whatever. I'll be back in a few hours," GrandisKuwagamon said, taking the handheld case in one hand and beginning to walk past BlackWarGreymon.

BlackWarGreymon avoided eye contact and took a drink from his beer.

Suddenly, GrandisKuwagamon stopped right beside him, prompting Bolgmon and Blitzmon to look over. GrandisKuwagamon turned his head so that he glanced at the dragon man out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey, blondie," Grandis said to him with a pointed edge to his smooth-yet-gravelly voice.

BlackWarGreymon's stomach churned and a sense of dread washed over him. "What?" he asked, trying to mask his worry with confidence.

"Why're you sitting there?" he questioned him, his pincers momentarily widening.

"I'm eating…" BlackWarGreymon answered lamely.

"I mean, this place is practically empty. Why sit next to us when there's all these other places to sit?" GrandisKuwagamon asked, narrowing his eye slightly.

BlackWarGreymon's eyes darted around anxiously as he tried to think of an explanation or an excuse. He briefly saw Dorbickmon shrug at him. His eyes then landed on Blitzmon and he blurted out the first thing that game to him. "I, uh… It's nothing… I sort've wanted to buy your friend there a drink…" he muttered with embarrassment.

GrandisKuwagamon and Bolgmon both turned and looked at Blitzmon, who blinked in surprise. They both burst into a fit of laughter.

"Haha, him, huh?!" GrandisKuwagamon asked through chuckles, thumbing at Blitzmon.

"What d'you think, Blitzie? He looks like a catch!" Bolgmon guffawed, putting an arm around Blitzmon and trying to push him forwards.

"Get lost," Blitzmon scowled, both at his friends and BlackWarGreymon. He turned around and headed towards the stairs that led up to the bedrooms.

Bolgmon continued laughing as he rolled after him. "Come on! You could use someone to loosen you up!" he teased. "It's not every day you get a suitor!"

GrandisKuwagamon glanced at BlackWarGreymon and chuckled. "I think your gaydar's screwing up. Better luck next time," he told him, gripping his case and walking to the exit of the inn.

When GrandisKuwagamon disappeared out the door and into the night, BlackWarGreymon released a sigh of both relief and embarrassment. "This better not get back to the Cimmerians…" he muttered to himself.

After a minute of making sure that Black Pincer Company was gone, the black dragon man stood up and walked over to Dorbickmon, who finished his meal. "Dorbickmon," he said to him.

"Get everything?" Dorbickmon asked him, getting straight to the point.

BlackWarGreymon nodded. "Pretty much. Are we square now?" he replied.

"Assuming you got good info. Meet me upstairs in my room," Dorbickmon told him. "You can tell me what you heard. Room 304."

BlackWarGreymon nodded again. "I'll finish up here so it doesn't look suspicious," he explained.

"Just don't get drunk and end up forgetting everything," the red mercenary ordered with a grin.

The two then parted, with BlackWarGreymon heading back to his table, and Dorbickmon walking to the bar counter to pay for his meal.

Dorbickmon then headed upstairs to his room. He hoped that BlackWarGreymon overheard something from their discussion from that Wizardmon. With any luck, it would give him a lead to give to the Royal Knights.

* * *

A few blocks away, in dark of the night, a faint silhouette could be seen against the dim, grey clouds that loomed over the city of Shroud. It was a cyborg dragon Digimon that was clad in blue armour. Behind his transparent visor were yellow eyes that gazed across the dark streets below him. The Darkdramon occasionally glanced up at the tumultuous skies overhead. He folded his arms and waited, watching vigilantly.

After a few moments, the quiet sound of scuffing entered his ears as boots landed on the roof behind him. Behind the Darkdramon was a smaller, leaner dragon Digimon who was clad in dark combat armour.

"Sir," the Sealsdramon said formally while saluting.

"Recon Team One, what's your report?" the Darkdramon asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"We've located Bug Delta Black, Sir," the Sealsdramon replied, raising a hand to his ear where there was an earpiece that acted similarly to MetallifeKuwagamon's Long Range Audio Communicator.

"Why didn't you relay it over the comm?" the Darkdramon questioned.

"I tried, Sir, but the data storm is disrupting all communications," he explained to his superior, tapping his ear emphatically.

The Darkdramon hissed a bit. "Never mind. Where are Bug Delta Black?" he asked him.

"They are staying in an inn seven blocks away from here," the Sealsdramon responded, turning and pointing. "The Spirit's Rest Inn, it's called. I told the other two to stay behind and keep an eye on them."

"Good," the Darkdramon said, glancing up in time to see three Digimon swooping down to the roof.

The first to arrive was a blue, mechanical wolfman Digimon who was armed with a long cannon on his right arm, and a missile launcher on his left arm. The second was a black, cyborg rabbit Digimon who had a missile pod on his back, two cannons for arms, and large radar ears. The final arrival was a violet, serpentine dragon Digimon who had metal wings and who also had cannons for arms.

"MagnaGarurumon, BlackRapidmon, Gigadramon," the Darkdramon acknowledged.

"Team Leader," the MagnaGarurumon said with a nod.

"Could you use the data storm as cover?" the D-Brigade team leader asked.

"Negative," the Gigadramon responded. "We underestimated the amount of turbulence up there. It was too powerful, even for us."

"It's no wonder nobody can get in that way," the BlackRapidmon stated.

"Damn. Acknowledged," the Darkdramon spoke. "We've located Bug Delta Black."

"They are at coordinates sigma twenty, gamma twelve," the Sealsdramon told them.

"What are your orders?" the Gigadramon asked the Darkdramon.

"MagnaGarurumon, drop your heavy gear and switch to your blade. You're with me," the Darkdramon ordered. "BlackRapidmon, Gigadramon, you two secure the area from the air. Make sure they don't escape." He turned to the Sealsdramon. "Sealsdramon, Recon Team One will be come with us."

"Sir," the Sealsdramon answered with the D-Brigade salute.

"We'll infiltrate that inn and neutralize Bug Delta Black," the Darkdramon explained. "Try to take them alive. If not, make sure to leave at least one. The blueprints are top priority, but the secondary priority is information."

"Understood," the MagnaGarurumon answered.

The Darkdramon team leader nodded. "We'll come with a plan for infiltration. In one hour, we'll execute it," he told them. "Tonight we bring Bug Delta Black to their knees… as well as whoever tries to get in our way."


	7. Chapter 6: Cloak and Dagger

(Author's Note: Sorry this was a bit late. Real life stuff. Hopefully my writing will normalize in the next few days though. Enjoy the chapter!)

* * *

**Chapter 6: Cloak and Dagger**

Dorbickmon looked out of the window of his room. Even in the dark night, he could see Shroud's data storm swirling overhead. It was particularly bad that night as he could see tendrils of bright, violet-tinted electricity flashing behind the thick, funneling veil of clouds.

The inn bedroom was dim except for the light of a lamp on a nearby table. His bag was sprawled out across the bed. He tapped his foot, waiting for BlackWarGreymon to show up. Several hours had passed since he witnessed Black Pincer Company down in the bar.

After that evening, his belly was full and his mind was working. He tried to piece together what Black Pincer Company was up to. He was certain that he saw the Wizardmon hand the blueprints back to Blitzmon, but he still gave them their reward. That didn't make sense to him. Dorbickmon considered going down the hall to Black Pincer Company's rooms to talk to them, but he figured that would be risky, given the circumstances. He knew that they had their guards up and that they were extremely dangerous. He didn't want to end up in a life-threatening fight that could destroy the entire inn.

A loud knocking rang out from the door to his room. Dorbickmon reflexively looked over. As soon as he did, a shadow passed by the window behind him.

The dragon mercenary walked over and stood behind the door. "Who is it?" Dorbickmon questioned, narrowing his eyes.

"It's me. BlackWarGreymon," BlackWarGreymon responded.

Dorbickmon opened the door a crack, but kept a tight hold on it as he peered out into the third floor hallway. He saw that it was only BlackWarGreymon out there and opened the door fully. "Come in," he told him.

BlackWarGreymon walked in as Dorbickmon closed the door behind them. Dorbickmon then leaned back against the door and folded his arms.

The member of the Cimmerian Adventurers turned around and looked at Dorbickmon with a raised eyebrow. "Blocking the exit?" he asked him suspiciously.

Dorbickmon pointed with his claws behind the ebony dragon man. "There's a window right there," he joked.

BlackWarGreymon rolled his eyes and adjusted the long, jagged, Dramon Killer gauntlets over his wrists. "I did what you wanted."

"Good. What'd you hear?" Dorbickmon questioned. "Who was that Wizardmon?"

"It wasn't their client," BlackWarGreymon informed him. "He said he was just an intermediary. He was hired by somebody to give the Black Pincer Company their reward, as well as their next orders. Apparently, they don't even know who the client is," he added with a shrug.

Dorbickmon let out a grunt from the nostrils on his snout. "Whoever hired them is smart," he mused. "Even if Black Pincer Company gets caught or overheard, nobody can trace it back to him or her, since not even the bugs know who hired them. Hell…"

"Hey, it's not all bad news. I did overhear something that might interest you," the blond-haired dragon man noted.

"What?"

BlackWarGreymon folded his arms. "The Wizardmon said their client wanted them to do something else with the blueprints - said they'd get paid double if they brought them to PrinceMamemon in the Mamemon Kingdom," he explained.

Dorbickmon arched an eyebrow, stood up straight, and unfolded his arms. "The hell? Why?" he asked him, perplexed by the statement.

"Beats me. All I know is that they're heading out and meeting back here in a week for their reward," BlackWarGreymon explained.

Dorbickmon frowned. "The Mamemon Kingdom… Why them?" he wondered aloud.

"That's all I know, Dorbickmon," BlackWarGreymon insisted. He took off one of his Dramon Killer gauntlets and extended his black fist. "Are we good now?"

Dorbickmon extended his own fist, covered by his gauntlets, and pressed it against BlackWarGreymon's. "Yeah. Just don't leave me in deep shit again and we'll get along fine."

BlackWarGreymon grinned a bit. "I won't," he replied. He was about to open his mouth again, but a muffled crash rang out nearby.

"Hold that thought," Dorbickmon said, sneering hard. They both went silent and listened intently.

They heard another crash. It sounded like it was coming from down the hallway. Dorbickmon turned around and opened the door, looking down the dimly lit hallway of the inn.

The noises grew even louder. It wasn't just intermittent crashes anymore, but the sound of frantic scuffling and sharp swearing.

Dorbickmon gritted his teeth and walked out into the hallway, followed by BlackWarGreymon. The sounds were coming from the rooms that he knew Black Pincer Company were staying in. One of the closed doors was rattling as if something was being pressed up against it.

"The hell is that?" BlackWarGreymon asked.

"Shut up," Dorbickmon said, reaching behind him and muffling the ebony dragon man with his hand.

The crimson dragon let go and began to cautiously approach the trembling door. It continued to thump and quiver, as if something was trying to burst out of it. Dorbickmon frowned and stopped in front of the door.

"I wouldn't open that if I were you," BlackWarGreymon whispered. "It's probably—"

Before he could finish, a giant, blue horn burst through the wood of the door, nearly stabbing into Dorbickmon. "Shit!" Dorbickmon exclaimed, staggering back. He reflexively summoned his Tyrant Collbrande in a flash of flames, lighting up the hallway clearly.

Dorbickmon took a step back and to the side, taking on a defensive stance. Suddenly, a voice rang out and the door broke open. The body of a Sealsdramon, enveloped in tendrils of electricity, took the door down as it flew through the air. The Digimon slammed into the opposite wall with enough force to make a small crater in it. The Sealsdramon then fell to the floor and burst into data.

Dorbickmon growled. "The D-Brigade. This isn't good," he rumbled. The dragon man hurried forwards and looked into the room.

Inside, he saw Blitzmon grappling with another Sealsdramon. The Sealsdramon was clinging onto the larger Digimon's back with one arm around his neck. His other hand gripped a combat knife which he was trying to edge towards Blitzmon's neck, but was prevented by the insect man's hand around his wrist, pushing the knife back.

With his other hand, Blitzmon reached over his shoulder and grabbed the Sealsdramon's face. With a tight yank, he ripped the Scouter Monoeye visor off while staggering backwards and slamming his assailant's back against one of the walls. He impact was strong enough that the Sealsdramon released the dagger, which fell to the floor with a clang. Blitzmon then elbowed the cyber dragon hard in the gut, throwing him off.

The Sealsdramon panted and sneered, drawing a small, metal sphere from his belt. "DCD Bomb!" he shouted, throwing a grenade that Commandramon often used.

Blitzmon ducked, allowing the bomb to roll out into the hallway. He took the opportunity to rush forwards to grab the Sealsdramon and hoist him up. "Thor's Hammer!" he shouted, releasing a torrent of electricity from his hands into the Sealsdramon's body. The Sealsdramon yelled and writhed for a few moments before bursting into data.

Meanwhile, Dorbickmon watched as the grenade rolled in front of himself. He grunted and punted it down to the end of the hallway. The grenade exploded, tearing up the floor and blowing open the door at the end of the hallway. A cloud of smoke from the detonation filled the upper half of the corridor.

In tandem with this, two figures burst through the wall of the room adjacent to Blitzmon's. GrandisKuwagamon and the Darkdramon stormed through the collapsing wall and slammed into the adjacent wall, right in front of Dorbickmon and GrandisKuwagamon. GrandisKuwagamon's Gran Killer gauntlets were locked in a bitter melee against the Darkdramon's Gigastick Lance. Both refused to let the other one get free; if they did, they would likely be stabbed.

Dorbickmon watched with surprised as they struggled, the sound of their metal weapons screeching against one another assaulting his ears. The D-Brigade Darkdramon had his free hand against GrandisKuwagamon's chin, forcing his head upwards so that he wouldn't be able to use his forceps to decapitate him.

GrandisKuwagamon briefly glanced over at the two onlooking mercenaries, briefly concerned that they were also with his attackers.

"What the hell is going on?!" Dorbickmon demanded, signalling that they were just bystanders.

GrandisKuwagamon didn't respond. He merely hissed and drove his spiked knee into his attacker's groin. Darkdramon let out a roar of agony and staggered backwards. As soon as there was distance between them, GrandisKuwagamon raised his leg and drove his insectoid boot into the Darkdramon's gut, sending him stumbling into the hole in the wall that led to GrandisKuwagamon's rented room.

The black insect man readied his Gran Killer claws and prepared to charge in for the kill, but thought better of it when he saw the hunched over Darkdramon build up dark energy in his mouth.

"Dark Roar!" the Darkdramon shouted, releasing a blast of darkness towards him. GrandisKuwagamon dove to the side and BlackWarGreymon rushed forwards with his black Brave Shield to protect himself and Dorbickmon from the resulting explosion that swept down the hallway.

As the wall and parts of the ceiling crumbled, GrandisKuwagamon let out a swear as he was blown down the hallway. He skidded along the floor, his spiked appendages leaving scratch marks along the floor as he slid. As soon as he came to a stop, he stood to his feet.

"Bolgmon! Blitzmon!" he shouted out.

"We're under attack!" Blitzmon shouted from somewhere down the smoke-filled hallway. Judging by his grunts of effort and the flashes of electricity lighting up the smoke like a strobe light, he was likely still under attack by more Sealsdramon.

"No shit!" GrandisKuwagamon retorted. He turned and looked into the room at the end of the hallway that had its door blown open by the grenade. "Bolgmon!" he shouted inside.

"Kinda… busy!" Bolgmon yelled back from inside between grunts. GrandisKuwagamon couldn't see him, but it sounded like he was in the middle of a fight as well.

GrandisKuwagamon hissed and rushed down the hallway. Darkdramon flew through the smoke to meet him, plunging his Gigastick Lance towards his face. The insect ducked under the stab and plunged his claw gauntlets towards the gap in the armour at around Darkdramon's midriff.

However, the Darkdramon swerved out of the way just in time, with the two just nicking each other as they passed by. After reversing positions in the hallway, both Darkdramon and GrandisKuwagamon spun around and glared at one another.

"What should we do?" BlackWarGreymon whispered to Dorbickmon.

Dorbickmon frowned and thought about it.

These thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind them. Dorbickmon was about to turn around, but a pair of hands suddenly gripped his and BlackWarGreymon's shoulders, and forced them apart. They were roughly shoved into the remainder of the two opposite walls.

Dorbickmon grunted and looked up to see that a MagnaGarurumon was the perpetrator. It looked like he wanted them out of his way. The wolfman passed by them with a long, slim sword in his hand. He poised it and prepared to stab it into GrandisKuwagamon.

The red dragon snarled. "Look out!" he shouted on impulse.

GrandisKuwagamon glanced over his shoulder and saw the MagnaGarurumon preparing to attack him. There was a shimmer in his crimson eye before he spun around to hook the plunging sword inside the claws of his Gran Killers.

The MagnaGarurumon snarled with frustration at Dorbickmon alerting his target. He tried to wrestle his sword back from GrandisKuwagamon. "Darkdramon!" he called out with measured urgency.

The Darkdramon charged forth towards GrandisKuwagamon's exposed back. He levelled his lance with the insect Digimon's right shoulder. If possible, he wanted to simply incapacitate him and take him off for interrogation. Darkdramon thrust the Gigastick Lance towards GrandisKuwagamon.

The mercenary in question sensed the D-Brigade team leader closing in on him. He didn't want to move his feet or else he risked giving up his traction. At the last minute, he ducked down and caused the spear to pass over his shoulder and wing. With impressive instincts, he turned his head to the side and clamped his pincers down around the Gigastick Lance, holding it in place, much like the MagnaGarurumon's sword that he grappled with in his Gran Killers.

"Thor's Hammer!" Blitzmon suddenly called, racing up to MagnaGarurumon and burying an electrically charged fist into his back.

The MagnaGarurumon let out a shout as electricity shook his form and the punch sent him tripping over GrandisKuwagamon's crouched form.

"Impossible! You should be dead!" the Darkdramon exclaimed, snarling as he tried to wrestle his lance away from the vice-like pincers. He knew he sent two pairs of Sealsdramons to deal with Blitzmon. "You're just a Blitzmon."

"That's what I expect you to think," Blitzmon said with a cold voice. He jumped over and drove his boot painfully into MagnaGarurumon's back, using him as a springboard to lunge at Darkdramon and plow him into what was left of the wall.

GrandisKuwagamon released the lance from his forceps and jumped to his feet. He saw the MagnaGarurumon reaching for the sword that he dropped, and proceeded to drive his foot across the cyborg wolf's face. The MagnaGarurumon flipped onto his chest from the impact, but rolled back onto his stomach to push himself up. He stood to his feet and turned to face GrandisKuwagamon. "Starlight Ve—"

Before he could initiate his attack, GrandisKuwagamon plunged his Gran Killers through his chest. The MagnaGarurumon froze as the metal tore through his digicore, and his body burst into data.

GrandisKuwagamon scoffed and turned around to see how Blitzmon was faring. He saw that Blitzmon was dodging lance strikes, throwing punches, and grappling with his Darkdramon opponent.

The Darkdramon kicked Blitzmon into the wall and stepped back, aiming his lance at him. Energy began to build up inside the Gigastick Lance and the interior glowed with yellow power.

GrandisKuwagamon sneered and rushed over before he could fire it. He threw his right hand forwards and pierced the long claws of his gauntlet through the Darkdramon's midsection. The Darkdramon's body arched backwards with shock and pain, and he ended up firing the blast blankly down the hallway into one of the destroyed rooms, causing an explosion out of the inn's exterior wall.

Darkdramon weakly raised a hand to the earpiece in his ear. "Gigadramon," he hissed, even as his body began to fade into data. "Mission failure… Retreat… to…" Before he could finish, his form vanished into data particles.

BlackWarGreymon and Dorbickmon exchanged glances behind the former's shield as they cautiously watched the fight come to an end.

As the cloud of data dispersed into the smoke that cloaked the entire level of the inn, Blitzmon stood to his feet. He dusted himself off and turned towards Dorbickmon and BlackWarGreymon with cold, suspicious eyes. "What about them?" he asked GrandisKuwagamon.

"They're not with them," GrandisKuwagamon responded, remembering that Dorbickmon had helped him. "Bolgmon!"

Suddenly, Bolgmon's room at the end of the hall exploded in a massive blast of electricity, with debris and power coming out of not only the ravaged interior walls, but also the exterior ones too. The dark hallway flickered with lightning.

"Yeah!?" Bolgmon's haggard-yet-adrenaline-filled voice yelled from inside what was left of the room.

"You alive?" GrandisKuwagamon called over.

"Yeah!" the mechanized cyborg Digimon shouted back before releasing a nasty swear. He rolled out through one of the holes in the wall, driving over to the hallway. There were scuffs on his armour and tears in the fabric of his jumpsuit. "No thanks to you two. There were Sealsdramons all over me. Hell!"

"We had our own problems to deal with," Blitzmon answered him.

"We gotta get outta here before they send in a team of reinforcements," GrandisKuwagamon told them.

"As much as I'd love to blast 'em as they come, I gotta agree with you, Grandis," Bolgmon stated.

Blitzmon nodded. "Where to?"

"The Mamemon Kingdom," GrandisKuwagamon responded. "The sooner we get these off our hands, the better."

"Good point. We should move before they realize we took down their assassins," Blitzmon agreed.

GrandisKuwagamon looked over his shoulder, through the smoky, dusty corridor, at Dorbickmon and BlackWarGreymon. "Hey!" he called over. "You're Dorbickmon, right?"

Dorbickmon stepped forwards. "Yeah, I am!" he responded confidently. "Were those friends of yours?"

"Yeah, all my friends try to kill me," GrandisKuwagamon replied sarcastically. "Thanks for the heads up, by the way. Maybe next time you could actually punch one or two of them while I'm fighting for my life. Or something."

Dorbickmon grinned. "No problem. And I've been around enough to know not to mess with the Metal Empire."

"Who says they're from the Metal Empire?" GrandisKuwagamon countered.

"I'm not stupid," Dorbickmon responded. "That was a D-Brigade black ops team. Recon, from what I saw. I could tell from the species, tactics, and gear. What'd you guys do to piss them off?"

"I'll tell you after a drink, sometime," GrandisKuwagamon told him dismissively. He glanced at BlackWarGreymon who was standing beside Dorbickmon with a smoking shield. "Hello again, Blondie."

"Hey…" BlackWarGreymon answered with a bit of uncertainty in his voice. Thinking fast on his feet to throw off suspicion, he looked at Dorbickmon. "Who are these guys, Dorbickmon?"

"You're Black Pincer Company, right?" Dorbickmon asked, deflecting the potential suspicion that BlackWarGreymon projected onto him.

GrandisKuwagamon turned his head forwards again. "No idea what you're talking about. Come on, guys. We're getting outta here before the place collapses and the law shows up."

"What should I tell the innkeeper?" Dorbickmon questioned.

GrandisKuwagamon walked to one of the holes in the walls leading to the outside. "Tell 'im to send the bill to the Metal Empire."

With that, he jumped out and beat his four, X-shaped wings, flying into the night air. Blitzmon jumped out next and flew alongside him. Bolgmon drove out the hole and used the vents beneath his body to release pressurized air and steam to allow his body to hover gently to the ground a few floors below.

The three made a beeline for the northern gate of Shroud.

BlackWarGreymon turned and looked at Dorbickmon. "We should get outta here too."

Dorbickmon nodded and went to fetch his bag from his room. He came out and went down the stairs with BlackWarGreymon.

"Did you get what you wanted out've all of this?" BlackWarGreymon asked him, following as they headed to the bottom floor of the inn.

"Yup," Dorbickmon responded, pushing his way past nervous Digimon who were cautiously gathering to see what was going on the upper floor. "My client will want to know about this."

* * *

Morning dawned over the Metal Empire. The rays of sun gleamed off the edges of the metal buildings that decorated the capital of Facture. There were clouds in the sky, drifting in from the ocean, but they weren't yet far enough to block out the rising sun.

Machine Digimon, almost always punctual and efficient, were already up and working this early in the morning. Included among these were the three Storm Commanders.

Raijinmon walked out of the doors of a massive building located in a vast, high-security premises on the outskirts of Facture. It was the D-Brigade Headquarters and Military Base, colloquially known as D-Central. It was the only place with tighter security than the Metal Empire's core factories. Surrounding the perimeter were two rows of tall, electrified fences, topped with fixed lasers to prevent them from being scaled. There were also watchtowers covering every angle, and highly secure gates at the entrances to ensure that only those with clearance could enter.

D-Central was a giant, fortified, metal structure which acted as the official headquarters for the military. In addition to housing the command center of the D-Brigade, it also contained their intelligence division. Regarding the military, everything came from or passed through D-Central. Also within the fenced area were countless barracks and depots for the various military personnel. On the side facing away from Facture was a vast yard that could hold brigades of soldiers for drills and military review. D-Central was essentially a fortress.

Raijinmon stepped into the morning sun, which washed over his body and lit up his bright, gold form. He squinted his yellow eyes as they adjusted to the light, but continued walking down the path towards the exit.

The lean, green form of Fujinmon walked out after him and immediately took to the air once in the open space. He flew beside Raijinmon and looked down at him, his long, green braid of hair flowing gently as he travelled.

Behind them plodded the great, red, metal body of Suijinmon, who followed them on his four legs and two, long Accel Arms. He tried to catch up with them, his footsteps heavy under the weight of his body.

"Wait for me, guys," Suijinmon rumbled deeply, his bulky tail swaying as he hastened his steps ever-so-slightly.

"You should learn to walk faster," Fujinmon replied simply, barely glancing over his shoulder at the Waterfall Commander. "You're always slowing us down."

"He can't help it, Fujinmon. He's heavier than us," Raijinmon reminded his green comrade, beginning to slow his strides.

"I suppose so," Fujinmon conceded, touching his feet down on the ground and walking at a leisurely pace with Raijinmon, allowing Suijinmon to catch up with them.

"Thank you," Suijinmon said, trudging up beside the Thunderclap and Hurricane Commanders.

Fujinmon closed his eyes."I'm in no hurry to put Chaosdramon in the picture anyways."

"'Emperor' Chaosdramon," Suijinmon corrected him succinctly, lifting one of his heavy Accel Arms and raising a metal finger. "And we have to. He's our direct superior, after all."

Fujinmon rolled his eyes. "Then you do it," he told him, although with a soft voice. "He already hates me."

"He doesn't hate you," Suijinmon assured the green D-Brigade Commander.

"He doesn't particularly like you, however," Raijinmon added with a glint in his eye as he looked at Fujinmon. "You did initially side with JumboGamemon way back then, I remember."

"Exactly. Even though I switched loyalties to Chaosdramon's side, he doesn't trust me," Fujinmon responded.

"So, give him reason to," the bulky, red Waterfall Commander advised as he plodded next to Raijinmon.

"Alright, and telling him that Special Recon Task Force 11 has been mostly wiped out isn't the way to do it," Fujinmon reasoned. "So, one of you tell him."

"We all need to talk to Emperor Chaosdramon about what's going on in the Mamemon Kingdom anyways. Suijinmon can tell him about the failure of SRTF 11 and we will be there for support," Raijinmon concluded.

"That's fine by me," Fujinmon agreed.

Suijinmon walked quietly. "…Affirmative," he conceded.

The three Storm Commanders walked through the front gate of D-Central unopposed after being saluted by the guards. Suijinmon was the first to salute back, followed by his smaller comrades. They left the D-Brigade headquarters and began to head towards the nearest bridge that spanned the Rust River. By the time they crossed the bridge, the sun had risen up and slipped behind the cloudy veil. This gave the area a grey atmosphere that matched the metallic city of Facture.

There was a professional silence between the three top D-Brigade officials. The exception was their metal feet clanging as they hit the sturdy walkway of the steel bridge. The dark, uninviting water of the river flowed beneath them, and a duo of Mechanorimon piloted by Commandramon moved a large load of materials as they passed by them on the bridge.

Fujinmon glanced at one of the passing Mechanorimon, who moved the cargo as directed by the Commandramon in its cockpit. "Do either of you ever feel like that?" he asked his gold and red counterparts, gesturing to the Mechanorimon, who needed pilots to operate. "Like you're a Digimon, but you're really just being controlled and told what to do from day to day?"

"What are you talking about?" Suijinmon asked, glancing at the skinny, emerald cyborg with a mixture of curiosity and misgiving. He followed behind the two with heavy footsteps. "Not at all. I'm perfectly content with the way things are."

"We're Commanders of the D-Brigade," Raijinmon reminded him. "What do you have to complain about? You're not sitting in those sweaty, oily cockpits doing mechanical labour like those Commandramon. We have things fairly good, in my opinion."

"Sorry. Ignore me," Fujinmon responded, closing his eyes. "I'm just being philosophical."

"I don't see the point in philosophy, myself," Suijinmon stated in his deep, mechanical voice. "Facts are what are important."

"That's so close-minded, Suijinmon," Raijinmon calmly disagreed. "A good commander needs to be creative and visionary."

"I disagree," Suijinmon rumbled. "A good commander needs to be level-headed, logical, and adaptable."

"Then that's a philosophy," Raijinmon pointed out to him with a faint hint of levity in his voice.

Suijinmon thought about it for a few moments. "…Affirmative," he grumbled.

Fujinmon rolled his eyes. "So, you don't have any dreams, Suijinmon? You're perfectly happy with the status quo?" he asked him.

"That's a dangerous way to talk, Fujinmon," Raijinmon warned his green companion. "Especially in public."

"I'm a commander of the D-Brigade and the three of us have been comrades and coworkers for a decade. If somebody doesn't like it, they can jam a plug in their socket," Fujinmon muttered with a trace of scorn in his words. After a few moments of silence, he could see that his comrades weren't satisfied. He closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm just speaking hypothetically, for the sake of idle conversation. That won't threaten anything, will it?"

"I suppose not," Raijinmon admitted. "I just prefer to put my personal thoughts into private writing so they can't be misconstrued."

"For the sake of conversation, then…" Suijinmon stated steadily, looking at Fujinmon. "I am happy with the way things are. I simply want to be the best commander that I can be."

"What a good boy," Fujinmon muttered under his breath with a wisp of sarcasm. He glanced over at the medium-sized, gold commander "Very well… What about you, Raijinmon?"

Raijinmon shrugged his load-bearing shoulders. "I suppose I want to be well-known," he responded, somewhat non-committal. "However, I'd say that I'm doing a fairly good job at it, being the titular 'Thunderclap Commander', so I have no complaints."

"Titular?" Fujinmon inquired, looking at him curiously. "Did you write a book about yourself with that name or something?"

"We're almost at the palace," Raijinmon said lamely, changing topics quickly. "Have you thought about what you're going to tell the Emperor, Suijinmon?"

"The truth," Suijinmon responded plainly. "He hates preamble and equivocation. What he expects from us is simply honesty and a plan of action."

"You're right," Raijinmon agreed. "His temperament is more that of cold steel than that of a blast furnace, despite what Fujinmon says."

Fujinmon gave him a sideways look. "But do we need to bother hunting down Bug Delta Black after what's been going on in the Mamemon Kingdom?" he asked them.

"You mean how PrinceMamemon announced that they were the ones who hired Bug Delta Black to steal the blueprints?"' Suijinmon questioned. His mind worked quickly. "You think that, because PrinceMamemon made that announcement, they already passed off the blueprints off to him, and that's why they were in Shroud?"

"Yes," the Hurricane Commander responded. "Otherwise, the logistics don't make sense. Why would they be in Shroud if they still needed to give the blueprints to PrinceMamemon? It's too far south and they could have arrived in the Haganemame City within one or two days from leaving here."

"You could be right, but what if PrinceMamemon was lying?" Suijinmon countered. "Why did he issue that retraction of his announcement yesterday?"

"Perhaps somebody told him how foolish he was being in admitting it publically. Either way, it doesn't matter," Raijinmon insisted. "Bug Delta Black need to be made examples of, as does the Mamemon Kingdom. It's as simple as that."

"Affirmative," Suijinmon concurred.

"I suppose you're right," Fujinmon agreed. "Bug Delta Black are simple, but the Mamemon Kingdom is more complicated. How should we deal with them?"

"That's up to Emperor Chaosdramon. All we need to do is carry out his orders," Raijinmon responded as the three turned down the street leading to the entrance of Chaosdramon's giant palace.

Upon seeing the three Storm Commanders approach, the guards immediately unlocked the sturdy front gates. As they passed through to enter the palace grounds, Suijinmon saluted and clomped after the other two. They walked up to the giant front doors and Raijinmon stepped forwards to push them open.

The three D-Brigade commanders headed across the vast lobby and through the set of double doors on the other side that lead to a long, wide hallway. They walked down the length of the hallway and stopped in front of a pair of imposing doors that towered at the very end. Inside was the throne room. Raijinmon knocked firmly.

The next few seconds were deathly silent as they awaited a response. Finally, Chaosdramon's deep, hollow, breathy voice reverberated behind the thick door. "Enter," he spoke.

Raijinmon opened the door and was greeted by a pair of big, glowing, red eyes peering at him from the other side of the room.

The giant, cyborg dragon sat in his sturdy, metal throne. His body was highlighted by the crimson vectors on his scales, giving him a frightening appearance to those unacquainted with him.

Raijinmon was the first to walk forwards, followed by Suijinmon, who lumbered behind him. Fujinmon gracefully strode behind the bulky, red Suijinmon, somewhat using him as a barrier between himself and Chaosdramon. When they stopped at the foot of the throne, the three commanders bowed in chorus.

"Emperor Chaosdramon," Raijinmon greeted with a bowed head. "We have news regarding the three mercenaries codenamed Bug Delta Black – officially known as Black Pincer Company."

"Yes? Have they been captured?" Emperor Chaosdramon questioned.

Raijinmon and Fujinmon both turned to Suijinmon, who walked forwards on his four legs and bowed deeper. "Unfortunately not, Your Majesty," Suijinmon responded regretfully. "I sent a team – Special Reconnaissance Task Force 11 – to track down and capture them. However, all but two soldiers of the unit were wiped out by Bug Delta Black; this was during their attempt to apprehend the mercenaries in an inn in Shroud. The survivors, BlackRapidmon and Gigadramon, returned to tell me the news."

Chaosdramon tightened the vice of his right claw. "I see…" he responded, his voice as steady as before.

"However," Fujinmon spoke up in Suijinmon's support. "We believe that they already handed the blueprints off to their client, so catching them is a secondary priority at this point."

The large, scrutinising, blood-hued eyes of Chaosdramon shifted from Suijinmon to Fujinmon. "Their client? Who do you mean? The Mamemon Kingdom?" he questioned, his eyes narrowing.

"Given our spies' reports, we believe that they are the most likely perpetrators," Fujinmon calmly replied.

"Although we don't have any solid proof yet," Raijinmon added. "It is strange that PrinceMamemon publically boasted that he hired the mercenaries to steal the blueprints and then, a day later, sheepishly retracted the statement."

Chaosdramon hissed as if expelling steam. "That sorry excuse for a king is a deluded imbecile. He actually thinks that the Royal Knights are his subordinates. Somebody with more intellect than he obviously told him to retract the statement."

"Do you think they are responsible for this affront, Your Majesty?" Suijinmon inquired.

"I've been thinking about it since yesterday," Chaosdramon's throaty voice rumbled. "The Mamemon Kingdom clearly has the ambition to catch up with us in terms of technology. They have the motivation, but I don't believe that PrinceMamemon is capable of devising a plan half that clever. He must have had assistance."

"An advisor, perhaps?" Raijinmon suggested.

"…Or the Royal Knights," Suijinmon put forth.

"What?" Raijinmon asked, glancing over at him.

"Don't you remember that intelligence report?" the red machine Digimon queried. "The morning that PrinceMamemon announced that he stole the blueprints, one of our spies spotted him and a cadre of bodyguards boarding the Locomon Rail. Locomon makes a stop in the Free Area – not far from the Royal Knights' castle."

"That's jumping to conclusions, Suijinmon," Raijinmon countered. "He could have stopped anywhere on that rail line."

"Perhaps, but the very next day, he was home and he retracted the claim he made the prior day. I hypothesize that he was conspiring with the Royal Knights, and they convinced him to retract the statement," Suijinmon stated.

"That idea makes more sense than PrinceMamemon being the mastermind," Chaosdramon agreed. "The Royal Knights are clever and they have been looking for a chance to undermine us."

"They _were_ awfully quick to act on the night of the party," Fujinmon remembered. "Gankoomon was skulking around outside the palace, and UlforceVeedramon was quick across the river, perhaps to make sure that everything was going to plan…"

Raijinmon frowned quietly.

"Do you doubt our logic?" Suijinmon asked the gold commander, noticing the look in his eyes.

"No… The logic is sound," Raijinmon responded, although there was disappointment in his voice. "However, this is still just speculation."

"You're not incorrect, Commander," Chaosdramon told him. "For now, we will play along. We can leave the Royal Knights out of the matter for now, and focus solely on the Mamemon Kingdom."

"What are your orders, Emperor?" Raijinmon questioned.

"Keep in close contact with our spies in Haganemame City. Also, send an envoy to demand that PrinceMamemon return those blueprints to us at once," Chaosdramon ordered.

"And if he doesn't?" Fujinmon asked.

Chaosdramon's vice clenched and unclenched. "Make it clear to him that refusing would be a disastrous thing to do…" he answered calmly. "If he still resists, then we will have to proceed with aggressive coercion."

"You mean a military response," the slender, emerald commander stated.

"If the Royal Knights are implicit in this, what will they do?" Raijinmon asked. "If they conspired with PrinceMamemon, it's impossible to believe that they didn't think this far ahead. They must know that we would react strongly; Duftmon is a genius strategist, after all. Perhaps this is a provocation."

"If it is, then we still have to take the bait," Chaosdramon told him with a glint in his crimson eye. "If we let ourselves get pushed around by _the Mamemon Kingdom_ and its jumped-up, air-headed farce of a ruler, then we will be the laughing stock of the entire Digital World. We must respond and put them in their place."

"What if the Royal Knights and their army intervene?" Raijinmon asked.

"If they are looking for a pretext to go to war with us, then they are severely underestimating both the Metal Empire and the D-Brigade," Chaosdramon spoke. There was a red glow in his eyes as he strengthened the grip of his vice-like claws. "If they intervene, we will be waiting."

Raijinmon glanced aside. "Without a doubt, Emperor. We are more than a match for them…"

"In retrospect, perhaps we should have aided DarkKnightmon during his attempted coup of the Royal Knights," Fujinmon suggested.

"Even with what he did to the World Tree?" Raijinmon questioned.

Chaosdramon nodded. "Perhaps we should have. I don't give a bolt about Yggdrasil or Fanglongmon. However, thinking about the past is useless. We need to move on with our course of action."

"What about the mercenaries?" Suijinmon asked.

"Send another team after them, but they aren't our main priority now," the Emperor insisted. "The Mamemon Kingdom is."

The three Storm Commanders nodded.

"If there is nothing else, you're dismissed."

Raijinmon, Fujinmon, and Suijinmon bowed and turned around, heading out.

Chaosdramon lifted himself from his throne and stood to his feet. He looked down at the giant, three-pronged vice that made up his right hand. "All who stand against me…" He closed his hand emphatic force. "…will be crushed."

* * *

Later that day, in the afternoon, the Order of the Royal Knights was doing routine work. There were no Free Area inspections or interventions in the continent that needed to be done. Out in the large training grounds, the Ground Strike Forces were doing drills. They were previously overseen by Sleipmon, Examon, and Gankoomon, who were doing their leadership training. Once the three Royal Knights had finished, Leftenant Grademon took over in training the ground forces.

Currently, they walked away from the training grounds and towards the main road that passed in front of the main building and led to the front gate. Alphamon, who was overseeing the training, walked alongside the three.

"I'm impressed with the way you three have been progressing," he told them. "Sleipmon, you've gotten a lot more confident and assertive. Examon has gotten less shy, and Gankoomon has gotten more patient and a better idea of tactics."

Sleipmon smiled. "Thanks, Alphamon. The advice of you and the others has been the main reason," he humbly answered.

"Commanding brigades of troops was definitely the hardest thing for me to get used to," Examon admitted as he flew behind them, hovering only about two meters off of the ground. "Back before I joined the Order, I really only had to worry about myself in combat. That and the towns and Digimon that I was protecting."

"You've adapted nicely, Examon," Alphamon assured him, looking over his shoulder at him with a smile. "You're much more of a team player now too." He lightly nudged Gankoomon, who was striding beside him in a relaxed gait. "Something that Gankoomon still needs to work on."

"Hey, I let Dynasmon go ahead to trash those bandits last week before I got to them," Gankoomon responded with an offhanded wave. "It's not every day I let Bullface hog all the action."

Sleipmon chuckled lightly. "Very generous of you, Gankoomon."

"Dynasmon said it was because you hurt your ankle," Examon pointed out.

"It was not!" Gankoomon declared, swiping his arm out and causing his jacket to blow back dramatically. "What kind of a man gets slowed down by such a petty injury?"

Alphamon rolled his eyes. "You don't half make me feel sorry for BaoHuckmon, Gankoomon," he told him good-naturedly.

"Nah. The kid can handle my training no problem," Gankoomon asserted. "He'll have to, if he wants to become a Royal Knight."

"He wants to become a Royal Knight?" Examon asked him.

Sleipmon nodded and scratched his chin. "He _is_ quite the fan. I've autographed about fifteen things of his since he moved here."

Gankoomon placed his hands behind his head and walked leisurely. "Yup. He's a huge fan. You guys are his inspiration in life, apparently," he explained. "If I declined your invitation to join the Royal Knights, I'd have never heard the end of it."

Alphamon couldn't help but smile. "Really…"

Gankoomon nodded. "Huckmon's not just talk, though. He's serious about joining the Order. The kid impresses me with the lengths he'll go sometimes. All I have to do is namedrop you guys and he'll train three times as hard as he normally would." The sunlight reflected in his visor as he turned his head to glance at Alphamon. "But I know becoming one of the Royal Knights is a pretty ambitious dream. Is he wasting his time, Alphamon? If he is, I'd rather tell him now before he builds up his hopes too much."

"You care about him more than you let on," Sleipmon observed with a gentle smile.

Gankoomon didn't respond. He lowered his hands and readjusted the jacket on his back.

The soft grin on Alphamon's face didn't fade. "I'll tell you this, Gankoomon…" he began, turning to look at his fellow Royal Knight. "It's true that there are only twelve Royal Knights and that it's a huge feat to even be considered for selection to join the Order. To become a Royal Knight, you need to be a Digimon with a certain kind of qualities, morals, and characteristics, and you generally need to have an impressive resume of feats behind your name. However, I am open to new Royal Knights if the right kind of candidate comes along."

The four Royal Knights walked down the main road, passing by the merchant and craftsman shops.

"As for BaoHuckmon…" Alphamon looked at Gankoomon. "Right now, he's too inexperienced. However, I see a lot of potential in him, and I think you do too. He's relatively young, but he's quite skilled for a teenager. He's determined and he has a big heart. Correct me if I'm wrong."

Gankoomon shook his head. "You're right. The kid's got heart and spirit. I could tell from the day I met 'im," he responded. He looked at Alphamon. "So… what're you saying? He's got a chance?"

"I'm not ruling out the possibility," Alphamon answered. "In the end, it's up to him whether he has the skills, patience, and willpower to do it. However, I'll be keeping an eye on him and his progression. I think he might have what it takes."

Gankoomon managed a grin. "Yeah… Thanks, Alphamon," he told him. "I won't tell him you said that or else it'll just go to his big, metal head."

Examon smiled a bit and flapped his broad wings gently to keep himself aloft. However, his keen eyes picked up something up ahead of them, at the gate of the castle walls. He blinked when he saw a familiar maroon Digimon walking through the gate with a Strikedramon escort. The Strikedramon was a slender dragon man with pale violet and white scales He was clad in green cargo pants and metal plates on various points on his body.

The draconic Royal Knight recognized the Digimon who walked with Strikedramon as Dorbickmon. He couldn't help but feel like he was looking at two versions of Dorbickmon, as his friend has Strikedramon as his lower form. "Dorbickmon?" he said, blinking.

The three Royal Knights looked up at Examon momentarily before looking down the road and seeing Dorbickmon as well.

"Forget it. I see them," Dorbickmon said to the Strikedramon escort, walking ahead of him. "Examon!" he called out with a wave.

Examon flapped his wings and flew ahead of the others. He landed in front of Dorbickmon. "Dorbickmon?" he asked. "You're back already?"

"Thought you'd be glad to see me," Dorbickmon responded with a playful smirk. He stood on his toe claws to look over Examon, noticing the three other Royal Knights approaching.

"I am, it's just…" He trailed off and glanced over his shoulder. Examon poised his wings back so that Alphamon, Sleipmon, and Gankoomon could pass him and approach Dorbickmon.

"You're back early," Alphamon pointed out, raising an eyebrow. "Is everything okay?"

"You didn't get found out, did you?" Gankoomon asked him.

"Give me a break," Dorbickmon responded confidently. "It didn't take as long as I expected."

"You're finished already?" Sleipmon asked him.

"I did everything I could besides chasing after 'em. And that would've been a horrible idea under the circumstances," the mercenary replied with a shrug. "I got a lot of information though."

Alphamon nodded. "Good. We should summon the other Royal Knights and have a meeting," he stated.

Dorbickmon's face dropped; he was less than excited at the idea. "Uhh, how'bout I just tell you here? I hate going to those meetings unless hotshot here is going to punch someone out," he responded, gesturing to Gankoomon.

"Don't tempt me," Gankoomon warned him, folding his arms.

"It's a bit public out here to be discussing sensitive information," Alphamon responded.

"Let's go inside, then," Sleipmon suggested, turning and gesturing to the main building.

"Maybe we can go by the treasury for my financial considerations too," Dorbickmon mentioned with a grin.

Examon's brows furrowed. "Dorbickmon," he chastised.

"What?" Dorbickmon asked his friend. "If you don't ask, you don't get."

"The Royal Knights aren't about to swindle you," Examon responded with a disapproving look.

Alphamon smiled. "We'll head that way," he assured him.

He began heading inside with the other three Royal Knights plus Dorbickmon. They walked past the guards standing sentry at the front doors, and walked into the long entrance hall. Upon entering the building, they were greeted by the cool air of the building.

Dorbickmon followed the Royal Knights a bit uneasily. He still felt somewhat uncomfortable being in the castle. Despite being reformed, he still felt like he was venturing into the dragon's lair and that somebody was still going to jump out and try to arrest him. His mind knew better, but his instincts were still reluctant.

"So, what happened?" Gankoomon asked, looking over at him.

"Went to Shroud to look for Black Pincer Company, like I said," Dorbickmon answered. "I checked out their regular, the Severed Arms, and found out they checked into a inn a few blocks away."

Examon eyed him. "What did you do?"

"I convinced a buddy of mine to eavesdrop on them. I watched the whole thing," the mercenary explained. "We lucked out since their client – well, not exactly their client – showed up that night."

"What do you mean, 'not exactly their client'?" Alphamon inquired.

"It was a Wizardmon. He told them that he was just an intermediary. He just gave them their reward money. Apparently the Black Pincers don't even know who their client is," Dorbickmon informed them.

"I thought you said you got information," Gankoomon contended.

Dorbickmon rolled his golden-violet eyes. "It didn't stop there. The Wizardmon didn't take the blueprints. He told them his client would double their pay if they did something else with the blueprints."

Sleipmon's brows furrowed and he scratched his cheek. "That's weird…"

"Yeah, then things got crazy," Dorbickmon added with a smirk. "When me and my buddy finished talking in my room , we heard sounds from down the hall. We went to check it out and saw Black Pincer Company in a brawl with a D-Brigade squad."

"What?" Examon questioned. "The D-Brigade attacked them? You didn't get involved, did you?"

"What happened?" Alphamon asked as the five of them began heading down the stairs to the lowest level of the castle.

"I mostly stayed out of it. And Black Pincer Company wiped 'em out. They pretty much destroyed the entire level while they were at it," Dorbickmon answered casually. "They didn't absorb their data, so maybe the rumours about them are garbage."

Sleipmon frowned at this. "What?"

"Forget it, horsie," Dorbickmon answered with a half-shrug. "Not important."

"What happened next?" Alphamon pressed.

"Not much. They took off with the blueprints and got the hell out of Shroud," Dorbickmon responded.

Examon looked at him as they turned a corner and began heading towards the treasury vault. "Do you know where? What their new job is."

"Yeah. It doesn't make sense, though," the mercenary explained. "The Wizardmon told them to travel to the Mamemon Kingdom and give the blueprints to PrinceMamemon. Weird, huh? Do any of you understand that crazy logic?"

All four of the Royal Knights stopped in their tracks as Dorbickmon kept walking. Dorbickmon continued for a few paces before turning around with a raised eyebrow. He wondered why they all suddenly stopped.

"…What?"

Alphamon rubbed his brow with his fingers. "Dorbickmon… please tell me you're joking…"

"I'm not…" he said blandly. "Why? What's the deal?"

"When did Black Pincer Company leave?" Alphamon asked him with a new hint of urgency behind his deep voice.

Dorbickmon frowned. "Last night, a few hours after the evening. Close to midnight, I guess," he responded. "If they're goin' straight to Haganemame City, they're prob'ly there by now. At least, there's no chance of catching them even if UlforceVeedramon went."

"That's what I was afraid of…" Alphamon said with a grimace. "I hope PrinceMamemon isn't foolish enough to take those blueprints…"

"…Did PrinceMamemon hire them all along?" Examon asked.

"That doesn't make sense," Sleipmon answered. "Not with the way PrinceMamemon was acting yesterday."

Gankoomon nodded. "Doesn't seem like he'd care about keeping his identity a secret from the mercenaries or anybody else, for that matter," he added, raising his hand to knead his red mustache.

"Then… what?" Examon mused. "He's being set up?"

"That's what all signs point to…" Alphamon explained, his voice heavy. "But by who?"

"The Metal Empire?" Gankoomon suggested with a shrug.

"You think that Chaosdramon staged that attack on his own factory in front of all of us?" Sleipmon asked. "Just so that he could have an excuse to attack the Mamemon Kingdom?"

"That seems pretty elaborate for the minimal gains they would get," Examon agreed with his beast knight comrade.

"I'm just throwing it out there," Gankoomon responded.

"You two have a point, but I'm not sure who else it could be," Alphamon said. "Who else would benefit from doing that?"

"Not everybody acts in their own best interests," Gankoomon pointed out.

Alphamon sighed. "We'll get your payment later, Dorbickmon. We need to call a meeting with the other Royal Knights to discuss this."

Dorbickmon's brows sank. "Are you serious?" he blandly asked.

Alphamon already turned around and began striding back the way they came. Examon, Gankoomon, and Sleipmon followed him.

"…But we're almost at the treasury!" Dorbickmon complained. After a few seconds of seeing that they weren't going to stop, the mercenary let out a swear and followed after them. "This is going to be fun," he muttered with a snarl.

* * *

By the time the sun began to set, Black Pincer Company had arrived safely in the capital of the Mamemon Kingdom, Haganemame City. The city was a series of stone or metal dome complexes. Despite the relatively small size of the city in comparison to cities with similar-sized populations, the city was active and vibrant – much more than Facture.

Black Pincer Company travelled down a large, main road. Bolgmon was as big as some of the city's smaller buildings. However, there were a handful of buildings that were ten or fifteen times their size. Despite the fact that it was called the Mamemon Kingdom, and that a majority of the population were of the Mamemon species, there were a lot of Digimon living in the kingdom who weren't Mamemons. There were lots of other Machine, Puppet, and Mutant Digimon, and even some Digimon of other species. This is reflected in the size and style of some of the buildings.

However, the building that the team of three mercenaries were interested in was located at the end of the road that they were on. The giant, shimmering dome palace of PrinceMamemon was their destination.

GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon led the way with Bolgmon following behind them. They were careful not to step on anybody, though most of the civilians avoided them anyways due to their frightening appearance and demeanour.

GrandisKuwagamon's red eye glistened in the orange light of the setting sun as he looked around the area cautiously.

"Do you think the Metal Empire will track us here?" Blitzmon asked him.

"If we take too long, yeah," GrandisKuwagamon answered. "This better be the last thing we have to do with these damn blueprints. Fighting the D-Brigade is more trouble than it's worth."

"We're might have to find some new digs in Shroud after last night," Bolgmon agreed, rolling along after them.

"Really? You don't think that the inn will let us stay there after we levelled half the place?" GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically asked, looking over his shoulder at Bolgmon.

"It's getting pretty hard to stay unnoticed with these Metal Empire-related jobs," Blitzmon observed. "First the bungle in Facture and now wrecking the inn in Shroud. The D-Brigade will come after us hard if we don't finish things up. The Royal Knights might even get involved."

"We're not leaving this city until that PrickMamemon guy gets these," GrandisKuwagamon said, glancing at the bag under his arm.

"Why wouldn't he want them?" Bolgmon asked.

"Because he might know they're stolen," GrandisKuwagamon told him. "Don't you remember anything from our days selling stolen stuff?"

"Don't steal more than you can hide, don't get caught, don't sell local…" the insectoid tank began enumerating.

"Okay, smartass," the black bug Digimon replied.

"Let's just force him to take them," Bolgmon suggested, rolling his eyes. "I doubt his bodyguards are any good."

"That's the last resort," GrandisKuwagamon replied. "Blitzmon and I will sweet-talk him. You just be quiet and look pretty."

Bolgmon shot him a glare. "Not much chance of _you_ doing that," he fired back.

"This is it," Blitzmon announced, stopping in front of one of the largest dome buildings in the city.

The shimmering, silver-coloured palace before them had an intricate, geometric exterior that set it apart from the rest of the buildings in the city. Above the large entrance that allowed even large-sized Digimon through was an ornate, white archway, giving the palace that regal feeling.

Flanking that entrance were two heavily armed guards. They were hovering, dark blue, metal balls, similar to that of the Mamemon species. However, their faces were fearsome and their heads (which made up their main bodies) contained sharp horns. They had long, slender arms sprouting from their bodies. In their right hands, they contained vicious-looking chainsaws that felt very much at odds with the laidback, jovial atmosphere around Haganemame City. However, the Giromon made for fearsome bodyguards that made many think twice about trying anything in the palace.

However, the three mercenaries were unfazed by these guards. Black Pincer Company strode up to the entrance of the palace with the intent of walking in.

The two Giromon hovered closer together, blocking the entrance to the doors and forcing the three insect Digimon to stop. "Can we help you three?" the Giromon on the right asked them.

"This is the palace of PrinceMamemon. The official building for royal and governmental matters in the Mamemon Kingdom. See?" the Giromon on the left added, using his left hand to point upwards.

Black Pincer Company looked up and saw 'The Royal Palace of PrinceMamemon' in DigiLetters, chiselled into the marble arch that rimmed the doorway.

Bolgmon squinted at them and tilted his head with an expression that asked, 'are you serious?'. "Why don't you two-"

Blitzmon raised his hand to shut Bolgmon up. "We're here to see PrinceMamemon," he calmly interrupted.

"Is he expecting you?" the Giromon on the right questioned them.

"Nope," GrandisKuwagamon answered. "We're diplomats here on a surprise visit."

The Giromon narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Diplomats representing who?" he probed.

"We're not at liberty to say," Blitzmon answered with a sly-yet-confident voice. "But we have something that your king will be extremely interested in."

"And what is that?" the Giromon on the left asked.

"Something that'll make PrinceMamemon be remembered as the guy who put the Mamemon Kingdom on the map," GrandisKuwagamon reassured him.

"…What are you guys selling?" the Giromon guard grilled sceptically.

"We're not selling anything," Blitzmon assured them. "Our client is extremely interested in the wellbeing of the Mamemon Kingdom. We're here on a mission of peace."

"You guys aren't some religious freaks, are you?" the other Giromon questioned.

GrandisKuwagamon let out a sharp laugh at the idea. "Hahah! Hell no. We're just here doing a job for our client. We get paid, you guys benefit, and our client is happy. It's that easy."

The two Giromon exchanged glances and then huddled up, whispering to one another. After some deliberation, they broke off and turned back to Black Pincer Company.

"Fine," one of the Giromon said. "We'll get someone to bring you to PrinceMamemon's chief advisor, Mercuremon. You can talk with him."

"He represents PrinceMamemon?" GrandisKuwagamon asked them, folding his arms.

"Yeah," the other guard responded. "He takes care of most of PrinceMamemon's affairs." The Giromon opened the doors of the palace and slipped inside.

The other Giromon guard remained outside to guard the entrance, looking the three insect Digimon over. "The big guy needs to wait outside," he said, pointing at Bolgmon.

Bolgmon glared at him. "What?! Why?!" he protested indignantly.

"You heard 'im, Bolg," GrandisKuwagamon told him with a grin, relieved that he and Blitzmon wouldn't have to deal with Bolgmon's big mouth.

"Don't cause any trouble," Blitzmon added.

"Your treads will track dirt over the floor," the Giromon explained, pointing to Bolgmon's tank treads. In actuality, he didn't want someone with as much firepower as Bolgmon inside the palace.

"That's discrimination," Bolgmon said angrily, folding his four arms.

"Sorry. The floors were just waxed this morning," the guard insisted.

"Just stay outside, Bolgmon," Blitzmon told him. "Grandis and I can handle it."

"Whatever," Bolgmon muttered huffily.

The palace doors suddenly swung open and the other Giromon appeared from inside. Behind him were a cadre of MetalMamemon. There were five of them, and they were all armed with claws and cannons.

"What's this?" GrandisKuwagamon asked, looking at the five MetalMamemon.

"They'll guide you to Mercuremon," the Giromon responded. "So you don't get lost."

GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon exchanged glances. "Fine."

The two insects began to walk inside the palace. As they did, GrandisKuwagamon felt a faint gust of air against his wings, prompting him to look over his shoulder. Seeing nothing, he continued walking and allowed himself and Blitzmon to be surrounded by the comparatively tiny escorts.

The palace was very grand and ornate. The floors were smooth, sparkling, grey marble, and the geometric wall and ceiling designs were intricate and impressively built. However, their primary purpose seemed to be for building stability.

The MetalMamemons led GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon through a door and towards a pair of travelators that led down a hall of the palace. The group got onto the conveyor belt-like machine and waited for it to take them down the hallway. Once there, the MetalMamemon escort hopped off and took the two supposed diplomats down a shorter hallway to a room at the very end of the metal corridor. They reached the large door and one of the MetalMamemon knocked.

"Enter," a voice said.

The MetalMamemon opened the door and walked in, taking another guard with him as the others waited in the hallway. GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon followed them into the throne room. It was large and vacant except for the ornate throne and the figure who walked towards them from the back of the room.

Mercuremon approached, observing the two humanoid insect Digimon. "Greetings," he spoke politely.

"Hey," GrandisKuwagamon responded.

"I don't believe we've met," the mirror Digimon stated with a smile. "I am Mercuremon, PrinceMamemon's royal advisor."

"Name's GrandisKuwagamon and this is Blitzmon, but who we are doesn't matter," the black insectoid replied.

"Doesn't it?" Mercuremon asked them. "I was under the impression that you two were diplomats."

"Sorta," GrandisKuwagamon explained. "We're more couriers, really. What's more important is that we've got something for you."

"And what might that be?" Mercuremon questioned in an intrigued voice.

GrandisKuwagamon reached into his bag and pulled out a few big sheets of paper. He then offered them to Mercuremon.

Mercuremon unfurled the sheets and examined their contents. For a few moments, his smile disappeared, but it wasn't long until the smirk crawled back onto his mirror face.

"I get the feeling you know what these are," Blitzmon observed, examining the expression on his face.

"You're the mercenaries who caused that clamour in Facture, aren't you?" Mercuremon deduced, looking up from the blueprints.

"We're just couriers," Blitzmon insisted.

"If that's so, then who sent you?" the steel Digimon inquired.

"We don't know," the blue insect answered. "We haven't met him personally, but whoever it is seems to want what's best for your king. A friend, maybe?"

"By giving us blueprints stolen from the Metal Empire?" Mercuremon asked with a smile. "That's a dangerous game for us to play."

"Or it's a good opportunity," GrandisKuwagamon responded. "I'm not engineer, but if the Metal Empire's so keen to protect their technology, then it's gotta be pretty useful. Or you could always use those blueprints in other ways. Leverage, extortion, getting in someone's good books – up to you, really."

"Very shrewd," Mercuremon responded. "And what are you asking for it?"

"From you? Nothing," Blitzmon assured him. "We get paid by our client if we give these to you. If he wanted anything from you, his intermediary would have told us. I think he just has PrinceMamemon's best interests in mind."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" a voice blurted out from behind the two mercenaries.

PrinceMamemon burst through the doors of the throne room and flounced in.

"Your Majesty," Mercuremon greeted with his lips in a neutral position.

"PrinceMamemon?" Blitzmon asked with mild surprise.

"I know who you are. I know what's going on!" PrinceMamemon stated, placing his hands on his hips and tilting his head up proudly. "…You're representatives of the Royal Knights, aren't you? That's why Alphamon was upset when I announced that I had the blueprints; it's because he hadn't given them to me yet! He didn't want me tipping off his plans to the Metal Empire! Oh, yes! It all makes perfect sense now!"

GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon exchanged looks. "…We could very well be," Blitzmon responded, giving PrinceMamemon a knowing wink. "We aren't at liberty to say."

PrinceMamemon returned the wink and raised a finger to place it on his lips. "Oh, yes. I understand _perfectly_. You're just simple couriers. Wonderful!"

"And this is an opportunity that's too good to pass up," GrandisKuwagamon said with a grin, glancing over at Mercuremon as well.

Mercuremon thought for a few moments. "…I suppose it could be," he responded, a sly smirk forming on his face. "It could open many doors for us, indeed. Don't you think, your majesty?"

PrinceMamemon tilted his head up and beamed broadly, his teeth sparkling. "Indeed! We hold all the cards now. No matter what the Metal Empire and their silly Emperor do, we will come out on top! Yes! And this proves that we have the Royal Knights to back us up, as well! It is the beginning of the golden age of the Mamemon Kingdom! I can see it now; our names will go down in the history books!"

"So, you'll take 'em?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him, grinning.

"But of course!" PrinceMamemon exclaimed, collecting all of the blueprints in his arms. "And to celebrate this generous gift, I invite you both to come join us in our royal dining hall to celebrate with wine and delicious foodstuffs! Come come! It will be a royal feast!"

GrandisKuwagamon grinned at Blitzmon. "Yeah, sure. We'd be honoured," he responded. "Can our friend join us too? Otherwise he'll blow a gasket."

"Oh, of course! The more the merrier!" PrinceMamemon exclaimed jovially. He lead them out of the room, flanked by the squad of MetalMamemon.

Mercuremon walked after him, followed by GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon. Before exiting the room, the black insect glanced around the room before shrugging and walking out.

The last MetalMamemon guard closed the door to the throne room, leaving it empty.

However, the room only _looked_ empty…

After a few minutes, there was a visual fragmentation in the data around the side wall. Stone seemed to bulge out from the wall. The bulging portion of the stone wall suddenly pixilated and became a dark blue and black colour. A short, bipedal dragon with camouflaged blue scales and body armour took form, seemingly out of thin air. However, in reality it was his active camouflage concealing him.

The Commandramon narrowed his eyes and looked around cautiously. Upon triple checking that he was safe, he tipped his metal helmet.

"So they have the blueprints and the Royal Knights are involved…" the Commandramon spy muttered. "I need to report this to D-Brigade Intelligence. I might become a candidate for Selection-D for this… They'll be really happy to hear this information."

With that, he reactivated the camouflage on his armour and body, and melded in with the external environment, completely disappearing from view. Within moments, he slipped out of the room and went to make his report.


	8. Chapter 7: Casus Belli

**Chapter 7: Casus Belli**

PrinceMamemon sat on his throne, sitting with an elbow propped against the arm of the seat and his hand resting against his head. Standing at his side was Mercuremon, who watched as a Digimon entered the throne room.

A small, gold and copper gear Digimon floated into the throne room. The two smaller cogs on either side of his body that acted as arms jittered mechanically. The Hagurumon's body created a constant clicking and chattering sound from all the cogs and gears inside his body.

The Hagurumon floated towards the throne and stopped in front of it, bowing slightly. "Hello, Your Majesty," he greeted formally. "As you have been told, I am an envoy of the Metal Empire. I am here to discuss an important matter."

PrinceMamemon pressed his hand further against his cheek and sighed, making his feelings clear before glancing at Mercuremon.

Mercuremon took a step forwards. "We are happy to have you, Hagurumon," Mercuremon said diplomatically. "What would you like to talk about?"

The Metal Empire's envoy looked up at them. "I don't think there's any point in discursiveness or beating around the bush at this point, do you?" he said to them frankly.

Mercuremon's expression remained unchanged while PrinceMamemon's turned downwards into a deeper frown.

"What seems to be the problem?" Mercuremon asked him politely while also feigning ignorance.

"Six days ago, Your Majesty made a rather incendiary declaration to the citizens of the Mamemon Kingdom," Hagurumon stated, his red eyes turning from Mercuremon to PrinceMamemon. "You said that you were the one who hired the mercenaries who attacked, destroyed, and stole from one of our manufactories in our capital of Facture. This criminal action caused Emperor Chaosdramon most displeasure. Such a blatant attack on our state, our economy, and our values cannot be overlooked."

PrinceMamemon pursed his lips and stood to his feet. "If you remember correctly, I retracted that statement the next day," he exclaimed. "One of my subordinates had told me that that was the case, but, in fact, it was simply not true. Of course, I fired him."

"Ah, I see…" the Metal Empire diplomat responded. "Of course, someone was bright as yourself must be well aware of the Metal Empire's foreign policy. We don't like to get involved with other states and kingdoms if we can help it, but if we are attacked, we have no choice but to defend ourselves."

"It was just a tiny factory," PrinceMamemon responded flippantly. "Digimon destroy buildings all the time. It's natural when they possess such strong abilities."

"It's what was stolen that matters to us," Hagurumon answered him calmly. "Blueprints for new Metal Empire technology. Technology is the energy that powers and maintains our great empire. It fuels our economy and makes us self-sufficient. Our technology is our most valued aspect of society. We have no god but the machine. When somebody threatens that by stealing our machinery – our ideas – then _we_ are threatened…"

"That's very honest of you," Mercuremon observed.

"I see no reason to hide it, under the circumstances," the envoy replied knowingly.

The corners of Mercuremon's lips slanted down. "What do you mean by that, exactly?"

"I don't believe that you are being entirely honest to me or my Emperor," Hagurumon stated, closing his eyes.

"You question my integrity? The nerve!" PrinceMamemon protested.

"Only when your words stand in direct contradiction to the facts, Your Majesty," the gear Digimon explained. "We _know_ you have the blueprints for our electric arc furnace. We _know_ you hired Black Pincer Company to attack our factory and steal those blueprints."

"What?" Mercuremon spoke incredulously.

"I have never been so insulted in my entire life!" PrinceMamemon declared, folding his arms and sneering.

"We have done no such thing," Mercuremon assured him, more level-headedly than PrinceMamemon. "We didn't hire any mercenaries."

Hagurumon opened one eye. "Very well. The Royal Knights hired them. You were just the co-conspirators and beneficiaries," he spoke with a certain confidence in his voice.

"That's absurd!" PrinceMamemon declared, although lying through his teeth.

"Please, Your Majesty, don't insult our intelligence," Hagurumon said to him. There was a twinkle in his eye. "…Or our intelligence network."

Mercuremon gave a faint sneer. PrinceMamemon froze. "What…? You were spying on us?!" the monarch demanded.

"With good reason, it appears," Hagurumon told him. "We only extend our net when we find a leviathan sneaking through our waters. One of our agents caught you speaking with the mercenaries of Black Pincer Company. We know that you and the Royal Knights are looking to undermine and disrupt us. There is no sense in denying it now."

Mercuremon frowned. "If that's what you believe, then what happens next?" he asked the envoy.

"I have been sent here to negotiate with Your Majesty," the gear Digimon responded. "I think we have a highly generous offer."

"And what is that?" Mercuremon asked.

"You return the blueprints and submit a formal apology to my Emperor, and we will forget that this whole incident ever happened," the diplomat replied.

PrinceMamemon's eye twitched and he looked as though he was steaming with anger.

"Chaosdramon doesn't seem like a forgiving individual," Mercuremon spoke, folding his arms.

"Emperor Chaosdramon is a pragmatic Digimon," Hagurumon responded. "I'm sure he would like to avoid war as much as you do."

PrinceMamemon glared at him. "Why… Why… you… I have half a mind to throw you out of this palace! I don't have to listen to this!"

Hagurumon blinked. "Pardon?"

"If your brute of a master thinks that I will grovel to him, he can think again!" PrinceMamemon declared. "And even if that weren't the case, I would never give up these blueprints!"

"I support Your Majesty," Mercuremon told him calmly.

Hagurumon frowned. "Let me put it this way… If you don't, the Metal Empire will be forced to view this as an act of aggression in the gravest manner…" he warned him ominously.

"Is that an ultimatum?" Mercuremon asked him with a faint smirk.

"Putting it simply for Your Majesty…" Hagurumon spoke. "Either you must relinquish those blueprints that were stolen or we will respond with the force of the D-Brigade."

"Just you try it!" PrinceMamemon shouted, pointing his quivering finger at him. "Attack us and you are attacking the Royal Knights as well! My loyal subordinates have promised me their aid against whatever the Metal Empire tries to do to us! Do you want to declare war on twelve of the finest warriors in the Digital World?!"

Hagurumon let out a single laugh. "We are prepared for that possibility," he responded. He then bowed his hovering body. "Thank you, Your Majesty, that is all that I need to hear."

PrinceMamemon released an angry 'humph'.

"Are you sure you won't reconsider?" Hagurumon asked him. "This is your last chance."

PrinceMamemon glanced nervously at Mercuremon.

"It is up to you, Your Majesty. After all, we _do_ have the Royal Knights…" his advisor told him.

PrinceMamemon nodded and folded his arms. He looked at Hagurumon. "Tell Chaosdramon that we aren't afraid of him. We have the Royal Knights on our side!" he asserted.

"Very well… Good day, Your Majesty," Hagurumon responded, turning around and floating towards the exit of the throne room. "I feel that you won't have many in the future."

At that, PrinceMamemon took off his boot and threw it at Hagurumon after he left. "That smug… scoundrel!"

"I believe that we should start increasing security around our palace, Your Majesty," Mercuremon told him. "We should also ready the army and defences."

"Yes…" PrinceMamemon said with a heavy breath. "Yes, you're right."

"Should we contact the Royal Knights?" the mirror Digimon asked him.

PrinceMamemon frowned and his lip began to quiver somewhat. "Alphamon will be most displeased with me…" he murmured. "Leave them for now. We can take care of things for the moment."

"Of course, Your Majesty…" Mercuremon responded, turning to PrinceMamemon with a shimmer in his mirrors. "I shall begin preparations."

"Thank you, Mercuremon," PrinceMamemon said with a shaky sigh. "I shall prepare an announcement to the public."

Mercuremon bowed and then turned towards the door. He strode out quietly with an unreadable expression on his lips. As he left, the guards flanking the throne room entrance closed the doors behind him.

When he was gone, PrinceMamemon sat back on his throne and wrung his hands. "I do hope that I didn't make a mistake…" he muttered nervously.

* * *

"PrinceMamemon made a massive mistake," Alphamon announced.

He stood in the war room on the castle along with the other eleven Royal Knights. With them were the heads of the Royal Knights' military forces and intelligence: OuRyuumon, Knightmon, Grani, and Karatenmon.

The sixteen top officers sat on the stools and chairs that were arranged in a circular pattern in the room. They were centered around the large, flat table in the middle of the room. The topside of the table was lit up as it projected a three dimensional, grid-like hologram of the Digital World. On one side of the room was a highly secure door with both manual and electronic chrome digizoid locks and bolts. On the far wall of the room were maps, drawings, and photographs.

A strategy meeting was currently in session.

"I don't want to be catty, but that isn't a gigantic surprise coming from PrinceMamemon," RhodoKnightmon pointed out, folding his slender arms across his chest. "He isn't the most… Hum… how to put this politely? He doesn't have a lot of commonsense."

"That's putting it mildly," Craniamon added irately. "He thinks we're his _subordinates_."

"Which mistake exactly, Sir Alphamon?" Knightmon, Captain of the Defence Forces, inquired.

"Publically pretending to have those blueprints," Alphamon responded as he tapped his finger on his leg. "If he really took the blueprints now, he'll have no plausible deniability. There won't be any way back."

Dukemon sneered and turned his helmeted head to look at Grani. "Grani, have you heard back from our envoy to the Mamemon Kingdom?"

"I'm afraid so," Grani replied matter-of-factly. "He was told by PrinceMamemon, 'Thanks, but we have things under control.'"

"Not the most reassuring of responses…" UlforceVeedramon said with a sigh.

"Why would Black Pincer Company give the blueprints to the Mamemon Kingdom?" Magnamon asked.

Gankoomon brushed a hand through his red hair. "Because they were hired to, Magna," he flatly answered.

Magnamon rolled his eyes. "I know. I meant _who_ would hire them and why?"

"We think that PrinceMamemon is being set up," Alphamon explained. "We know from Dorbickmon that it isn't Black Pincer Company acting on their own."

"Perhaps it's the Metal Empire," Duftmon proposed, closing his eyes and thinking. "It may be a false flag operation. It could be that the Metal Empire hired them and faked an attack on their city so that they could pin it on the Mamemon Kingdom. Perhaps they wanted a pretext to invade them."

"Dorbickmon doesn't think that they were hired by the Metal Empire," Examon told him.

"Is he an expert on Digital World politics?" Duftmon sceptically questioned the dragon knight.

"Not at all, but he was there," Examon answered. "Besides, they were attacked by a Metal Empire team. The facts don't add up."

"I don't think you really believe that idea anyways, Duftmon," Omegamon said to him. "The Metal Empire doesn't have an aggressive foreign policy like that, even if a tyrant is in control. They would rather maintain the status quo."

Duftmon released a sigh. "Yes, I suppose you're right, Omegamon," he conceded, folding his arms and tapping his index finger on his bicep. "But I'm struggling to think of another perpetrator. It can't be the Mamemon Kingdom. That makes little sense either."

"We have bigger problems right now, I'm sorry to say," Karatenmon announced with a serious look on his avian face.

The twelve Royal Knights and other three Captains turned to look at him. "Please, go ahead," Alphamon urged the Captain of the Stealth Forces.

"I have a loyal spy who has a fairly high rank in the D-Brigade," the black raven man said. "He reported that the D-Brigade has confirmed that the Mamemon Kingdom has the stolen blueprints. One of their spies saw that PrinceMamemon took the blueprints from Black Pincer Company."

A wave of surprised and concerned mumbles filled the war room.

"So, the Metal Empire knows that PrinceMamemon has those blueprints…" Alphamon said with a groan.

"Wait," Karatenmon said, rubbing the back of his feathery neck. "It gets worse…"

"How?" Craniamon asked curtly.

Karatenmon offered a sheepish grin. "…PrinceMamemon apparently implicated us in helping him get the blueprints."

The entire room fell silent with utter disbelief and fury.

Dukemon slapped his helmeted forehead. "I'd wring his neck if he had one," he said with an annoyed growl.

"This is because you all humoured him," Duftmon chastised. "We shouldn't have left PrinceMamemon with any delusions. Now he thinks that he's above our authority!" He shook his head crossly, causing his blond hair to flow behind him. "The foolishness of lowly idiots can be dangerous to a few Digimon, but the foolishness of powerful idiots can be dangerous to the entire Digital World."

"He's the ruler of the Mamemon Kingdom," OuRyuumon replied. "I wouldn't exactly call that powerful."

"Fool," Duftmon told him. "He _becomes_ powerful when he drags both us and the Metal Empire into his web of foolishness."

"Let's not take this out of proportion…" Omegamon put forward.

Alphamon nodded in agreement. "Omegamon's right. There is still time for diplomacy."

"You think so?" Dynasmon asked sceptically.

"We could always say that PrinceMamemon is lying about our involvement," RhodoKnightmon suggested. "That is the truth, after all…"

"And leave the Mamemon Kingdom to face the Metal Empire on their own?" Dukemon asked, frowning at the idea. "Besides, would they even believe us?"

Craniamon shook his head. "We aren't allies with the Mamemon Kingdom. It's PrinceMamemon's mess. Why should we risk our necks and our soldiers to help him?"

"And let the innocent Digimon of the Mamemon Empire pay the price for his mess instead, Craniamon?" Sleipmon countered.

Craniamon gave Sleipmon a leer. "Do you know how strong the D-Brigade is?" he asked him.

"I never thought I'd hear words of cowardice from you, Craniamon," Dynasmon contended, looking over at the violet Royal Knight.

"I am not a coward," Craniamon fired back immediately. "But I'm not stupid either, Dynasmon. We need to weigh the odds."

"Shouldn't we side with the Mamemon Kingdom if Chaosdramon is an oppressive tyrant?" Examon suggested.

Duftmon nodded. "While we've been put in an unpleasant position, we should take advantage of this opportunity. We've been looking for an opportunity to take down Chaosdramon and his regime. Why don't we make the most of this?" the tactician advised.

Magnamon frowned. "Doing that would result in an open war. The casualties would be…"

"Tolerable," Duftmon responded. "There is nothing worth fighting for that doesn't have a risk of sacrifice. If we strike first, we can minimize that risk."

RhodoKnightmon glanced at Duftmon. "If war is unavoidable, then I suppose that is the best way to proceed."

"That's an irresponsible way to look at it," UlforceVeedramon spoke. As he opened his mouth to protest more, Alphamon spoke up.

"Enough. Everybody," the Lord of the Empty Seat said firmly, rising to his feet. "You're all getting ahead of yourselves. We can't automatically assume that war is inevitable."

"All due respect, Alphamon, but we need to prepare for the worst," Duftmon disagreed.

"By doing that, you're already closing your mind to other alternatives," Alphamon answered. "Until they declare war, we have no reason to even consider going to war. There's no cause yet."

"We're the Royal Knights. We shouldn't _need_ a casus belli to go to war," Duftmon protested. "We are the defenders of the Digital World. If we see strife, we don't need to adhere to treaties or borders or other trivial matters."

Craniamon frowned and nodded. "I agree, Alphamon. Not that I'm saying we should involve ourselves here…"

There were a few other nods among the Royal Knights, but some were more reluctant.

"We _are_ the defenders of Yggdrasil," Omegamon agreed. "Those ideals are what the Order was founded upon."

Alphamon sighed. "I know. None of you are wrong. However, it's not a matter of whether we can or are allowed to, it's a matter of whether it's a _good idea_," he responded gently. "We may be the defenders of both Yggdrasil and the Digital World, but it's also important to maintain relations other rulers _and_ regular Digimon. We may have a mandate that goes beyond politics, but we are still a political entity, after all. If we just ride roughshod over states or Digimon without considering diplomatic norms, then how are we any different from what DarkKnightmon wanted?"

"I agree with you, Alphamon," Dukemon spoke up. "Besides, from a pragmatic point of view, it's good to have allies since it's easier to maintain peace."

"And we're strong, but we need to pick and choose our battles with the resources that we have," Magnamon added.

Duftmon shook his head. "Nobody suggested that we should become tyrants," he argued. "However, I still believe that we should strike the Metal Empire before they get a chance to."

"Let's just see how the situation develops for now," Alphamon dissuaded. "We don't need to rush into anything. I suggest we keep an eye on the Metal Empire and respond based on their actions. If they show signs of preparing to attack the Mamemon Kingdom, then we can decide what to do. We'll keep up our espionage and reconnaissance missions, and we'll step up our training drills so that we can become prepared for the worst case scenario. How does that sound?"

There was a generally agreeable response among the Royal Knights and the Captains.

Omegamon nodded. "That sounds good," he responded. "Dukemon and I will see to that while you, Dynasmon, Ulforce, and OuRyuumon are gone."

"You're still going?" Gankoomon asked, looking over at Alphamon.

Alphamon nodded. "The security of the Dark Area trumps this incident. The issue will likely still come up, however."

"I doubt anything exciting will happen while we're gone," UlforceVeedramon explained. "I bet that PrinceMamemon will cave in under enough pressure and this whole crisis will be averted. He's not exactly a pillar of strength."

"Yes," Omegamon stated. "We'll make it clear to PrinceMamemon that we won't stand by him if he keeps this up. We should also deny the allegations that we conspired to steal those blueprints."

"That's the best way to go, under the circumstances," Alphamon agreed.

"Can't say I like the idea of buckling to the Metal Empire," Dukemon admitted.

"We're not buckling, Dukemon. We're trying to avoid a costly war," Magnamon assured him.

The crimson knight sighed. "Yeah. I'm just getting tired of putting up with Chaosdramon," he said with a hint of frustration in his voice.

"We'll get our chance to take him down," Alphamon promised. "But we need to be smart about it. For now, we need to be diplomatic with him, even if it leaves a bitter taste in all of our mouths."

Duftmon stood up from his seat and walked up to the table, looking down at the three dimensional map that was centered over the Metal Empire. "I still believe that this could be our chance to do just that," the tactician stated, narrowing his eyes at the growing map. "However, if everybody else agrees that diplomacy is the better route, then I suppose I can agree to that."

"I do," Sleipmon spoke up.

"Me too," Magnamon chimed in.

The other Royal Knights gave their tacit agreement, although a few were more cautious or uncertain.

Dukemon stood to his feet. "We'll see how things develop," he responded diplomatically while not completely yielding his opinion. "Like you said, Alphamon."

Alphamon nodded. "That's all that I ask," he countered sympathetically.

"We won't make any decisions about it while you're gone," Dukemon assured him.

"I know," Alphamon answered with a smile.

"So, if we're not committing to a war, do we need to be here?" OuRyuumon asked, gesturing to himself and the other Captains. "I mean, this is technically a war room…"

"I suppose we don't, after all," the black armoured Royal Knight admitted. "OuRyuumon? Knightmon? Just step up the training and combat drills." He turned to Grani and Karatenmon. "The same goes for the Recon and Stealth Forces, but we also need you two to keep up the patrols and espionage. Give special attention to the Metal Empire and the Mamemon Kingdom. And try to keep an eye on Black Pincer Company."

"Sir," the four Captains complied dutifully.

"Anything else?" Craniamon asked, getting to his feet as well.

"Alphamon, Ulforce, OuRyuumon and me are heading out tomorrow," Dynasmon reminded them. "We're takin' the Locomon Rail."

"There's also that inspection in Gold Keep in five days," Alphamon pointed out. "Sleipmon, why don't you go with Gankoomon?"

"Happy to," Sleipmon replied, looking over at Gankoomon.

Gankoomon nodded. "I don't mind, as long as someone keeps BaoHuckmon outta trouble."

"Leave it to me, Gankoomon," Dukemon told him with a friendly grin.

"Does anybody else have anything to add?" Alphamon questioned as he looked around the room. The Digimon shook their heads. "Then you're all dismissed."

The rest of the Royal Knights and Captains stood to their feet and began to funnel out of the room.

"I will stay here and go over possible scenarios should the Metal Empire decide to go to war with the Mamemon Kingdom," Duftmon said, pressing several buttons on the side of the electronic war map.

Alphamon nodded at him. "That isn't a bad idea, Duftmon," he told him. "You're not wrong in saying that we should be prepared."

"You just think that we shouldn't be clamouring for war," Duftmon answered, not looking up at Alphamon and, instead, creating physical representations of the geography between the Mamemon Kingdom and the Metal Empire. "I suppose I can understand the logic there…"

"Thanks, Duftmon," Alphamon said in response. "And I trust you to find that best tactical solution, should the worst case scenario arrive."

Duftmon nodded. "I shall. …Although Suijinmon is a worthy adversary, he doesn't have the practical experience that I do," he assured Alphamon as he started to create formations of D-Brigade troops on the map.

"I'm glad you're on our side," the leader of the Royal Knights told him.

"Mhm…" Duftmon murmured in reply, uncertain of what else to say.

With that, Alphamon followed the rest of the Royal Knights out of the war room and into the broad, stone hallway.

Dorbickmon was waiting there, leaning against the cool wall with folded arms. Examon stood beside him, talking to him.

Alphamon made his way over to the two red dragons. "Dorbickmon," he greeted. "Sorry you had to wait out here, but everything that happens in the war room is top secret."

Dorbickmon shrugged. "Anything I need to know about?" he asked him.

"I'll get you your payment and then you can be on your way," Alphamon answered. "If you can, try to keep an eye on Black Pincer Company. I don't expect you to follow them, but I don't want to forget about them entirely. They are wanted criminals, after all."

"I hear ya," Dorbickmon said, raising his muscular arms and stretching them out as he walked. "D'you think they're finished with this whole Metal Empire crap now?"

"I can't be sure. We're still not certain who hired them," Alphamon explained. "Ideally, we'd like to know, but if Black Pincer Company doesn't even know who hired them, then I don't expect you to find out."

Dorbickmon nodded. "I'll just keep my ear to the ground, then."

Examon turned to look at Dorbickmon. "They didn't suspect you, did they?" he asked him.

"No. If anything, they owe me." Dorbickmon answered with a grin. "I saved GrandisKuwagamon's ass."

Examon sighed. "I guess that's good?"

"It doesn't hurt. Anyway, I guess I'll head to Dragon's Peak to check my mail," Dorbickmon said. "See if I have any job offers."

Examon nodded. "We should both visit there sometime. It's been awhile since I've last been to the UDC," he said.

"Yeah, maybe when you're not so damn busy with Royal Knight stuff," Dorbickmon said with a chuckle. "I guess all this stuff you're dealing with right now will keep you guys occupied, huh?"

"Seems like it," Examon answered.

Alphamon's brows furrowed. "Hopefully everything will be settled quickly…"

* * *

A sheet of grey and white clouds lingered over the industrial city of Facture. The foggy overcast spanned the skies as far as the eye could see. Beads of water dotted the metal streets and alloy buildings, indicating that it had rained overnight.

Despite the presence of rain in the Metal Empire, very little of the metal actually rusted, thanks to the work of the leading metallurgists under former Emperor JumboGamemon's rule. This is reflected in the sleek, shimmering lustre of the metals that made up Facture. However, certain parts of the city, like the streets, were much darker and duller. This was thanks to their constant use by metal feet, wheels, and treads, which made sure the roads were thoroughly scuffed.

Today was a busy day for the Digimon of Facture, and no inclement weather would stop that. While life went on as normal for the civilian population, there was a big event taking place for the D-Brigade.

It was the D-Brigade Review. This was the public inspection of the armed forces of the D-Brigade by Emperor Chaosdramon. Officially, it was a regular inspection to make sure that the D-Brigade was disciplined and prepared. However, its real purpose was to show off the Metal Empire's martial capabilities. Of course, the covert portions of the D-Brigade weren't involved in this for the sake of secrecy. Nonetheless, a military review gave off another atmosphere. When one sees the military marching, standing at attention, and practicing their attacks and formations, it gives the impression that they are preparing for war.

The D-Brigade stood in the expansive yard of D-Central. There were rows and rows of Digimon, organized into squares based on their formations. There were thousands of Commandramons, all standing with their rifles shouldered. Being the smallest, they were near the front of review. Behind them were hundreds of Sealsdramons, Andromons, Guardromons, and other humanoid machine and cyborg Digimon. At the very back of the rows were dozens of large, mechanized Digimon like Tankmons, Mechanorimons, Tankdramons, MetalGreymons, Bolgmons, MetalTyrannomons, and other bulky bio-mechanical Digimon. Hovering above these groups were airborne Digimon like Gigadramons, Megadramons, Pteranomons, Rapidmons, BladeKuwagamons, and other aerial Digimon. At the very front of each formation of Digimon, presenting them, were several Mega-level Digimon – in many cases, they were high ranked officers of the D-Brigade. Among these were Darkdramons, HiAndromons, MetalGarurumons, and even a few Mugendramons, among others.

Emperor Chaosdramon lumbered in front of the highly disciplined ranks of the D-Brigade, his crimson eyes inspecting them carefully. Walking along beside the crimson, metal ruler were the gold, emerald, and ruby Storm Commanders: Raijinmon, Fujinmon, and Suijinmon.

"Good work, everyone," Suijinmon said to his troops as he examined the soldiers from behind Chaosdramon.

Raijinmon and Fujinmon strode beside Chaosdramon, standing between him and the troops.

"How does Formation E look to you, Emperor?" Raijinmon asked him, walking slightly ahead of his slender, green comrade.

"Good," Chaosdramon responded between heavy steps. "They have the greatest mean percentage when it comes to ranged accuracy, correct?"

"That is correct, Emperor," Raijinmon replied, holding his Blitz Arms behind his back and striding at a brisk pace.

"Although Formation I is more accurate at long-ranged bombardment," Fujinmon amended as he walked behind Raijinmon.

"I suppose so," the Thunderclap Commander admitted, glancing over his shoulder at Fujinmon.

Fujinmon gazed across the sea of Digimon standing in strict configuration. "Emperor," he spoke, glancing up at Chaosdramon with his red eyes that gave off a faint air of aloofness. "Can I ask you something?"

"What?" Chaosdramon asked brusquely.

"Why did you decide to hold this military review?" Fujinmon questioned, though he was more looking for confirmation than an actual answer.

"Why do you think?" Chaosdramon responded. "You heard what Hagurumon said when he tried to reason with PrinceMamemon."

"So, this is the first step," Fujinmon stated knowingly, "of our response to their actions."

"They have made their intentions clear," the emperor responded. "The Royal Knights wanted to humiliate us and that spherical twit wanted to get his hands on our technologies, so they conspired together and hired mercenaries to carry out the act." He turned his head down and looked at Fujinmon as they passed a gap between the formations. "Did you think we could ignore this?"

"Of course not," the Hurricane Commander responded.

"Letting the Mamemon Kingdom walk all over us would be a disgrace to our empire, and it would set a dangerous precedent, both to outsiders and to our own citizens," Chaosdramon explained. "If we didn't retaliate, then more Digimon would be tempted to steal our technologies, and we would appear weak. Where would that lead?" The giant cyborg dragon released a breath. "We need to teach PrinceMamemon a lesson. Invasion is the only response that will leave a big enough impact. It would also be pleasing to make the Mamemon Kingdom a client state of ours, after an internal purge, of course."

"They left us with no choice," Raijinmon agreed with a nod.

"And it seems that the Royal Knights are involved, Raijinmon," Suijinmon pointed out as he caught up to them.

Raijinmon frowned. "So it seems…" he answered pensively. "However, if they choose to threaten us, then they must be dealt with as enemies."

"You're okay with that?" Fujinmon asked him.

"Of course," Raijinmon guaranteed. "They are enemies. I won't let my personal interests get in the way of what's best for the Metal Empire."

"I'm glad to hear it," Emperor Chaosdramon said. "I expect that from you as well, Fujinmon."

Fujinmon looked forwards and struggled not to narrow his eyes. "Naturally, Emperor."

"We are your loyal subordinates, Your Majesty," Suijinmon sincerely told him.

Chaosdramon nodded and walked down the line to the next group of soldiers. His feet touched down with heavy, metallic clanks, which sent reverberations through the metal below.

"How do you wish to proceed, Emperor?" Raijinmon asked him, continuing his leisurely gait.

Chaosdramon bent his head down and spoke in soft, breathy murmurs. "We will mobilize our forces gradually and in secret, so we don't arouse suspicion," he told them. "When we are ready, we will advance. I suggest the force travels through the Tepid Plains and either gets a right of free travel through the Dual Chess Monarchy or it goes around them. Then take the Mamemon Kingdom capital of Haganemame City and silence any resistance."

"We'll devise a campaign," Suijinmon assured Chaosdramon.

Chaosdramon nodded. "I'm counting on it. Keep the details top secret," he told them.

"When do you want to initiate the operation?" Fujinmon questioned.

"A few weeks," Chaosdramon answered, too low for any of the troops to hear. "That should give us enough time and it should throw the Royal Knights off."

"Yes, Emperor," Raijinmon complied.

"We may also need to begin thinking about taking preventative measures against the Royal Knights," the massive cyborg ruler added. "We shouldn't deal with them until we take the Mamemon Kingdom, but we need to prepare for the eventuality of their intervention. It is probable that they are hoping to use this as an excuse to attack us."

"Logical thinking," Suijinmon agreed. "I will begin devising countermeasures."

"Good. I'll take care of the political aspect regarding passage through the Dual Chess Monarchy," Chaosdramon responded. "They wouldn't dare to refuse us."

"Still, we shouldn't outstay our welcome," Fujinmon stated. "It would be best to have the armed forces pass straight through as quickly as possible."

Suijinmon gave a hum of disapproval. "We need direct supply lines for the advance forces," the Waterfall Commander explained. "The Chessmons will have to accommodate that."

"I suppose they will," Emperor Chaosdramon agreed. "You three have your orders. I trust you to compose the tactics and the logistics. But do it later." With that, he trudged ahead of the three Storm Commanders to inspect the next group of D-Brigade soldiers on his own.

Fujinmon walked gracefully beside the other two. "So, it's war, is it?"

"Yes," Suijinmon answered simply, plodding along.

"Seems like it," Raijinmon agreed as he rested his hands behind his back.

"How do you feel about it?" the green cyborg Digimon asked them.

Suijinmon glanced at Fujinmon. "I completely agree with Emperor Chaosdramon. Don't you?" he asked him.

Fujinmon looked forwards and rolled his eyes. "Yes. I do. I was just curious, Suijin," he responded flatly. "No need to get defensive."

"I wasn't…" Suijinmon responded, glancing to the side.

"I think it could be interesting," Raijinmon added. "We haven't had an external military campaign since the Pirate Wars, and that was mostly naval."

"That reminds me, we need to show Emperor Chaosdramon the navy next," Suijinmon stated.

Fujinmon ignored Suijinmon. "That's true, Raijinmon. I think it could be an interesting opportunity for us."

Raijinmon nodded and let his arms hang at his sides. "Yes, it could be. If our actions are impressive enough, we could really make names for ourselves," he mused.

"_Perhaps more than that, depending on how things go,_" Fujinmon thought to himself.

Suijinmon returned to speaking with the officers of the formations, so he began to linger behind the other two.

Fujinmon glanced over at Raijinmon. "What's your opinion, Royal Knight expert? Can we handle their Order if it comes to it?" he questioned him quietly.

Raijinmon folded his arms and closed his eyes. "They aren't to be underestimated…" he responded. He opened an eye and glanced at his green comrade. "However, I'm confident that we're a match for them. They may have quality in strength, but we have greater numbers and greater discipline. Plus, you, Suijinmon and I are strong, capable, and intelligent. We need to be cautious, but it's not as if the Royal Knights are unbeatable. We have a fighting chance if we're clever."

Fujinmon nodded. "Good. I'm beginning to look forward to this…"

The gold cyborg Digimon frowned. "We should get back to the inspection, don't you think?" he asked him.

"Of course," Fujinmon stated, turning and looking at the columns and rows of Digimon.

The three Storm Commanders caught up with Chaosdramon as he inspected the thousands of D-Brigade soldiers standing at attention. It was this mass of ground, armoured, aerial, and naval troops that would soon be preparing for war. It was a terrifying force to face… especially for a tiny state like the Mamemon Kingdom.

* * *

Meanwhile, it was a partially sunny day in Shroud. The data storm, while continual, was currently peaceful enough to allow brief bouts of sunlight through the tumultuous grey-violet clouds. Rays of sunshine would beam down on the city for a few minutes before being staunched by clouds for another few minutes. This cycle throughout the day was usually the best the Digimon of Shroud could hope for in terms of sunlight.

The streets were busy with active Digimon moving around from place to place.

A short figure walked down a street unassumingly, moving with the flow of Digimon. The Wizardmon adjusted his conical hat, tipping it backwards on his head to give himself better peripheral vision. He placed his arms back under his cowl and kept his hands near his pockets.

The Wizardmon broke off from the Digimon and turned a corner down a side street. However, he saw that the street was blocked off by police and barriers. At the end of the street was the Spirit's Rest Inn. However, there were several law enforcement officers standing around it.

Wizardmon tugged at his tall collar to better see what was going on. The third floor windows were completely blown out and some of the walls looked as if they were nearing collapse. It looked as though there was some sort of explosion inside it. He frowned and decided to ask what had happened.

He walked up to one of the officers – a tall, lanky humanoid Digimon who was wrapped in bandages. "Excuse me," he asked the Mummymon. "What happened here."

The law enforcement officer turned around. "It's an ongoing investigation, but looks like there was a big fight here a several nights ago. There was enough damage that it could collapse, so the inn's closed," he explained. "Why?"

"I was supposed to meet somebody here," Wizardmon responded.

"Well, you're not gettin' in, so just hang around the general area," the Mummymon told him with a shrug. "Maybe they'll turn up."

Wizardmon nodded and turned around, starting to walk away. He walked up the street and turned at the point where it met the longer, busier street. He turned right and began walking further into the city.

Suddenly, Wizardmon felt a tapping on his shoulder. He turned his head and saw GrandisKuwagamon walking behind him. "GrandisKuwagamon," he greeted.

"Meet us at the Severed Arms," GrandisKuwagamon told him, walking past him so that it didn't look like they were conversing.

Wizardmon nodded and watched the black insect disappear behind the Digimon in front of him. He pulled down his hat slightly and began manoeuvring around the Digimon ahead.

He walked for several blocks until he made it to a grotty street that had the rustic tavern located on the corner. Wizardmon glanced up to double check the sign before he walked in.

Upon opening the doors, he was greeted with the faint aroma of alcohol and bar food. He looked around and saw Black Pincer Company sitting in their usual corner seats, near the bar. The bar was empty except for them, which was sensible given how early in the day it was. The short, wizard Digimon began to make his way over, walking around the large pool table. He approached their table and pulled up a chair.

"Hello," he greeted, hopping onto the chair.

None of the three bug Digimon were drinking, but eating bar food instead. GrandisKuwagamon took a bite of a round, intensely orange-coloured, sun fruit. "See? Told ya he was comin'," GrandisKuwagamon told the other two.

Blitzmon turned and looked at the Wizardmon. "We finished the job, but from what you said before, your client knows that by now, right?"

Wizardmon nodded. "Everything went as planned, apparently. He gave me permission to come meet you," he explained. "Although, what happened at the inn?"

"We got swarmed by D-Brigade assholes while we slept," Bolgmon told him with a frown. "So all of our reward better be here."

"Naturally," Wizardmon assured him raising his wand and activating it to make another case of money appear on the table.

GrandisKuwagamon took the case and opened it, looking inside. "About the same amount as last time… Looks legit," he said.

Blitzmon looked at Wizardmon. "We're done with the Metal Empire now, right?" he asked him.

Wizardmon nodded. "My client has no more jobs for you directly involving them..."

"That was ominously specific," GrandisKuwagamon dryly pointed out, moving his hand across the money before closing the case.

Wizardmon chuckled a little. "Well… My client has expressed great satisfaction with your work and efficiency. He would like to contract you for another job."

GrandisKuwagamon folded his arms and leaned back in his seat while glancing at Blitzmon and Bolgmon. "I'd kinda like to know more about your client first. Why are we doing what we're doing? I don't get it."

"I can't say," Wizardmon told him. "My client has expressed the desire for the utmost secrecy."

"Does it matter as long as we keep getting money like that?" Blitzmon asked, gesturing to the case of money in front of them.

Bolgmon nodded. "We usually don't make that much money in six months," he added eagerly. "Is the payout for the next job anything like the last two?"

"It's higher," Wizardmon responded plainly.

GrandisKuwagamon frowned. "Which means it's even more dangerous," he remarked.

"Not necessarily," Wizardmon stated.

"We're listening," Blitzmon told him, looking at the Wizardmon with interest. He glanced at his fellow mercenary. "Let's hear him out, Grandis."

"Yeah, fine," GrandisKuwagamon agreed. "What's the job and what's the payment?"

"It's more of a contract than a cash reward," Wizardmon explained. "Which means that there will be a lot more money for you, but you'll be on hold to do more jobs for my client in the future, instead of just leaving with your payment after this next job."

"We know how contracts work," GrandisKuwagamon responded. "Let's talk details."

Wizardmon nodded in agreement. "Don't worry. It doesn't necessarily involve the Metal Empire," he told them. "In fact, given the nature of your company, you have much more of a stake in this than with your previous two jobs."

Bolgmon tilted his head. "We do?"

"Go on," Blitzmon urged him, leaning his arms forward on the table.

GrandisKuwagamon put down the core of his sun fruit and eyed the Wizardmon. "Let's hear it."

Wizardmon lowered his gaze. "It involves the Royal Knights…"


	9. Chapter 8 Part 1: The Aloof Hermit

(Author's Note: This chapter turned out to be really long, so I've divided it into two parts. I'll post the first part now and the second part in a week or so? Enjoy!

PS, one of these days I'm going to go through the two fics and make some of the terminology I use more consistent. I'm generally using Japanese names, but for some reason I went with English levels and names for certain Digimon like Fanglongmon. I'll be changing those. Though in some cases I'll be using English names that are pretty much like the Japanese names except without the Engrish (Phantomon over Fantomon) or names that I prefer more (Craniamon over Craniummon))

**Chapter 8: The Aloof Hermit (Part I)**

The mechanical, rhythmic chugging of wheels on rails reverberated across the yellow plains. A deep hoot of steam pierced the air, interrupting the steady, continuous noise of locomotion.

A Locomon rolled across the landscape on a pair of sturdy, metal train tracks. At the very front was a large, dark blue railcar with a pair of yellow eyes and steam spout. This part of the Locomon carried the multiple coach cars that were hooked on behind it. Inside those carriages were multiple passenger Digimon who used the Locomon as transportation.

Each passenger car was long and wide, and it had rows of connected, bench-like seats with green cushions on each side of the aisle. Each seat could support roughly two humanoid-sized Digimon, although it depended on their sizes. Larger Digimon were generally expected to revert to smaller forms if they weren't able to fit inside one of the carriages.

"Attention, all passengers, we'll be reaching our next destination of New Terminal shortly," a calm, deep, friendly voice echoed throughout the train. It belonged to Locomon, who continued to drive along the tracks. "For now, please enjoy the scenic landscape of the Republic of Node."

Among these passengers were Alphamon, Dynasmon, UlforceVeedramon, OuRyuumon, and Paildramon, who all sat in the same car. Alphamon and OuRyuumon sat side-by-side on the right side of the car. Paildramon sat on her own on the seat in front of them. UlforceVeedramon and Dynasmon sat together on the seat behind them.

Both dragon Royal Knights were fast asleep. UlforceVeedramon was in the window seat, leaning against the pristine glass as he used his broad, blue and pink wing as a pillow. Dynasmon, who had previously been leaning comfortably against UlforceVeedramon's wing and shoulder, had somehow collapsed onto Ulforce's lap. His wings were bunched up against the Royal Knight's body, but Dynasmon slept contently, and a steady rivulet of saliva trickled from his mouth onto UlforceVeedramon's blue leggings.

OuRyuumon was semi-coiled up on his seat and busy munching on a sandwich that he bought from one of the on-board food vendors. Alphamon, however, was staring out the window. Instead of looking at the scenery, he seemed to be lost in thought. The sunlight reflected in his distant ruby eyes as it shone through the windows of the Locomon.

Paildramon was a bit ill-at-ease, although it would be hard to tell by looking at her usual calm demeanour. She looked over her shoulder at OuRyuumon. "Captain?" she asked, formally addressing her superior, since she was an over-sergeant of the Strike Forces.

OuRyuumon swallowed the bite of meat sandwich that he had in his mouth and looked over at her. "Yeah?" he asked her, comparatively informally.

"Is it okay for me to be here?" she wondered. "This is a diplomatic mission. I'm just an over-sergeant and yet I'm here with three Royal Knights and yourself. I think this is above my station, if I can be honest."

"Oh, it's fine, Paildramon," OuRyuumon assured her with a friendly grin. "Don't worry about it."

Paildramon frowned faintly. "I wouldn't like to think that I'm getting special treatment compared to my comrades, just because of who my father is…" she added knowingly.

OuRyuumon raised a hand to begin thumbing the ornamental dragon above the red gem on his decorative headpiece. "We're not giving you special treatment, over-sergeant," he assured her. "If anything, we're bringing you for selfish reasons. Your dad is Councillor Imperialdramon, so bringing you along will hopefully make him more sympathetic to our cause."

Paildramon sighed and rubbed the back of her head. "I'm not sure if that's much better…" she said with a hint of exasperation.

OuRyuumon smirked. "Okay, let me put it this way… You never complain about any of your other missions or duties, so why should this one be any different?" he said to her. "In other words, you're under my direct orders to join us, so I don't want to hear any complaints, got it, over-sergeant?"

The dragon woman Digimon managed a faint smile. "Yes, sir," she complied.

"Besides, you know how the Council of Seven operate," the Captain of the Strike Forces added. "You must have inherited all of that bureaucratic know-how from your dad, right?"

Paildramon nodded in response. "I know more than I'd like," she admitted. "I was supposed to go into a governmental career while my younger brother was supposed to go into the military."

"I know how that is," OuRyuumon said with a smirk. "You planning to visit your brother while you're home?"

"Only if I get some free time," Paildramon answered dutifully.

"Of course," the ryu assured her. "We're staying for at least a night – a few days at the most – so there's plenty of time. I was planning to visit my parents, so 'course you can visit your dad and brother too."

"Thank you," she told him with a nod. "That's right. I forgot you and Sir Alphamon were from New Terminal, Captain."

OuRyuumon grinned. "Well, New Terminal's our hometown and we were raised here, but neither of us were exactly 'born' here. We're both adopted. We were born as 'roaming digi-eggs'. We weren't born from reproduction or reincarnation; we just appeared, I guess, and our eggs were found and put up for adoption. Not at the same time, though."

Paildramon blinked with mild surprise. "Oh… Really? Aren't roaming digi-eggs really rare?" she asked him curiously.

"Yeah." He raised his claws and tapped the crimson gem on his forehead emphatically. "Alphamon and me are both prototype Digimon, too. We've got these Digicore Interfaces. Might be why we can jogress together. Maybe it all means something, but who knows for sure. Right, Alphamon?"

OuRyuumon looked over at his friend for his input. He had been kind of surprised that Alphamon hadn't said anything earlier, but, then again, he had been pretty quiet since before they boarded the Locomon. When he turned his head, he saw that Alphamon was still staring out the window. It didn't look like he even heard him.

OuRyuumon cocked an eyebrow. "Alphamon?" he asked, hoping to get his attention. "Digital World to Alphamon…"

Alphamon blinked and looked over. "Pardon…? Sorry, I was miles away," he sheepishly answered. "What were you saying?"

The gold and brown drake frowned. "Nothin'… Are you okay? You've been quiet since we left," he pointed out to him.

"I'm fine," Alphamon answered. "I was just thinking."

"About what?" OuRyuumon quizzed.

Alphamon gave him a side glance. "Nothing important," he said calmly, trying to subtly tell him not to pursue the issue.

OuRyuumon wouldn't be deterred that easily. "You're not worried about DORUgoramon, are you?" he asked his best friend.

The black Royal Knight rubbed his forehead, which also contained a red, gem-like interface on it. "No…"

"Councillor DORUgoramon?" Paildramon asked.

"We've got history with him," OuRyuumon told her. He looked back at Alphamon. "So what is it?"

Alphamon sighed and turned to look at OuRyuumon fully. "I'm fine, OuRyuumon. Really," he insisted emphatically. "I appreciate the concern, but I was just thinking about the matter at hand. I'm formulating what I want to put forward to the Council of Seven."

OuRyuumon furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Alphamon lingeringly. "Well… okay," he responded, although he still had some doubts.

Alphamon turned away and went back to looking out the window. In the distance, he could see the majestic city of New Terminal. The whole city seemed to gleam with splendor in the sunlight. New Terminal was one of the largest and most cosmopolitan cities on the continent, behind, perhaps, Saversburg, which was further north. The city spanned dozens of kilometers and it has several different boroughs.

It was the capital of the Republic of Node, which was a cultural and economic hub, as well as a regional powerhouse. The Council of Seven were the leaders of the Republic and they were the ones who made policy decisions. However, the Republic of Node was very much a federation, and the major regional cities had a lot of autonomy. The burgmasters (or mayors) of the cities all had votes when electing new councillors for the Council of Seven. Likewise, the Digimon citizens of the Republic of Node all voted for the burgmasters, so in a way, they had a say in who was elected to the Council of Seven.

The Council of Seven itself consisted of seven councillors: Imperialdramon Dragon Mode, Rosemon, Butenmon, DORUgoramon, Okuwamon, Angewomon, and MegaSeadramon. They each had different aims, ideals, and influences, as well as varying opinions of the Royal Knights.

Alphamon continued to watch as the city grew nearer. He would normally be pleased at the prospect of returning home to visit, but something was weighing on his mind. There were things that he needed to do there. Things that he felt obligated to do.

"Attention, all passengers," Locomon spoke up again in his deep, relaxed voice. "We will be arriving in New Terminal in several minutes. Please do not attempt to exit until I have reached a full and complete stop. For now, please enjoy the picturesque scenery. To the right, you can see the sea of gold and emerald fields, and, to the left, you should be able to see the Argent Mountain-scape. It may be small, but it is rather beautiful."

Alphamon heard a grunt of discomfort coming from behind himself and OuRyuumon. He turned and looked over his shoulder to see that UlforceVeedramon was waking up, disturbed from his sleep by Locomon's announcement.

"Mrgh, wha…?" UlforceVeedramon asked groggily, pushing against his wing to sit up straighter. He rubbed his eyes with a hand, trying to wake himself up. He wasn't sure why he felt a pressure on his lap.

UlforceVeedramon yawned and blinked the sleep from his red eyes. Beginning to orient himself, he looked down and saw Dynasmon asleep on his lap. He stared at him for a several moments.

"Guh, Dynasmon!" the cobalt Royal Knight complained, grabbing Dynasmon's shoulder and shaking him. "The heck are you doing?! You're drooling on my crotch! That had _better_ just be drool!"

Dynasmon awoke with groans of complaint and annoyance, waving his arms around to try to push UlforceVeedramon away from him. "Ugh, lee'me alone! Damn it… I'm sleeping…!" he growled, annoyed that his pillow was suddenly trying to shake his head off. "Rrrgh. Cut it out!"

"Hey! Don't move your head like that! That's not- DYNASMON!"

"…GAH! What the hell?! Get away from me!"

"I should be telling you that, you perv!"

OuRyuumon rested his arms on the backrest of his seat and watched with amusement. "If only Rhodo were here to see this…" he said with a laugh, although he was secretly liking the view for other reasons.

Paildramon flushed beneath her helmet. She supposed it was a good thing that they were the only passengers on this particular car.

Meanwhile, Alphamon sighed and glanced back out the window.

The Locomon began to decelerate as they approached the sprawling city of New Terminal. The train Digimon entered the city with a bellow of his horn, and the buildings soon began to roll by the windows.

Alphamon closed his eyes and stood to his feet, preparing to disembark as they pulled to a stop at the rail station. He was home.

* * *

After about fifteen minutes passed, the group of five left the Locomon rail station. The station was a partially open-air one, and there were loads of Digimon going to and from it.

Once they were out of the station, they were able to take in their surroundings. New Terminal was bustling with energy and life. There were Digimon of all shapes, sizes, and species. Unlike places that were mostly monocultural, like the Metal Empire or the Mesozoic Kingdom, New Terminal was very multicultural and cosmopolitan. There were avian Digimon, insect Digimon, humanoid Digimon, beast Digimon, dragon Digimon, and the list goes on. This diversity was very much reflected in the Council of Seven.

Digimon walked down the middle of the streets, usually with larger Digimon in the middle of the street and smaller Digimon walking along the sides. Aerial Digimon flew in the sky in an orderly fashion. A big river flowed down from the Argent Mountains and ran straight through the middle of the city. It was called Fountain River, and many aquatic Digimon used it as a means of transportation through the city.

The group of five decided to fly through the city, since it was faster and they were all able to do so. They soared above the buildings of New Terminal which were of varying shapes and sizes as well. Alphamon led the way, followed by OuRyuumon and Dynasmon, and then Paildramon and UlforceVeedramon.

"Where to first?" Dynasmon asked, looking ahead at Alphamon.

"The council hall," Alphamon answered, looking over his spread wings to Dynasmon. "We should tell the Council of Seven that we're here so they can prepare."

"Try not to get too catty with DORUgoramon, okay, Alphamon?" UlforceVeedramon said with a gentle laugh.

Alphamon turned and gave him a look. "Maybe you should tell that to OuRyuumon first."

"I won't say anything if he doesn't," OuRyuumon told them, folding his arms as he glided on the air currents.

"I'll believe that when I see it," Dynasmon said with a chuckle. "So, what do we do after that? It probably won't take long."

"We'll likely have to wait. I suppose we'll have quite a bit of free time…" Alphamon said with a thoughtful frown.

UlforceVeedramon gave his wings a flap and looked over. "Are you three going to visit your parents, then?" he questioned.

Alphamon didn't reply immediately. Instead, he deliberated quietly.

"I probably am," OuRyuumon stated.

Paildramon nodded in agreement. "I'll visit my brother, if that's alright."

"Sure," OuRyuumon told her. He looked over at Alphamon. "What about you?"

"Hm? I suppose so, yes," Alphamon said, looking over after a few seconds.

OuRyuumon looked at him suspiciously. Alphamon was definitely acting oddly. He began to wonder if it had something to do with his coming out about his sexuality. However, Alphamon was generally pretty comfortable with that part of his life now, so OuRyuumon wasn't entirely convinced of this argument, but he wasn't sure what else could be bothering him. Perhaps it really did just have to do with the Dark Area.

"Do you think we can expect any resistance from the Council?" UlforceVeedramon asked, dipping down, veering to the side, and speeding up to fly beside Alphamon. "We don't always see eye-to-eye with them."

"I don't think so. We may disagree at times, but I can't think of a reason why they wouldn't want to help secure the Dark Area," Alphamon responded. "If any of those prisoners were to get out, we would all suffer from it."

"That's true," UlforceVeedramon admitted. "But politics and bureaucracy can get in the way of commonsense, at times."

Dynasmon nodded. "Plus, I don't trust that Gaioumon guy they have hanging around," he said with a sneer. "He's as slippery as an eel."

UlforceVeedramon glanced at Dynasmon. "You're just saying that because you're friends with KaiserGreymon. He and Gaioumon hate each other."

"I don't trust him either," Dynasmon asserted. "Just watch once we're there. He looks like his brain's always thinking of something."

"Unlike yours, right, Dynasmon?" UlforceVeedramon teased him with a wink.

Dynasmon give him a sideways leer. "Shut it, Ulforce."

"Permission to speak freely?" Paildramon spoke up.

"You don't have to be so formal, Paildramon," Alphamon assured her.

Paildramon nodded. "I've met Gaioumon before, at a formal party that all of the council members attended. He seemed pleasant enough, and he came off as quite intelligent about a lot of things. From what I've heard, he has a wealth of political, military, historical, and diplomatic knowledge. I suppose I can see why he's the sitting advisor for the Council of Seven."

"Yeah, well, I know what KaiserGreymon's told me about him too," Dynasmon responded, closing his eyes. "Apparently he can be really cunning, conniving and ruthless, when he wants to be."

"I can't say I've heard that about him," Paildramon stated. "Although I don't doubt your source, Sir Dynasmon."

"It's getting the councillors on side that we need to worry about," OuRyuumon mentioned. "They're the ones that make the decisions, not Gaioumon."

Alphamon nodded and began to descend. "There it is," he told them, looking ahead to a large building. The council building in question was one of the larger ones in the city. It had to be big enough to support large Digimon like MegaSeadramon and Okuwamon. That's why it was built with only two storeys, but was fairly long and wide to compensate. Although the outside had ornate decorations and statues, the building wasn't extravagant like a palace; it was more administrative and practical. There was a tall fence around the perimeter of the building, along with military personnel who acted as security at both at the gate and the doors.

Alphamon hailed the security as they grew closer to the entrance. He flew down and landed at the front of the gate. The two security guards were a VictoryGreymon and a WarGreymon."Greetings. We need to see the Council of Seven," Alphamon told the VictoryGreymon.

The VictoryGreymon, who had been shouldering his massive Dramon Breaker sword, suddenly dropped the blade to the ground as he stared at Alphamon with astonishment. His jaw dropped when he saw UlforceVeedramon and Dynasmon land behind him as well. "S-Sir Alphamon!" he exclaimed, his deep voice becoming high with excitement.

Alphamon blinked and smiled sheepishly, scratching his cheek with a finger. "Uh… Hello…?"

The VictoryGreymon seemed to be giddy with excitement and glee. "Remember me?" he asked, looking at Alphamon with big, expectant, green eyes, and a massive, dorky grin on his face.

"Er…" Alphamon paused. He didn't recognize him at all, but he didn't want to hurt the feelings of somebody who was obviously a big fan of theirs. "You're… VictoryGreymon," the leader of the Royal Knights remarked, attempting to bluff.

VictoryGreymon turned and looked at his WarGreymon friend with excitement. "He remembered my name!" he told him with a happy voice, his cheeks growing scarlet red with embarrassment.

The WarGreymon rolled his eyes. "He knows what a VictoryGreymon looks like. It wasn't a hard guess," he sarcastically told the VictoryGreymon in response. He then looked a bit sheepish and looked at Alphamon. "Uh, no offence, Alphamon, sir."

VictoryGreymon turned to Alphamon and the others, just as OuRyuumon and Paildramon landed behind the three Royal Knights. "We met at the Spring Festival in Aurum," he said, again with big, hopeful eyes. "You gave me your autograph?"

Alphamon thought back to that event. Most of what happened that day was completely overshadowed by DarkKnightmon's arrival after the festival. However, he vaguely remembered being swarmed by fans when they first arrived, and one of them was a VictoryGreymon. "…Oh yes. I remember now. You had a ShineGreymon friend?"

VictoryGreymon's face lit up. "Yeah! That was my best friend!" he exclaimed, grinning broadly and rubbing the back of his neck with embarrassment. "WarGreymon here is a good friend of mine too. But wow, I can't believe three of the Royal Knights and Captain OuRyuumon are visiting here in New Terminal today of all days! It's just our luck, WarGreymon! Hahaha!"

UlforceVeedramon exchanged a look with Dynasmon. "Major fanboy," he mumbled with a grin.

"So, can we get in?" Dynasmon asked with an amused smile.

"Oh, of course!" VictoryGreymon exclaimed, immediately moving out of the way and picking his sword up so that they could get through the gates. "You guys must be very busy with official business, so I won't keep ya."

As the Royal Knights began to file through the gate, followed by OuRyuumon and Paildramon, WarGreymon blinked upon seeing her. "Paildramon? Is that you?"

When OuRyuumon moved out of the way, she was able to recognize both of the Mega level Greymons. "WarGreymon?" she asked. "VictoryGreymon?"

"Hey, Paildramon," VictoryGreymon greeted with a warm smile. "You get to go on missions the Royal Knights? That's so cool! I wish I got to join their Order too."

"This is just a one-time thing," Paildramon assured them.

UlforceVeedramon turned around. "Do you know them, Paildramon?" he asked her curiously.

"Yes, Sir," she responded. "We were in the same unit for awhile before the restructuring of the Republic's military. That was when I was transferred to your Order with a bunch of the others."

Alphamon looked over his shoulder at her. "You're free to wait out here and catch up with them, over-sergeant," he said to her. "We're really just going in to make ourselves known and to see when the Council will be ready to have us."

"Thank you," she said to him, giving Alphamon a salute before turning to talk with the two Greymons. "Were you two moved around in the restructure too?"

"Yeah. We're actually in a more prestigious group now," WarGreymon responded, puffing his chest out proudly. "Me, VictoryGreymon, ShineGreymon, BlackWarGreymon, and EmperorGreymon are an elite, specialized shock squad now. We're called the Greymon Five."

"Then what are you doing on security detail?" Paildramon asked, raising an eyebrow.

"They were short-handed…"

As they started chatting, Alphamon, Dynasmon, UlforceVeedramon and OuRyuumon continued towards the council building.

Around them was a wide, stone courtyard. Across the area were benches that rested beneath stone and marble statues of famous councillors and historical figures in the Republic of Node's history. The front of the building was decorated with a tall, striking, colonnade of ornate, stone columns that held up the front of the council hall and provided a horizontal avenue of shade just in front of the building's entrance.

The four walked up to the colonnade and passed through the gap wide enough to allow even dinosaur Digimon to enter. They were spotted by the two guards standing in front of the massive double doors. The guards immediately turned around and used a pulley system to open the tall, wide set of doors behind them. The weighty doors creaked open, giving them an ancient-yet-durable feel to them. As the Royal Knights entered, they were greeted by a gentle blast of cool air and a faint scent that had notes of paper and stone in it.

They stepped into the large, marble-floored lobby. Over to the left was the front desk as well as seating for those who needed to wait.

"I'll go speak with the secretary," Alphamon said to his three companions.

Just as he began moving his leg to walk towards the desk, he was halted by a voice.

"No need," the voice, strong and deep, spoke.

The four turned and saw a Digimon walking out of the wide opening on the opposite side of the room. It was a dragon man Digimon. He was clad from head to toe in flexible metal that made a heavy, clattering noise with every step that he took. His metal body was primarily grey in hue, with the exception of the deep, violet stripe that went down the Digimon's neck and the underside of his chest and tail. The violet colouring was also located on the orbs on the broad pauldrons that made up his shoulder armour. The purple colouring also lined his armour and coloured the spikes on his knees, but, more prominently, it also coloured the leathery fabric that made up the dragon man's wide, fearsome, metal wings. In contrast to this was a gold trimming that lined the edges of his boots, tail, and shoulders.

His long tail flicked behind him as he strode over. His draconic head lifted up proudly, causing the light in the room to reflect off of his long horns which were both jagged and yet ornate. Just above the nose of his snout was a rounded, triangular, shimmering crimson gem that was exactly like the Digicore Interface that both Alphamon and OuRyuumon possessed on similar parts of their faces.

"DORUgoramon," Alphamon stated, turning to face him fully.

"It's been awhile, Alphamon, OuRyuumon," DORUgoramon spoke, stopping in front of them.

"Yes, it has," Alphamon answered, politely offering his hand.

DORUgoramon looked down at the knight's hand and then reached out to take it, shaking firmly. "It's nice to see you have some free time to visit New Terminal again," he said with a half-grin at the corner of his draconic mouth.

OuRyuumon gave DORUgoramon a suspicious look, but he kept his cool.

Alphamon returned the handshake just as strongly. "It's nice to be back home. You're right, I don't get to come here as often as I like," he responded. "How have you been?"

"Busy. Being a councillor eats up a lot of my free time. It isn't like it was during my adventuring days," DORUgoramon mentioned. "I guess you know how that is too, huh?" Before Alphamon could respond, he turned his head and looked at UlforceVeedramon and Dynasmon. "Hello to you both, as well."

Dynasmon waved his large, clawed hand. "Hey."

"Good timing," UlforceVeedramon said with a smile.

"I'm afraid not," DORUgoramon corrected him. "We received your letter, but it's going to be a few hours until we can talk with you. The Council isn't convening until late this afternoon. The only reason I'm here is because I forgot some documents in my office." He held up his satchel for emphasis.

"_I knew he'd make us wait,_" OuRyuumon thought to himself, giving the silver-armoured dragon a sideways leer as he sighed through his nostrils.

"It's fine, DORUgoramon," Alphamon assured him. "We expected as much. When would a be a good time for us to return?"

DORUgoramon shouldered his bag and looked at Alphamon with his narrow, gold eyes. "Two hours before sunset?"

Alphamon nodded. "That's fine. We'll keep busy until then and come back here," he told him.

"I look forward to it," DORUgoramon answered, striding past them and making for the exit. "I'll tell the guards to expect you."

"Later," OuRyuumon told him, eyeing him as he left.

"Captain," DORUgoramon said to him, glancing over his wing and shoulder before walking out the doors.

After the councillor left, UlforceVeedramon looked from OuRyuumon to Alphamon, and then at Dynasmon. "How come I always detect an atmosphere with you two and him?" UlforceVeedramon wondered aloud. He grinned. "Even when you're all trying to be polite."

"We have a history," Alphamon responded vaguely.

"You don't say," UlforceVeedramon sarcastically said while folding his arms. "What, exactly?"

Alphamon sighed. "I'll tell you later, Ulforce. We should get going," he said to them.

"Are you and OuRyuumon going to visit your parents?" Dynasmon asked him.

"Yeah. I think I'll surprise Dad at the smithy," OuRyuumon stated. He looked at Alphamon with a grin. "You can come along and then we'll go see your parents."

Alphamon frowned. "I suppose so…" he said contemplatively.

UlforceVeedramon smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "That's great, but what about us?" he asked. "I doubt you want us hanging around for your family thing. Especially Dynasmon."

Dynasmon elbowed him in the arm. "We'll look around the city, Ulforce. I know some good places."

"We'll meet back at the gate," Alphamon said to them. "Does that sound fine?"

UlforceVeedramon rubbed his sore arm and nodded. "Yeah. Let's go then. I'll tell Paildramon the news."

The Royal Knights and OuRyuumon walked out and split off into two groups to go their separate ways. As Dynasmon and UlforceVeedramon walked down the courtyard towards the front gate where Paildramon was, Alphamon and OuRyuumon began to take to the air.

OuRyuumon glanced over his shoulder at the black knight lingered behind him. He couldn't understand it. He was happy to be visiting New Terminal, but Alphamon didn't seem to be. The Royal Knight was thinking a lot – that much OuRyuumon knew – but about what? The gold dragon wondered. He wondered if Alphamon was worried about something, or if he was simply feeling nostalgic about old times. He wondered if it was both. OuRyuumon speculated about what it could be. A part of him was beginning to feel hopeful. Maybe Alphamon was quiet because he was beginning to reconsider his feelings about OuRyuumon, and this trip was what made him change his mind. He stifled a smile at the prospect.

Whatever it was, OuRyuumon intended to find out.

* * *

OuRyuumon and Alphamon soared through the warm New Terminal air towards the northeast part of the city. They passed over the Fountain River, which flowed below them with a dynamic pattern of blue and white as bodies of marine Digimon cut through the water.

"Hasn't changed much, huh, Alphamon?" OuRyuumon asked as he flew beside him. He turned his head and was somewhat surprised to see Alphamon staring at him.

Really, Alphamon was looking past OuRyuumon, at the Argent Mountains behind him. However, it was hard to tell.

"Oh, uh, yeah," Alphamon responded, looking forwards again.

OuRyuumon's gaze lingered on him. "You okay, Alphamon?" he asked him.

Alphamon nodded. "We should descend now. It's only a few blocks until we reach the smithy," he told him evasively. He began to angle his body forwards and tilt his wings backwards to dip down in his flight.

OuRyuumon followed after him, flying down towards the streets.

There were fewer Digimon around their destination than there were where they first arrived. North of the river wasn't as commercial and busy as south of it was.

They flew over the roofs of a few shops before gently landing on the street. The two looked over to the corner of the street, where there was a stone building with a wide, smoking chimney. There was a small yard in front of the forge. From there, they could hear the sound of metal clashing against metal. It was a familiar sound to both of them.

OuRyuumon began to walk towards the building, followed by Alphamon. The nostalgic, pungent smell of smoke and metal teased his nostrils, and as he grew close to the building, the warmth of the forge washed over him. OuRyuumon walked into the yard, passing by a long, sturdy table with various blacksmith's tools – tongs, fullers, chisels, hand hammers - scattered across it. He walked to the wide, open door of the forge and knocked firmly.

"Just a minute!" a deep, bass voice with a growly tinge called back.

OuRyuumon and Alphamon waited at the door and looked in. The forge was filled with more tools, a long, metal table, an anvil, and a big, smouldering hearth. The walls displayed a multitude of finely-crafted weapons and suits of armour to show off the blacksmith's craftsmanship. A large, muscular, grey dinosaur stood at the other side of the forge with his back to them. His back was broad and had green plates running down his spine to his thick tail. He manoeuvred his long arms carefully, clutching a glowing, red-hot sword in his claws. He dipped the new, tempered blade into a long quench tank, which released a surge of hissing steam as soon as the hot metal touched the water.

The MasterTyrannomon let go of the sword so that it could cool in the water. "Okay, coming," he said, turning around to reveal a heavy, leather, heat-resistant apron over the front of his body. Upon seeing who it was, the dinosaur Digimon's eyes lit up with surprise and joy. "OuRyuumon!"

OuRyuumon smiled sheepishly and walked inside the forge as his adoptive father hurried over. "Hey, da- AH!" He released a yell of surprise as his dad pulled him into a big, warm hug.

Alphamon grinned as MasterTyrannomon squeezed OuRyuumon's thin body, and watched the dragon return the hug.

"Alphamon, you're here too!" the blacksmith said, grinning widely and letting go of OuRyuumon to walk over and give Alphamon a big hug as well.

Alphamon managed a chuckle as he returned the hug lightly. He and OuRyuumon had been so close throughout their childhoods that OuRyuumon's parents were kind of like an uncle and aunt to him. "Hello, Sir."

"Now, now, I should be calling you that," he told him with a grin. MasterTyrannomon stepped away and looked at the two of them. "This is a surprise! What brings you two here? If I had known, I would have told your mom, OuRyuumon."

"We're here on business. It was a bit short notice," Alphamon said with a smile. "But we didn't want to come to New Terminal without visiting. We're going to my parents' next."

"They'll be happy to see you," MasterTyrannomon said. "But what are your guys' plans? What sorta business?"

"We're meeting with the Council of Seven around sunset," Alphamon told him. "Then we're going to find a place to spend the night."

MasterTyrannomon laughed. "Don't be stupid! You can stay at our place!"

"We didn't want to presume… Besides, there's only one free bedroom, isn't there?" Alphamon said sheepishly.

"That's never stopped you two before," he answered.

Alphamon and OuRyuumon exchanged embarrassed, awkward glances. "What?" OuRyuumon asked lamely as his face began to heat up.

"Sleepovers?" his dad asked innocuously. "You had those all the time as kids."

"Oh…" OuRyuumon said, relaxing a bit.

MasterTyrannomon smirked and turned away, going to tidy his table. "So, how about it?" he asked them.

"Thank you for the offer, but my parents will probably want to have me around. It's been awhile since I last visited," Alphamon told him politely.

The dinosaur blacksmith chuckled. "Okay, but you're coming over for a barbeque lunch tomorrow. And that's non-negotiable, okay?" he told him, looking over his shoulder with a grin.

Alphamon smiled with resignation. "I'd love to."

"Good! So, have you been looking after my son, here?" MasterTyrannomon asked him, smiling as he took the cooled sword out of the trough and placed it on the nearby table.

OuRyuumon folded his arms. "Dad, I can look after myself…" he told him.

"Yeah, but Alphamon does a better job of it!" MasterTyrannomon told him with a hearty laugh. "The only reason I let you go adventuring was because I knew he was going with you. Otherwise, you'd be my mouthy assistant right now. Scratch that – my mouthy, useless assistant; you'd probably still be practicing with swords instead of helping me make them."

Alphamon managed a soft chuckle. "I've done my best, under the circumstances," he said, turning his head and giving OuRyuumon a playful look. He looked back at the blacksmith. "To be honest, he's matured a lot over these last couple years."

OuRyuumon rolled his eyes but smiled. "Thanks, I guess…"

Alphamon shot him a smirk. "I think the Order's been good for him."

"I've noticed a general improvement too," MasterTyrannomon agreed. "But I think it's been because of the company that he keeps, rather than the Order itself," he added with a knowing smile.

"You guys make it sound like I was a delinquent," OuRyuumon indignantly muttered.

Alphamon grinned. "You had your moments." He turned back to MasterTyrannomon. "Anyway, we'll let you get on with your work. You're busy."

MasterTyrannomon nodded. "Okay, but will you two come by the house later? I'm sure your mom will want to see you, OuRyuumon."

Before OuRyuumon could reply, Alphamon spoke up. "OuRyuumon will, and I'll try to if I have time to spare. If not, I'll definitely be there tomorrow. You have my word as a Royal Knight on that," he assured him.

The dinosaur Digimon let out a laugh. "Okay, well when you put it like that!" he chuckled.

OuRyuumon gave Alphamon a curious look. He looked back at his father. "Okay, later, Dad," he told him. "I'll see you in a couple of hours."

"Bye, son. Bye, Alphamon," the MasterTyrannomon said to them as he took the sword in his claws.

"Bye, Sir," Alphamon responded, nodding and walking out of the forge.

OuRyuumon turned and followed him out. Once they stepped out of the forge yard, the two Digimon began to walk down the street towards Alphamon's parents' house, which was only a few blocks away.

The dragon Digimon turned his head and looked at Alphamon. "So, you said that you might be busy this afternoon. With what?" he asked him.

"It's nothing, OuRyuumon," Alphamon responded, subtly increasing the length of his strides.

OuRyuumon folded his arms and looked at Alphamon with a flat stare. "It's _something_. This is me you're talking to. You can tell me."

Alphamon glanced away. "I know I can. I'd just rather not right now. That's all," he informed him.

The gold ryu frowned and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, okay…"

The black armoured Royal Knight paused. "…I'll tell you later, OuRyuumon," he told him, more conciliatingly. "I'm just trying to get my head around it right now."

OuRyuumon felt a flutter of hope inside of him. "Okay, sure," he responded, not wanting to push him.

The two walked together quietly as they turned the corner and headed into a residential area. The houses ranged from small to large, based on the needs of the occupants. However, no matter the size, they all had a pleasant, easeful feel to them. Many of the houses had warm, vibrant gardens, and a couple even had swimming pools.

"I guess this place hasn't changed much," OuRyuumon observed, looking around the streets with a nostalgic smile.

Alphamon nodded. "It feels like ages since we've been back here… and cycles since we were kids and you were sneaking into Mister Anomalocarimon's pool," he replied with a slight smile.

OuRyuumon grinned. "Hey, you didn't stop me."

"I was never able to."

The two chuckled and turned down the next corner. When they did, Alphamon gazed at the third house down from the corner. That was his house. There was plenty of space between each of the houses, so they weren't cramped together. It was a relatively large house with a big backyard, which made it accommodating for larger Digimon.

Alphamon approached the familiar house and walked up to the tall, broad, front door. He raised his hand and rapped his knuckles firmly on the reinforced wood.

After a few moments, the door opened and a tall, orange dragon man stood in the door. He looked very much like a WarGreymon, but he was clad in thick, pointed armour that was different from the armour that regular WarGreymons wore. There were several glowing points on his armour. This was because he contained the X-Antibody.

Upon seeing Alphamon in front of him, the WarGreymon X-Antibody grinned broadly. "Look who's home," he stated in a voice that understated his excitement. He took a step forwards and pulled Alphamon into a hug.

Alphamon smiled and returned the embrace. "Hey, Dad."

WarGreymon X-Antibody patted Alphamon's winged back and then released him. He turned to OuRyuumon, who was standing behind Alphamon, and went over to hug him as well. "Good to see you too, OuRyuumon."

OuRyuumon's cheeks tinted a bit and he hugged him back. "Thanks, Mister WarGreymon."

WarGreymon X-Antibody grinned and turned around. "Honey! Alphamon and OuRyuumon are visiting!" he called inside.

After a few seconds, a second figure emerged. It was a wolf that was clad in blue, purple, and gold armour. Unlike regular MetalGarurumon, she stood on two legs instead of four and wore more futuristic armour. She smiled and went to hug both of the visiting Digimon at once.

"Hi, Mom," Alphamon said to MetalGarurumon X-Antibody, returning the hug.

"Hey, Misses MetalGarurumon," OuRyuumon said as well.

"Hey, you two," she said to them warmly, releasing the pair.

WarGreymon X-Antibody ushered them inside and closed the door. "What brings you guys here?" he asked them.

"Business," MetalGarurumon X-Antibody answered her husband before Alphamon could get a chance to.

"How did you guess?" Alphamon asked sheepishly.

"I _am_ a bookkeeper for the Council. I saw that there was a meeting penned for either today or tomorrow," she responded matter-of-factly.

Alphamon smiled. "Not a lot gets past you, Mom," he said to her. "We did want to visit while we were here, though."

WarGreymon X-Antibody folded his arms. "Well, we're glad to see you, whatever the reason. How's everything been going at the Order?" he asked them.

"Busy," Alphamon told him.

"Is it ever not?" he asked with a small grin. "Busy with what?"

"Don't be nosy, WarGreymon," MetalGarurumon X-Antibody told her husband. "You know it's probably confidential information."

"Come on. Not even a hint?" WarGreymon X-Antibody urged.

Alphamon smiled slightly. It was typical of his father. "I'll just say this. We're trying to diffuse tensions…"

"…Can I get another hint?" he asked.

"Ignore him, Alphamon," his mother told him. "Did you come with anybody else?"

The Royal Knight nodded. "Dynasmon and UlforceVeedramon, and one of the soldiers from the Strike Forces," he responded.

"Will you all need somewhere to stay?" she questioned.

Alphamon shook his head. "Paildramon has a home here and the rest of us can always sleep in an inn."

WarGreymon X-Antibody stepped forwards. "There's plenty of room. Besides, we don't get to see you much lately."

Alphamon rubbed the back of his neck guiltily. "Well, if you put it like that…" he forfeited.

"I already told my parents that I'd stay at home," OuRyuumon told them. "Thanks for the offer though."

MetalGarurumon X-Antibody nodded. "Why don't you two relax in the backyard and I'll brew up some tea?" she suggested.

"Alright. Thanks, Mom," Alphamon said to her. "I could use some tea."

"Yeah, thanks," OuRyuumon added, beginning to head through the house to the backyard.

She nodded and headed to the kitchen. "What sort of tea would you both like?"

Alphamon looked at OuRyuumon. "Red?"

OuRyuumon nodded. "Red."

"I'll help," Alphamon's father said as he followed in after her.

That left Alphamon and OuRyuumon to walk out into the backyard alone. The backyard was spacious and covered with rich, vibrant grass. However, it was fairly vacant except for a few chairs around a table, and a curved, stone bench that sat in front of a small pond. The pond was tranquil and contained some colourful, exotic flora, as well as a few fish swimming around in it.

However, the beauty of the pond was somewhat overshadowed by the picturesque background. There was a great view of the Argent Mountains. While they were small mountains – only a couple kilometers high – there were a few of them and they made for a beautiful, scenic view. They stood against the backdrop of the pale azure sky, dotted with a few clouds. The majestic peaks were green and brown, and they were gradual enough in their steepness to allow for walking trails.

The mountains were, in fact, well-travelled as one of the mountains was a pilgrimage site. The very end of one of the World Tree's three roots extended out of the side of one of the thick, stone peaks. The long, serpentine root coiled around the rock before curving and reaching its wooden tendril into the sky. It was the same root that passed through the Chasm of Creation, stretching all the way from the World Tree further north. The peak in question was called Yggdrasil's Mount. However, recently it began to be colloquially known as the Wise One's Peak. If one were to walk up the mountains, they'd be able to look over the whole of New Terminal. The mountains stood sentinel over the outskirts of New Terminal and provided the city with a bountiful amount of minerals and water.

Alphamon took a seat on the stone bench and leaned back against the backrest. OuRyuumon sat beside him but made sure not to sit too close.

The black Royal Knight gazed at the pond in front of them, watching as three fishes swam around energetically.

OuRyuumon grinned as his violet eyes rested on the tranquil water as well. "I see that Phi, Chi, and Psi are as energetic as ever," he observed, watching the fish in question swim around.

"Yes…" Alphamon responded, smiling a bit. However, the smile disappeared and his eyes turned up to look at the distant mountain. He leered at the giant, natural landmark, and grew deep in thought.

The gold dragon turned his head and looked at the Royal Knight. "Hey, remember when I fell in the pond while trying to feed them? Then I accidentally pulled you in when you tried to fish me out?" he said with a laugh.

Alphamon turned towards him and chuckled, as if welcoming the distraction. "You were moving around too much," he remembered.

"It seems so long ago. We were only Champion levels at that point. Damn, how old are those fish?" OuRyuumon asked with a smile.

"They're a very long-lived species. Wind-tails," Alphamon told him.

OuRyuumon leaned his long, serpentine back against the stone backrest and relaxed his posture, coiling up slightly on the bench. "Oh… But we have a lot of good memories here, right?" he asked his friend.

Alphamon smiled and nodded. "Yes, we do…" His crimson eyes turned down to the pond in front of them, which still managed to reflect the distant mountain in it. "I'm glad that I have a great friend that I can share them with…"

OuRyuumon turned his head to look at Alphamon, his heart warm and fluttering at this words. His eyes rested on Alphamon's face. The Royal Knights eyes stared down thoughtfully. The strength and serenity of Alphamon's eyes always made OuRyuumon feel at ease. He could tell from looking at them that Alphamon was always thinking. This stood in contrast to OuRyuumon, who was a Digimon of action. OuRyuumon felt obligated to make the first move, knowing that Alphamon was likely overthinking his feelings.

Alphamon, as the leader of the Royal Knights, had to be decisive. However, over the past several months, he had become more cautious, and less willing to make the first move in discussions and even sparring. OuRyuumon knew that it had to do with what happened with DarkKnightmon and Omegamon. Alphamon felt like he had acted too rashly in regards to both of them. It ended up with Omegamon being turned against him, and DarkKnightmon nearly killing people that he cared about. In the end, Alphamon was forced to kill DarkKnightmon, and there had been something different about Alphamon ever since.

OuRyuumon knew that the guilt was still there. It was a large reason of what kept him from being more aggressive in trying to rekindle his relationship with Alphamon. He wanted to take things slowly for Alphamon's sake. He didn't want to rush him back into it while they were on their break. For awhile, he was content to just be Alphamon's best friend. However, it made him happy to know that they could still talk casually and reminisce like this. There was no air of tension anymore. It was far different from the first month after their argument and break up. After DarkKnightmon's defeat, they had been on good terms, but there were still a few unspoken words between them that sometimes caused an atmosphere.

The Captain of the Strike Forces was relieved and happy. Everything felt just like it used to now. He gazed longingly at Alphamon, his emotions urged on by the nostalgia of the setting. The mood felt right, and the atmosphere felt right. He felt like this was the time to act.

The golden ryu sat up straighter on the bench. He moved his arm down and gently put his gloved claws on top of Alphamon's hand, which pressed against the smooth, flat face of the bench. He softly pressed the palm of his hand against the back of Alphamon's hand.

Alphamon was immediately pulled out of his thoughts and his eyes widened with shock. He turned his head and looked down to see OuRyuumon's hand on top of his own. He turned his head up to look at OuRyuumon with stunned, questioning eyes. "OuRyuumon…?"

OuRyuumon looked at him with a warm smile. "It feels right, doesn't it?" he asked him.

"What…?" Alphamon responded, stunned by the action.

"You and me," OuRyuumon told him, squeezing Alphamon's hand as he moved a bit closer to him. "Back together like this… I like us being able to relax together like this."

Alphamon's face heated up and his eyes stared at OuRyuumon with shock and confusion at the seemingly abrupt action. On instinct, he slid his hand out from under OuRyuumon's and pulled it away. He stood to his feet to put distance between himself and OuRyuumon. Contrary to what OuRyuumon thought, their relationship was the last thing on Alphamon's mind at the moment. In fact, his mind was somewhere else, and he had been taken completely off guard by OuRyuumon's actions. He was not in the right frame of mind to reciprocate or even think about the issue. "O-OuRyuumon…" he spoke in a breath. "I don't…"

OuRyuumon's eyes widened with alarm at Alphamon's sudden and unexpected rebuff. He didn't understand. Alphamon seemed so receptive just a minute ago. Fear and horror started to flood through him. He felt his heart beginning to sink down his long body. "Wait… I thought… You were…" he stammered.

The Royal Knight grimaced and looked at OuRyuumon. "I'm… sorry, OuRyuumon. I don't know what you thought, but I don't think this is a good idea right now. I… I really can't be dealing with this at the moment. I have a lot of things—"

OuRyuumon's gold and brown face turned bright red with embarrassment and mortification. "I-I get it," he said hurriedly, immediately springing to his feet and turning away with a bitter expression. "Sorry. I guess I misread the signals. I just thought that… Ugh, fuck!"

Alphamon's eyes softened when he saw OuRyuumon's humiliated, agitated, and insecure body language. He saw the dragon readying his wings as he started to walk away from Alphamon, making no sign of turning back. Pangs of guilt began to assault Alphamon's heart. "OuRyuumon, wait…"

"Forget it," OuRyuumon responded, continuing to walk away and beginning to head around the house. "Just forget that this ever happened. I've got a lot of stuff to do too."

Alphamon half-heartedly made to go after him. "OuRyuumon…"

"I'll meet you later, I guess," OuRyuumon told him in a curt, deflated voice. There was a sneer on his face as he crouched down and lunged into the air. He flapped his metal wings and began flying away before Alphamon could stop him.

The Lord of the Empty Seat watched sadly as OuRyuumon flew into the air and disappeared behind the roofs of the houses. He brought his hand to his face and rubbed his forehead with his fingers. "Damn it…" he whispered with frustration. Alphamon knew that going after him wasn't a good idea in their states.

The sound of the backdoor opening behind Alphamon prompted him to glance over his shoulder.

WarGreymon X-Antibody walked out with a tray of two cups of tea, biscuits, cream and sugar. He headed towards the table but stopped abruptly when he couldn't see OuRyuumon anywhere in sight. "Alphamon? Where did OuRyuumon go?" he asked him, looking over at his son.

"He remembered that had to be somewhere…" Alphamon responded, turning around to face him, although his eyes lingered on the ground.

WarGreymon X-Antibody wasn't entirely convinced. "Did something happen?" he asked him.

Alphamon shook his head. He looked over his shoulder and stared up at the Argent Mountains. "Actually… there's something I need to do as well," he told his father as he gazed at the rocky peaks. "Sorry to leave suddenly, but I'll be back in a few hours. I just feel that I need to get it over with…"

The dragon man frowned and placed the tray of tea on the nearby table. "Well… Alright. I trust your judgment," he told him. "Although, at least have your tea first."

Alphamon turned his head and opened his mouth, beginning to decline. However, he stopped himself and decided that it would be impolite, and that he also needed the tea to calm his nerves. "Very well…" he complied, walking over and sitting down at the deck table with a soft sigh.

"Are you sure everything's alright, Alphamon?" WarGreymon X-Antibody asked him.

Alphamon closed his eyes and took the steaming cup of red tea in his hand. "It will be…" he responded, opening his eyes and gazing down into the red liquid. "I hope."


	10. Chapter 8 Part 2: The Aloof Hermit

(Author's Notes: Part 2 of the ridiculously long chapter. Would have added one more scene taking place the nexy day, but it was already so long and it wouldn't have added anything to the plot. Enjoy!)

**Chapter 8 (Part II): The Aloof Hermit**

Paildramon walked down a wide, cobblestone street. Unlike many of the other streets in New Terminal, this one was fairly quiet. This was because it was located in the wealthiest borough of the city, near the financial district. It was in flying distance from the council building and it was positioned close to the New Terminal military base in order to deter crime and loitering.

On each side of the street were massive mansions, many with gated-off yards. Affluent Digimon resided in these large, luxurious houses - mostly aristocrats, politicians, commanders, and wealthy bankers or businesspeople. At first glance, the whole area was tranquil and scenic, but really, the financial district and military base were a few blocks away, so there was a constant amount of Digimon going back and forth not far off. Flying Digimon often passed over in the sky above.

Paildramon turned and walked towards one of the mansions. The two-storey mansion in question was quite big and it had a pair of tall, wide, front doors, which showed that it belonged to a large Digimon. It did not have a front yard. It only had a stone pathway of several meters leading up to the entrance. She walked up the path and stopped in front of the doors. The dragon woman Digimon raised her hand and rapped a metal, dragon-head door knocker to announce her presence.

After about half a minute, she could hear shuffling on the other side of the doors. A Digimon looked through the peep hole at her before unlocking the doors and opening them. The doors swung open to reveal a tall, hardy, red dinosaur who was dressed in a formal suit. The Tyrannomon smiled, showing off rows of straight, shining teeth.

"Lady Paildramon," he said, walking forwards and giving her a brief hug.

Paildramon smiled and returned it lightly before letting go. "You know I don't like titles, Tyrannomon," she said to him. "Besides, I'm not sure you can be that formal while hugging me."

Tyrannomon chuckled and turned to the side to allow her to walk in. "I'm sorry. It's been so long since you transferred to the Royal Knights'. I've missed having you visit."

The two of them walked inside. The entrance hall was layered with teal-hued, marble tiles. Like the front doors, everything in the house was spacious. Given her father's species, it needed to accommodate the size of an Imperialdramon Dragon Mode. This included the staircase that stood opposite the entrance hall. The stairs were wide and they led up from the entrance hall in a straight line until it split horizontally in separate directions in a sort of T-shape. The spacious steps were garnished with a long, red carpet for decoration.

Over to the right was the living room, which contained a large, soft couch, several seats, and a coffee table.

"I've missed you too. Are my brother and father home?" she asked him.

The dinosaur butler nodded. "Master ExVeemon is upstairs and Councillor Imperialdramon is in his study. Shall I fetch them?"

"No, it's fine. I can—" Paildramon began to say. However her voice was drowned out by a youthful male one that rang out from the top of the stairs.

"Sis!" a teenage dragon called out.

Paildramon looked up to see the form of a blue and white dragon man on the landing of the stairs, where the staircase diverged into two parts. The dragon leapt onto the banister and slid down its length, using his white wings and long tail for balance. As soon as he reached the bottom, he leapt off boastfully and flipped in front of Paildramon and Tyrannomon.

"That's dangerous," the butler said with a sigh.

ExVeemon grinned and hugged Paildramon tightly. "You're back!"

Paildramon smiled warmly and embraced her younger brother. "ExVeemon. How are you?"

The younger dragon let go and put his hands behind his head with a grin. "Pretty awesome. I got a new girlfriend. What are you doing here?" he inquired.

"I'm here with some of the Royal Knights," she explained. "They're having a meeting with the Council and I'm apparently here to make Dad more agreeable. Not that I've ever managed to do that in the past," she added with a playful smile.

ExVeemon chuckled. "Hey, you don't have to live with him," he said to her. "He doesn't let Tyrannomon clean my room for me. I need to learn responsibility by making my bed, apparently."

"To be fair, your room is a war zone," Paildramon told him.

Tyrannomon smirked. "She's not wrong, Master…" he chimed as he walked off.

Paildramon's smile weakened. "ExVeemon… Father isn't still pressuring you to join the army, is he?" she asked him.

ExVeemon shook his head and smiled sheepishly. "I think he's given up on that… He at least doesn't mention it anymore. Now it's all "School!" and "Chores!" He'll probably want me to get a government job eventually."

Paildramon frowned. "Do you think? Since I enlisted in the military so that you wouldn't have to?" she asked him.

"Nah, I'm just talkin'," ExVeemon said with a smile. "We both know you're better suited for the military than I ever was. You're the badass between the two of us."

Paildramon smirked and ruffled her brother's head. "If you say so. It's just a pity our dad doesn't think so," she said, although with a faint sigh on her voice. "He was adamant that you join the military and that I didn't."

"Yeeeaah…" the younger dragon admitted.

"He doesn't think that I can handle myself, and that I'm better suited behind a desk," she said with touch of indignation.

ExVeedramon shrugged. "You know how he is. He's stubborn. He'll probably change his mind when he sees you rise through the ranks of the Royal Knights' Order."

Paildramon sighed. "Perhaps. Anyways, I don't mind just as long as you're off the hook. Can you handle him if he starts on about all that again?" she asked him.

"I don't think he will, but yeah, I can," ExVeemon reassured her. "You just worry about all the Royal Knight stuff you get up to."

She gave him a wry smile. "It isn't as exciting as you probably think," she told him.

"Paildramon?" a deep, gruff, male voice spoke from the living room.

Councillor Imperialdramon Dragon Mode walked over with heavy footsteps. His large draconic form walked out of the living room and onto the marble floor of the entrance hall. He stopped in front of them and looked down at her. "I wasn't expecting this…" he rumbled, raising his a front claw to pull her into a gentle hug.

Paildramon raised her arms to return it, but instead settled for placing her hands on his shoulders. "Father…"

"Are you on leave?" he asked her.

"I'm here with Alphamon and some of the Royal Knights," she explained. "I believe you're due for a meeting with them later today?"

Imperialdramon nodded. "I've been told." He turned to ExVeemon. "Excuse us, ExVeemon."

"But I want to talk to Paildramon," he protested, folding his arms.

"You can talk to her after. Don't you have work to do for school?" his father said to him.

ExVeemon rolled his eyes and trudged back up the stairs.

Councillor Imperialdramon sighed and shook his head. "So, how have you been? Are they treating you well?" he asked her.

"I've been good, thanks. And they have been treating me no different than any of the other members of the Order," she responded. "At least, except for this instance."

"So, diplomatic missions aren't typical for you?" he asked her.

"I'm part of the Strike Forces, so not especially," she explained. "It's just because I'm from New Terminal and I'm well-acquainted with the workings of the Council."

The councillor nodded, though his scaly brows furrowed also. "Do you know what they want?"

Paildramon shook her head. "It seems important, though. Whatever it is, I think you should hear them out."

"I was planning to," Imperialdramon answered. "I'm an open-minded Digimon."

Disbelievingly, Paildramon raised an eyebrow, but she decided not to press the issue. "I'm under the impression that the Council of Seven isn't exactly inclined in favour of the Royal Knights."

Councillor Imperialdramon walked over to the living room, prompting Paildramon to follow. "Alphamon and DORUgoramon have some sort of rivalry, and a few of us aren't fond of their protectionist economic policy, but we respect their opinions when it comes to net security. I don't think you have to worry about that."

"I hope not," Paildramon answered. She smiled a bit at him. "I wouldn't want it to be known that I have an inflexible father…"

Imperialdramon Dragon Mode looked at her blandly. "…I'll do what I can," he said with a sigh. "Keep in mind, I can't promise anything, and I'm only one vote out of the seven."

"I understand," she assured him. "I know how it works."

The councillor smiled a bit and nodded. "You could have made a fine councillor one day, you know. You have just the maturity and level-head needed."

"Let's not get into hypotheticals…" she dissuaded him.

He grinned. "Afraid I'll make you reconsider? …No, despite how different you two are, you get your stubbornness from your mother."

"I'd say I take it from both sides," she corrected teasingly.

"Perhaps…" he said. He grew thoughtful. "Have you seen her at all these past several months?"

Paildramon shook her head. "I've been busy. So has she, most likely. You know how she is: always on the go."

Her father nodded his head quietly. "Well… I have some paperwork that I need to get done before the meeting. You're free to stay here, you know."

Paildramon nodded. "Thank you, Father. I'll do that," she told him.

Councillor Imperialdramon turned around and began to plod through the house, back towards his study.

The dragon soldier turned and began heading in the opposite direction. She decided that she'd stay there until the meeting time and would go up ahead of her father. Paildramon vaguely wondered what the Digimon who she came with would do to pass the time…

* * *

MasterTyrannomon popped the bones in his neck as he walked down the sidewalk towards his house. It was only a few blocks away from his smithy. He approached a house that was about as large as Alphamons' parents' home, but it had less of a front and backyard.

The blacksmith pulled off his heavy, fireproof apron and slung it over his shoulder. He stepped up to the house and opened the front door.

"I'm home, hun! Sorry I'm late!" he called into the house.

"Good, Ty. You're back," a smooth, female voice said.

As MasterTyrannomon hung up his apron, a Digimon floated out into the vestibule. She had a long, serpentine body with silky, azure scales. Her yellow-helmeted head observed the dinosaur Digimon. OuRyuumon's adoptive Seadramon mother wrapped around her husband once and gently hugged him before letting go.

"Can you do something about our son?" she asked him with a sigh.

"Huh?" he inquired, blinking. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's been in one of his moods ever since he showed up," Seadramon explained.

MasterTyrannomon frowned. "He seemed fine when he came by the smithy," he noted. "Is Alphamon here?"

"Alphamon? No... OuRyuumon's in the backyard training with his swords. Or venting, more like. Can you go out and talk to him?" she asked.

"Couldn't you?" he responded with a grin.

Seadramon rolled her eyes. "You're better at dealing with him when he's in one of his moods. Whenever I try, we usually end up arguing."

"That's because he gets his temper from you," he teased her, although hugging her neck.

"Don't test me, Ty," she told him.

"See?" He chuckled and let go, walking by her. MasterTyrannomon walked through the house and poked his large head through the backdoor.

In the backyard was OuRyuumon. He held his Gairyu scimitars loosely in his clawed hands. They sliced through the air in front of him with smooth, dexterous, yet passionate strokes. He slashed downwards and then twisted his long body to spin around and carve diagonally.

His father watched as he continued to practice his form, footwork, and swordsmanship.

"It's like an art form, isn't it?" MasterTyrannomon said aloud as he stepped into the backyard.

This prompted OuRyuumon to stop after his next swing and glance over his shoulder.

"For me, it's an art to make them, and for you, it's an art to use 'em," the dinosaur blacksmith observed.

OuRyuumon sighed and lowered his arms, sheathing his scimitars in his belt. "I guess so…"

MasterTyrannomon grinned and put his hands on his hips. "There was a lot of force behind those swings for just practice," he noted.

"It's how I usually do it," he responded dismissively.

"Is there anything wrong?" his father asked him.

"No," OuRyuumon said almost immediately.

MasterTyrannomon raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh…" he spoke in a sceptical voice.

After a few seconds of silence, OuRyuumon placed his claws back on the hilts of his swords. "D'you mind, Dad? I want to practice."

"Weren't you with Alphamon before?" MasterTyrannomon pointed out with a slight grin. "Where'd he go?"

"He had somewhere he needed to be," OuRyuumon muttered, his voice obviously downcast.

"Did you two have an argument?" he questioned.

"Not exactly." He then growled. "Look, Dad. I don't want to talk about it, okay? Just leave me alone for now," he told him, though it was clear he was trying to rein in his anger.

MasterTyrannomon began to turn around to head inside. However, he stopped and paused, thinking for a few moments.

"…Was it a lover's quarrel?" he asked suddenly.

OuRyuumon froze. He spun around and looked at his dad with shocked, violet eyes. "W-W-What?!" he demanded, fear and horror suddenly coursing through his body.

MasterTyrannomon turned to him fully and gave him a warm, reassuring smile.

The dragon's heart began to pump harder and blood started to pool beneath the scales of his face. "Y…You… know…?" he asked, realizing that it was pointless to deny it.

"Yeah… We know…" MasterTyrannomon told him. The big dinosaur walked over to OuRyuumon and gave him a warm hug. "We love you, OuRyuumon."

OuRyuumon grimaced and tentatively hugged him back. "…You sure?" he asked worriedly.

"Don't be stupid," MasterTyrannomon said with a chuckle. "You're our son. Doesn't matter if you're gay or not."

The gold dragon flushed hard. "…When did you find out? How did you? …Was it gossip?" he asked, letting go of his dad although he still couldn't bring himself to look him in the eyes.

"Come on. Give me some credit," MasterTyrannomon said, grinning. "It was a few years ago. We've known you and Alphamon since you were little kids. You grew up together. We noticed there was a change in the way you two acted around each other. …Like how you would often glance at him when you think nobody's looking," he said with a teasing chuckle.

"Dad!" OuRyuumon complained in embarrassment as he rubbed his heated face. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Your mom wanted to, but I thought it was best to let you tell us on your own terms," he explained.

OuRyuumon rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry… I only just told my friends last year. S'not exactly easy to do. I kept thinking of the worst scenarios… Alphamon did too."

MasterTyrannomon nodded and patted his shoulder. "We understand… You didn't have anything to worry about though…" he assured him. "So… Was it an argument between you and Alphamon?"

OuRyuumon paused. He then sighed and shook his head. "We split up last year during the whole thing with DarkKnightmon… Well, not exactly split up, but we decided to go on a break after we made up over a big argument we had…" he admitted, his narrow, violet eyes glancing to the side. "What happened today was just me doing something stupid, as usual…"

"Tell me about it," the blacksmith said to him.

"What's to tell?" OuRyuumon dismissively said. "I misread the signals and tried to get back together with Alphamon. He wasn't ready for it. He couldn't get away fast enough…"

MasterTyrannomon sighed. "Sorry… You know Alphamon, though. He likes to think about things before he makes a commitment. It's a consequence of having the fate of the world on your shoulders time and again. …Hell, even before he was a Royal Knight, he was like that."

"I dunno. I don't want to go into it, but he had a pretty good reason to want to break up with me," OuRyuumon countered, wincing guiltily.

"Like you've never done anything stupid before," MasterTyrannomon teased him, messing his purple hair up with his claws. "Alphamon's never been one to hold grudges, OuRyuumon. Just give him time and I'm sure he'll be ready for you again. I know patience isn't your strongest trait, but… try."

OuRyuumon sighed and nodded. "Yeah… Guess so…"

"Now come in for some emerald tea. It'll help you relax," MasterTyrannomon suggested.

The dragon nodded, albeit hesitantly. "I guess I should tell Mom while I'm at it, huh?"

"Probably a good idea," the dinosaur told him with a grin before walking in through the backdoor. "Don't want to run afoul of her."

"…Thanks, Dad," OuRyuumon's voice spoke up.

MasterTyrannomon stopped in the doorway and smiled over his shoulder at OuRyuumon. "Don't mention it," he assured him before disappearing inside the house.

After a few moments, OuRyuumon smiled faintly and followed him inside.

* * *

A few kilometers away, Alphamon flew through the cerulean New Terminal sky. The afternoon sun beat down on him. It caused his flowing, white and blue mantle to glow as it flapped against his winged back. The rays heated his blackish armour and caused the ebony and gold metal to shimmer resplendently.

He gazed at the Argent Mountains ahead of him. The Royal Knight soared outside of the edge of the city and began to ascend up the inclined peak of Yggdrasil's Mount.

The mountain was covered with grass, rock, dirt, and shrubbery, for the most part. The World Tree's root coiled once around the perimeter of the upper part of the mountain before it curved off, towards the sky. Along the sides of the several mountains were hiking trails which eventually led up to the peaks and plateaus of Yggdrasil's Mount. Traditionally, one was supposed to take these trails if they wanted to travel up the mountains, either for pilgrimage, exercise, or adventure. It wasn't an overly difficult trek, but it was time-consuming enough for Alphamon to choose to take the direct route over the scenic one.

The Royal Knight spread his wings as he arced upwards, flying up along the steep face of the peak. He soared high into the air and passed over the rocks and vegetation below. It wasn't long until he made it past a kilometer, and the air pressure began to change. The air was a bit cooler on the mountain, and the breeze blew down slightly from the apex that was another kilometer or so up.

However, Alphamon has a destination other than the mountain's summit. There was a reason why this mountain was known as the Wise One's Peak. There was a sage – a hermit – who lived in a hut high up on the cliffs of the mount. He lived in recluse, but he often received customers who would visit for advice or fortunes in exchange for money, so he was like an oracle in that regard. He also had a small inventory of materia medica – mostly herbal remedies and potions. He was a Digimon shrouded in mystery to most, and some people would travel up the mountain just to say they saw him.

However, Alphamon knew his true identity.

The black-armoured Royal Knight continued to fly up a steep cliff. It was above the point that the World Tree's root emerged from inside the mountain and constricted around it: fairly high up on the mount. Once he scaled the cliff, he stopped his ascent and flew forwards and touched down gently on solid, sturdy grass and rock.

Alphamon was on a wide plateau that was carved into the side of the mountain, about three-fifths of the way to the top. The plateau was flat and covered with shrubs, grass, flowers, and rocks. Over to the left was a semi-travelled path that led up from lower on the mountain range. It was a small trail that branched off from the main one. To the right side of the plateau was a humble hut. It seemed to have several rooms judging from its size and composition. The hut had a beautiful view overlooking the entire city of New Terminal. The natural landscape, the low altitude clouds lying just overhead, and the sound of the Fountain River rushing down from another part of the mountain gave the whole area a serene, idyllic atmosphere.

The Lord of the Empty Seat stepped onto the dirt path and turned towards the hut. He stared at it and sighed.

"There's no turning back now, Alphamon," he whispered to himself.

He moved his legs and strode towards the hermitage with his cape flowing behind him in the mountain breeze. He approached the single-storey hut and knocked.

There was silence.

"…Enter," a voice as deep as his own finally answered from beyond the door.

Alphamon opened the door and walked inside. As he entered, he found that the front room was minimalist and austere. The floors and walls were wooden, and there were no windows to allow light to enter. Instead, the place was illuminated by a white, astral glow coming from the ceiling. It shifted and wavered, giving the abode an eerie, yet serene ambience. In the center of the room was a single table with two seats facing opposite the other. Behind it, on the opposite wall, were two doors that led elsewhere in the dwelling.

There were rows of shelves on the two side walls. On the nearest shelves, on the left side of the room, were potion bottles and cases of herbs, flowers, and spices of varying varieties. They all had price tags on them. On the far end of the room, on the right side, were shelves crammed full of countless books. They seemed to be the sage's personal collection. Around the room were several decorations and religious-looking curios. They added to the spiritual appearance of the place.

The Royal Knight looked to the opposite side of the room. Behind the glowing aureole was a humanoid Digimon who stood with the left side of his body facing Alphamon. The Digimon was clad in tight, pristine-white clothing from shoulder to toe. It was an image that seemed at odds with one's perception of a secluded hermit. Over the top part of his upper body, he wore a golden breast plate. More white cloth draped down around his hips from underneath this armour. It draped down to his knees, covering the backs of his legs but opening up at the front. This revealed two belts around his waist; they held up a gold loin guard and a white sash that hung down between his legs. A long white and blue cape, very similar to Alphamon's, draped down from the gold chest plate as well. It hung over his broad back, which contained four pairs of black wings sprouting out of his back. Over his foot, he wore a grey, knee-high, laced boot, and over his hand he garnished a white gauntlet.

He had a humanoid face with a tanned skin tone. Long, flowing, white hair swathed down his back, with a few bangs dangling down onto his face. Contrastingly, he had a thick, scraggly, black beard that covered his entire jaw line. This was where the humanoid aspects of his face ended. He had two pairs of long, pointed ears on each side of his head. Protruding from his head were five, crimson horns. One jutted out of his forehead, while the other four stuck out of the sides and back of his head. His red eye matched the colour of these horns.

That eye glanced towards Alphamon. "Alphamon…" he greeted, turning his body to face the Royal Knight fully.

As the Digimon turned towards Alphamon, the light illuminated the rest of his body. Anybody who wasn't expecting it would be horrified at the sight. The whole right half of his body was skeletal. His right arm, leg, and half his chest and face were made up of a petrifying, skeleton-like wood that seemed akin to bone. His right leg had a serrated, bonelike design. His right arm was similar except it was massive. It was the length of his whole body and it looked more like a spectral tree trunk. The giant forearm had a long, crimson spike running up to its elbow, and the arm had a hand enough to grab a whole Digimon. His right eye was gone, the socket hollow except for a faint, red glow from inside the dark hole.

"Bagramon," Alphamon answered back.

Bagramon looked at Alphamon quietly. "I'm a seer and even _I_ didn't expect to have the leader of the Royal Knights visit me today," he said to him.

"I'm… sure it must come as a surprise," Alphamon replied with uncharacteristic awkwardness.

Bagramon extended his long, demonic arm and ushered Alphamon to take a seat at the table in the middle of the room. As Alphamon began to walk over, the demon man looked at him pensively. "The Aloof Hermit meets with the Sage of Death, but who is who in this situation?" he asked him as the corners of his lips curved into a wry smile.

Alphamon winced faintly before managing a slight smile. "Neither of them are very flattering titles, are they…?" he spoke as he sat down across from Bagramon.

"I suppose every nickname has a reason," Bagramon admitted to him. He raised his left arm and gestured to the devastated right half of his body. "Besides… I can hardly hide from my past or the reason that I was given the name."

"I guess not…" Alphamon answered softly, staring down at his hands which rested on top of the table. "Even though he gave the name to me in jest, I suppose it stuck."

"Who?" the demon man Digimon asked.

Alphamon paused. "…DarkKnightmon," he said ruefully.

Bagramon closed his eye. "Oh… My brother…"

A silence overtook the hovel. For a few uncomfortable moments, the only sound that could be heard was the humming of the wisp of light on the ceiling.

Alphamon thought about what he wanted to say. However he found himself unable to find the right words. He came to that mountain hut for a reason, but he found his resolve lacking. He refused to leave and put the issue off any longer, remembering the trouble that occurred between himself and Omegamon the last time he did that. However, he stalled, just until he could find the courage and the words to do what he set out to do.

As the moments passed, Bagramon became painfully aware of the uneasy silence. "…Can I offer you some tea?" Bagramon asked him. He glanced over his shoulder, to the door behind him. "I have water boiling in the kitchen."

Alphamon contemplated his response. "…That would be great. Thank you," he answered, deciding that it might help him relax.

Bagramon nodded and stood to his feet. "I have a feeling I will need some as well," he mentioned, turning around and walking through the door from which the sound of boiling water came.

Alphamon closed his eyes as he waited. He felt faint twinges of guilt in his chest. Back when DarkKnightmon was part of the Royal Knights, he rarely ever spoke about his brother Bagramon. It was only during an uncommon moment of DarkKnightmon opening up about himself that Alphamon had learned of his existence. Alphamon and Bagramon had also later crossed paths during a fateful moment, and not under amiable circumstances. However, he felt that Bagramon had a right to know. It was just a matter of wording it the right way. However, Alphamon wasn't entirely sure that his syntax would make a difference, under the circumstances.

A few minutes passed and Bagramon returned with two cups of tea. He placed them on the table, side by side, signalling to Alphamon that he could take whichever one that he pleases. Alphamon thanked him and took one of the cups, raising it to his lips and giving it a small, cautious sip.

Bagramon picked up the remaining one with his left hand and took a sip from it as well. "My apologies. I'm out of sugar and I haven't gone down to New Terminal for groceries lately. I've been busy."

"It's fine," Alphamon responded before taking a fuller drink from the cup.

The sage nodded and held his steaming tea cup in front of him. "So… What brings you here, Alphamon?" he questioned.

Alphamon paused. "…Well…"

Bagramon closed his eye and took another drink. "Do I need to worry? Is there a platoon of Empyreal Host special forces waiting outside to finish me off?" he asked, a reserved levity in his deep voice.

"Do you think you still need to fear the Heavenly Choir and their military?" Alphamon asked him curiously, diverting the conversation for the time being. "The Heavenly War was decades ago."

"Well… I may have a personal bias, but I think I've been punished enough," he responded with a touch of dry humour as he gestured to the skeletal right half of his body. "Though, I suppose I was lucky when I consider how the Heavenly Choir handled some of the other rebels; I only lost _half_ of my body…"

Alphamon quietly took a sip from his cup of tea, his eyes gazing at Bagramon's.

Bagramon smiled. "I'm not blaming you, Alphamon," he assured him. "I know the Royal Knights were only involved in the fighting and the immediate aftermath of the civil war. Everything that happened afterwards was squarely due to the Heavenly Choir." He took a large gulp of his tea and leaned back in the seat, closing his eye. "Does the Choir still call it 'The Heretics' Rebellion'?"

"I believe so… Though the 'Heavenly War' is the generally accepted term for the rebellion," Alphamon responded diplomatically.

There was a soft scoff in Bagramon's throat. "You can see why their opinion of us rebels doesn't inspire confidence. We're the heretics who rebelled against God. …Though, to answer your question, I suppose if they wanted to finish me off or send me to the Dark Area with the Seven, they would have tried by now… However, the worry is always at the back of my mind," he admitted.

"Do you resent them?" Alphamon asked him.

Bagramon's gaze met with Alphamon's. "I'm much different now than I was… My younger self was impulsive, idealistic, impatient… I made a big mistake taking part in that rebellion against the Heavenly Choir. It was a foolish thing to do," he explained. "I don't believe that my reasoning was wrong, but I deeply regret the escalation and the outcome of the strife."

"The Night of Falling Stars…" Alphamon spoke, knowing what Bagramon was referring to.

Bagramon nodded. "After my punishment and exile, I decided to change. I… wanted to make amends within myself. So, I wandered the Digital World for a long time. It was partially to learn what I could, and partially to avoid further persecution from the Choir," the demon man informed. "I suppose I changed my way of thinking during that time. For the past several years, I've been trying to live in peace. I no longer live in resentment, but harmony and knowledge."

Alphamon nodded. "And the religious followings of the Heavenly Choir?" he asked him.

The fallen angel Digimon smiled. "I've made my peace, but their God is no longer my God," he responded. "Nor is He your deity, is He?"

Alphamon shook his head. "I follow Yggdrasil, although I still despair that you couldn't find peace with your faith," he told him kindly.

"There is no reason to despair for me, Alphamon," Bagramon told him in a calm, self-assured manner.

The Royal Knight's eyes tightened at those words. They brought the conversation back around to the topic that he had come to discuss.

He lowered his hands beneath the table and held the tea cup on his lap as he forced his gaze up from the table top and to Bagramon's face. "…When was the last time you spoke with DarkKnightmon?" Alphamon asked him heavily.

"Back when he was still one of the Royal Knights…" Bagramon responded. "Before the Heavenly War… Before his… banishment to the Dark Area."

Alphamon glanced down at the tea cup in his hand. "…I see."

"…He and I weren't on speaking terms," the fallen angel Digimon said plainly. "The last time we spoke, we had a massive argument."

A subtle grimace formed on Alphamon's face. "Did you…?" he asked, as if the comment even made things easier for him.

Bagramon glanced down at his original hand. "Yes… It was strange, but we both wanted the same thing, really. We both wanted to make the Digital World better… However, the way we went about it was different." He grinned wistfully. "…Or maybe not so different, after all."

Alphamon was silent. He allowed Bagramon to continue.

"I was wrapped up in my own life at the time. The new faith, the exodus of the believers to the Sky Colonies, the founding of the Heavenly Choir… That was _my_ vision for the future. That was how I thought the Digital World could be changed for the better, and my comrades agreed," Bagramon explained. "Your Order of the Royal Knights was fairly new at the time. He was excited about it. …DarkKnightmon didn't get excited about much, and he wouldn't show it easily, but I could tell from the way he talked. He really believed that you all, working together, could make a massive difference to the Digital World."

"…I know he did…" Alphamon responded with a bit of pain in his words.

"…However, our beliefs were incompatible to one another," Bagramon stated. "We both had grand plans and ideals. But he was the pragmatist and I was the idealist. He accused me of being naïve, brash, and being taken in by a cult of heretics. I accused him of being short-sighted, cynical, and clinging onto a stagnating world. Our words became heated... We said some things we couldn't take back. …That was the last time we spoke."

Alphamon stared down into his drink.

"Yet, it seems that we both revolted against the paths that we chose, in the end…" Bagramon said ironically. "I suppose we were both right about each other… It's funny how things turn out, isn't it, Alphamon?"

Alphamon lowered the tea cup and placed it gently down onto the table. "…He's dead."

Bagramon opened his mouth to respond, but suddenly stalled. The atmosphere of tension and discomfort between them grew dramatically. After a few moments of silence, he gently put his tea cup down on the table as well. "…I see…"

"…It was me who killed him," Alphamon said with a grimace.

"…So the rumour I heard was true," Bagramon spoke, closing his eye. "He escaped from the Dark Area and tried to overthrow you."

Alphamon nodded grimly. "Yes, he did… Did you hear about the World Tree?"

Bagramon nodded, although his features seemed heavy. "I knew that DarkKnightmon had been sent to the Dark Area after he rebelled the first time. Even though we weren't speaking, I knew he had been in the Royal Knights, so when he suddenly wasn't, I wanted to find out what happened." He raised his regular sized hand to stroke his beard. "I don't know how he could have escaped the Dark Area, so that's why I had trouble believing the rumour that I heard a few months ago while down in the city."

"I'm sure this is a lot to take in…" Alphamon said. "How do you feel…?"

Bagramon's remaining eyebrow lowered in thought. "I feel… at a loss," he admitted, lowering his hand and beginning to trace the rim of the saucer that the teacup was on. "I feel like I'm missing something now… however… I wept all I could for DarkKnightmon a long time ago. I think that he wept all that he could for me as well. Now, there are no more tears to be shed…" Bagramon looked up at Alphamon. "How do _you_ feel?"

Alphamon raised an eyebrow. "…Me?" he questioned.

"You didn't come here _just_ to tell me that DarkKnightmon has been deleted. You came here for something else, didn't you?" Bagramon asked him. "I'm the only family that DarkKnightmon had, so if you wanted either absolution or condemnation, then it would have to be from me…"

Alphamon winced subtly and glanced away. "I'm not that self-centered…" he retorted.

Bagramon looked at Alphamon. "I'm a sage. I like to think that I know a thing or two. …It's understandable that you feel guilty for killing him. He was your friend, after all, even though he turned against you. …I don't blame you for doing what you did. I'm sure that you were left with no other alternative, in the end."

"But still…" Alphamon whispered, more to himself than to the sage.

"Alphamon… You know as well as I do how stubborn DarkKnightmon could be. Once he decided that something was important to him, he was implacable in working for or towards it," he told him. "I don't know the circumstances or his reasons, but I know that he probably left you with no room to manoeuvre."

"I suppose not…" he said reluctantly.

Bagramon closed his eye once again. "It's sad…" he spoke regretfully. "I know how much he loved the Royal Knights. It's too bad that he couldn't be happy with the way things were. Although… I don't think that's to say that he didn't value you and the others." He opened his eye and gazed at Alphamon. "I like to think that, where he lost a brother in me, he found new brothers in you and the Royal Knights…"

Alphamon sat quietly, not responding to the words.

"I'm not sure that I can give you my forgiveness because it's not my place to forgive you. However, I understand the reason, and I don't blame you for it, Alphamon," Bagramon reassured him. "It's not me who is the issue, though… I think that _you_ need to forgive _yourself_."

"Perhaps…" Alphamon admitted.

Bagramon smiled a bit and stood to his feet. "It's up to you, Alphamon. The Aloof Hermit. Lord of the Empty Seat," he told him. "Perhaps this advice will help you, free of charge. …Live with DarkKnightmon's ideals in mind. Have a firm hand against the unjust and never shy away from upholding righteousness in the Digital World. Act with good conscience and be responsible for the innocent. That was what DarkKnightmon lived by, as you well know. You don't have to take it as far as he might have wanted to, but bear that in mind. Maybe in doing so, you can begin to alleviate your conscience."

Alphamon thought about it and stood to his feet. "I'll keep those words in mind, Bagramon. Even so, I'm still sorry that it had to come to that..."

Bagramon nodded. "Don't be. Thank you for making the journey up. I appreciate the effort."

"It was the least I could do," Alphamon responded. "Thank you for the tea."

"May you have strength and resolve in whatever trials you face in the near future," Bagramon told him.

Alphamon glanced at him and nodded as he turned towards the door. "I appreciate it."

"Goodbye, Alphamon," Bagramon spoke, gazing at Alphamon thoughtfully.

The black-armoured Royal Knight strode out of the hovel and closed the door behind him. He breathed in the fresh air and released a slow, calming exhale. The crisp mountain breeze seemed to energize him, and he stared up into the sky, appreciating the change in cloud colour as the sun began to make its descent towards the horizon.

He felt like a weight had been lifted off of his chest. That discussion was one that he needed to have. He had been thinking about it for months.

It helped him to put things into perspective, and, while the guilt wasn't entirely gone, he felt a lot better than he did before. He didn't forget about what had happened between him and OuRyuumon, but he felt like now he was in the right state of mind to be able to talk with him reasonably.

However, that would have to wait until after the meeting with the Council of Seven. With the sun beginning to set, he knew that the meeting would be starting shortly. He had to head directly there.

Alphamon walked across the verdant plateau and reached the edge of the cliff. He leapt off, vaulting into the sky, and spread his wings. He soared through the air, feeling lighter than before. Angling his wings, he swerved and made a direct route for the council building, which he headed towards at a steady descent.

He felt ready to throw himself back into the world of politics.

* * *

As dusk threatened to crawl over New Terminal, the group waited for Alphamon to arrive. UlforceVeedramon, Dynasmon, OuRyuumon, and Paildramon waited outside of the council building, standing in the courtyard beneath the massive statue of an Aegisdramon.

UlforceVeedramon folded his arms and scanned the horizon with his keen eyes. He drummed his fingers against his bicep impatiently. "We're going to be late for the meeting if Alphamon doesn't get here soon," he pointed out. He looked at OuRyuumon. "You don't know where he went?"

OuRyuumon rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He began to think that Alphamon wasn't showing up because of him. "Uh, no clue. Last I saw him, he was at his parents' house."

"Lucky guy," Dynasmon said. "He's probably getting fed delicious food right now."

UlforceVeedramon gave him a look. "We just ate, like, an hour ago…"

"Yeah, but—never mind, there's Alphamon," Dynasmon observed, nodding towards the dim orange sky, faintly illuminated by the sun behind the mountains.

The group looked over and saw Alphamon flying towards them with a faint glow against his back. Dynasmon waved him over, prompting Alphamon to descend.

The Lord of the Empty Seat flew down and landed in front of the front gate, allowing the guards to formally let him in so that they didn't get in trouble. He strode down the courtyard in front of the council building. His eyes glanced to OuRyuumon as he approached the group.

OuRyuumon looked at him but then turned his head away, though it seemed to be more out of embarrassment than anger.

"Hey, Alphamon," UlforceVeedramon greeted with a smile. "We were beginning to think you got attacked by fanboys."

"Sorry I'm late," he told them. "I had some business to attend to." He gave a momentary glance at OuRyuumon again. "Have you all been here long?"

Dynasmon shrugged. "Nah, not that long," he answered dismissively. "They're still probably getting ready for us in there, anyway."

"We should go in now," UlforceVeedramon remarked. "I don't like to keep people waiting."

Alphamon nodded. "I agree. It probably wouldn't do us any favours to keep them waiting," he concurred.

Paildramon turned to OuRyuumon. "Sir?" she asked him formally. "May I stay out here?"

OuRyuumon, although distracted with other things, pivoted his head to look at her. "Huh? Why?" he questioned.

"I'm only an over-sergeant. I'm not sure that I'd feel comfortable attending a high-level, confidential, diplomatic meeting, even if my father is one of the Councillors," she stated. "I've already talked to him, so I'm not sure that my presence would add anything else."

"Sure. I think I'll keep you company, come to think of it," OuRyuumon responded. He glanced over at Alphamon. "You don't mind, right?"

Alphamon frowned. "No, but don't feel like you have to," he assured him, trying to be as diplomatic and warm as possible.

OuRyuumon sighed and sat down on the nearby bench. "I don't. I just don't want to end up lashing out at DORUgoramon and screwing up negotiations. He winds me up sometimes," OuRyuumon answered, leaning back and glimpsing at the sky. "Besides, I want to think."

"If you're sure…" Alphamon conceded, although he felt uneasy about it.

"I am," OuRyuumon answered succinctly.

The Aloof Hermit decided to respect his wishes, albeit reluctantly. He knew that OuRyuumon was still thinking about what happened between them earlier. The old OuRyuumon would have made his feelings clear. However, OuRyuumon changed from the hot-tempered, impulsive Digimon that he once was. He wasn't completely different, but he was making more of an effort to be calmer and more agreeable. Alphamon had a feeling that this was one of the times that OuRyuumon was taking a step back and trying to keep his emotions under control.

"Alright. Let's go. See you soon, OuRyuumon, Paildramon," Alphamon said to them before heading towards the double-door entrance.

"Good luck," OuRyuumon told them.

"Councillor Okuwamon is susceptible to flattery," Paildramon added.

"Thank you," Alphamon responded, striding to the entrance with an impression of self-assurance that he lacked a few hours ago.

UlforceVeedramon and Dynasmon looked at each other and followed him. "Is there something going on?" UlforceVeedramon whispered to Dynasmon, gesturing with his head towards Alphamon, who was walking in front of them.

"Maybe. Both Alphamon and OuRyuumon have been acting different since we went off," Dynasmon responded quietly.

"What do you think it is?" the cobalt Royal Knight asked him.

"Beats me. I don't want to speculate," Dynasmon retorted, a bit louder.

"Shh. Speak quieter," UlforceVeedramon whispered harshly. "He'll hear you with those bunny ears of his."

"He's right, Dynasmon. These bunny ears can hear quite a lot," Alphamon spoke up in a dry voice, glancing over his shoulder to the two Royal Knights.

UlforceVeedramon laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his horned head.

Dynasmon chuckled and walked up beside Alphamon. "So, what's up?" he inquired amiably. Being as forthright as he was, Dynasmon preferred to ask Digimon things directly and personally.

"I'll tell you all after the meeting, I promise," Alphamon assured him. "I think we should focus on the task at hand right now."

UlforceVeedramon walked up to Alphamon's other side. "Did something happen?" he questioned.

"Not really. It's fine now. Mostly," the black knight insisted. "I'll sort the rest out later."

"If you're sure," the blue dragon knight responded as they stepped up to the building's entrance.

The guards opened the doors for the three Royal Knights and allowed them to walk into the lobby.

Inside was a pink, avian Digimon, who turned towards them as they entered. "Oh! Hello, Sirs," he chirped.

The trio turned towards the Piyomon. "Hello," Alphamon greeted in return.

"The Council of Seven is ready for you now. Please, follow me, if you don't mind," the Piyomon told them. "They're in the embassy room."

When they nodded, he started to flap his wings and fly leisurely towards the open door on the opposite side of the lobby.

Alphamon, Dynasmon, and UlforceVeedramon followed him down a very wide and tall hallway. Its marble floors were shimmering and pristine – so much that they reflected the light of the single chandelier hanging above the middle of the hallway. Apart from this, the hallway was minimalist and practical. The walls weren't gold-plated and there weren't lavish sculptures, paintings or designs. This might be because the Councillors weren't monarchs; they were temporary and they were elected, therefore, having an overly ostentatious building might be seen as wasteful of taxes. That said, the hallway leading up to the embassy room was still quite nice.

At the end of the hallway were two massive, double doors that were held wide open by a pair of guards. The Piyomon led the guests there and stopped at the entrance, flying in place

"Please, go in," he told them. "Would you like any refreshments?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Alphamon responded politely.

"Me neither," Dynasmon told him.

"Can I have some water so that I can spit-take at something outrageous?" UlforceVeedramon asked with a smile.

"Ulforce…" Alphamon said as he shot him a disapproving glance.

UlforceVeedramon grinned and shrugged. He stepped inside the embassy room, prompting his two friends to follow. The trio of Royal Knights walked in, ready to face the Council of Seven.

As they entered, they saw the familiar white glow of the room from light sources at each corner of the room, as well as the ceiling. The room was expansive, with plenty of room for even large Digimon to move around. This was because guests of all sizes could come to see the Council. In front of them, in the center of the room, was a long, rectangular table. The surfaces were pure white and glossy, and there were ornate designs along the rim and the legs. Rows of chairs – both big and small – were set up along the opposite lengths of the table so that the Council could face the guests that they were receiving.

The Council of Seven were waiting for them on the other side of the table. They were seated in no particular order other than the larger councillors sitting on the ends of the row. On the left end was the sizeable, draconic body of Councillor Imperialdramon: Dragon Mode. He sat with his forelegs resting on the wide table, his scarlet eyes watched as the Royal Knights approached after briefly looking around for his daughter.

To the right of him was a giant insect Digimon with a silver exoskeleton. He had four legs and a pair of arms on his body, all of which had sets of jagged claws at the end of them. Councillor Okuwamon had a fearsome face completely with jagged teeth and a pair of guillotine-like mandibles. He also had dark brown hair coming from the back of his head, as well as red markings all over his carapace. Despite having no eyes, he was able to watch the Royal Knights approach.

On the other side of Councillor Okuwamon was a beautiful, feminine, angel Digimon. She had eight feathery, white wings coming from her back. Long, blonde hair flower down her back from under the metal helmet that covered the top half of her face. She was dressed in asymmetrical clothing consisting of white stockings, belts, high heel boots, and a bodysuit around the waist. Councillor Angewomon also had a long, violet, holy sash resting loosely around her arms and shoulders.

The Councillor in the center of the table was Councillor DORUgoramon, who was fixated on Alphamon.

To DORUgoramon's right was Councillor Butenmon. He was a god man Digimon covered in the red armour of a samurai. The sophisticated set of armour consisted of a cuirass, spaulders, a horned kabuto helmet, and thigh and loin guards. As he came from an avian lineage, he also had a big set of broad wings coming from his back. The warrior rested his blue arms on the table and nodded quietly at the Royal Knights.

Dynasmon perked up when he saw the councillor who was beside the avian samurai. Councillor Rosemon was there, sitting next to him. Her slender body was clad in her usual scarlet bodysuit and her green cloak. She had long, blonde hair coming down from her rose-like head. She glanced briefly at Dynasmon before turning her head away disinterestedly.

Finally, at the right end of the table was a large sea serpent Digimon. Councillor MegaSeadramon had vibrant crimson scales as well as a white underbelly along his serpentine body. He had several flippers and athletic body muscles for aquatic movement. His head contained a gold helmet with a large, bolt-shaped blade protruding out of the forehead. Coming out from the back of that helmet was long, flowing hair that had the colour of algae.

Imperialdramon, Okuwamon, Angewomon, DORUgoramon, Butenmon, Rosemon, and MegaSeadramon made up the Council of Seven.

However, there was another Digimon in the room other than the guards.

Standing behind the seven councillors was an eighth Digimon. He was a dragon samurai by the name of Gaioumon. He was clad in jagged, black and gold plate armour as well as loose, black, cloth leggings. His scales had the same ebony colour as his segmented armour. Long, white hair flowed down onto his back. The dragon man's armour seemed to glow in places, suggesting that he may be an X-Antibody Digimon. His cold, golden eyes inspected the Royal Knights as they sat down at the table.

Gaioumon was the sitting advisor for the Council of Seven. Although he was mysterious, he had an abundance of knowledge.

The three Royal Knights took their seats, with Alphamon sitting between UlforceVeedramon and Dynasmon.

"Alphamon, Dynasmon, UlforceVeedramon. Welcome," Councillor DORUgoramon greeted them in a deep voice.

Just as Alphamon began to open his mouth, he heard the doors behind them open. The Royal Knights looked over their shoulders and were surprised to see OuRyuumon walking in.

"OuRyuumon?" Alphamon asked, puzzled to see the gold dragon coming in after he said he wasn't interested.

"Hey. I'm feeling fine now," he responded, walking up to the seat beside UlforceVeedramon. "I just needed a bit of fresh air to clear my head."

"It's nice of you to join us, OuRyuumon," DORUgoramon said familiarly.

"It's nice to be here, DORUgoramon," OuRyuumon answered politely.

Despite their words, there seemed to be an undercurrent of tension in their voices.

Alphamon looked over at his friend with a bit of concern. "Are you sure you're okay?

OuRyuumon nodded. "I'll be fine," he insisted.

The Royal Knight accepted it and turned to their hosts. "Thank you for taking the time to have us," Alphamon spoke up, looking around the table at all seven councillors.

Dynasmon looked across the table at Councillor Rosemon. He gave her a broad smile and a flirtatious wink.

Rosemon, however, simply ignored him and turned her attention elsewhere.

Dynasmon swallowed nervously and he felt a bead of sweat drip down the back of his head. It seemed that she was still angry from when he left her on her own in Facture. Meanwhile, UlforceVeedramon stifled a laugh.

"You did say that this was an urgent matter," Councillor Imperialdramon spoke up.

"How urgent, exactly?" Councillor MegaSeadramon inquired, lowering his serpentine head so that it was nearly on level with the table.

Alphamon nodded. "Variable, but it has the potential to be catastrophic if we don't all act," he intentionally answered ominously.

The brows of the Councillors furrowed and they exchanged glances of both trepidation and scepticism. Gaioumon raised an intrigued eyebrow.

"Please explain, Alphamon," DORUgoramon spoke.

"It has to do with the Dark Area…" Alphamon began.

Gaioumon took a step forwards. "More specifically, the prisoners of the Dark Area?" he inquired astutely.

OuRyuumon observed the black dragon samurai with suspicious eyes, but he said nothing.

"They're more of an effect than a cause, but yes," the black Royal Knight answered. "The barrier of the Dark Area is unstable. When DarkKnightmon was released nearly a year ago, dark rifts cropped up across the Digital World, having various effects on the surrounding environment and nearby Digimon. These, on their own, are dangerous enough, as even one had the power to corrupt Omegamon's data. For the past several months, we have been trying to contain and isolate these rifts, but we don't know the extent of their reach or how many there are. Our Order doesn't have the numbers to scour the Digital World for these rifts."

"What else is there?" Councillor Rosemon asked him in a no-nonsense tone.

"These dark rifts are a result of the Dark Area's instability. The Digimon who released DarkKnightmon didn't seal the barrier up properly, and these rifts are the visible damage to that barrier," Alphamon explained. "We have to assume that the problem is getting worse."

"_Do_ we 'have' to?" Councillor Okuwamon asked rhetorically. The silver insect leaned forwards on the table and turned his head towards Alphamon. "The generals of our military see everything through a military lens. The river levels of the Fountain River are rising? 'Declare war on it.' Likewise, you Royal Knights are primarily concerned with world and network security; you're predisposed to assume the worst on these matters."

"You hair looks nice," UlforceVeedramon told the bug councillor, attempting to flatter him.

Okuwamon was silent, obviously taken off guard by the comment. "W…What?" he stammered.

Alphamon and Dynasmon inwardly rolled their eyes. The Lord of the Empty Seat turned to Okuwamon. "We have to assume the worst because the consequences of being wrong are too catastrophic to do otherwise," he answered him.

"You think that the rifts will grow larger?" Councillor Butenmon questioned calmly.

"It's possible," Dynasmon said. "The worst case scenario is that more prisoners break out. When DarkKnightmon was freed, it was a disaster, but there are way worse Digimon in there than him."

DORUgoramon grunted and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "We're all well aware of the Royal Knights' failings with regards to DarkKnightmon," he spoke up.

Dynasmon frowned. "What?"

OuRyuumon gritted his teeth and Alphamon narrowed his eyes at the dragon councillor.

"He was a former Royal Knight of the Order, and he ended up nearly destroying the World Tree," DORUgoramon stated bluntly. "Also, the Dark Area was made a prison by Imperialdramon Paladin Mode and his comrades. You've come here to ask something from us, but all of this is a Royal Knight problem, Alphamon."

Alphamon locked his gaze with DORUgoramon. "Will it still be just a Royal Knight problem when you have Leviamon on your doorstep?" he countered. He made a pointed glance towards Angewomon, who he knew had ties to the Heavenly Choir and would have enmity towards the Demon Lords.

Councillor Angewomon frowned. "Don't be hasty, DORUgoramon," she told him. "You can't deny them before they've even asked anything."

"It just seems like they're overcompensating for what happened with DarkKnightmon," he said simply.

"We can do this without personal remarks, DORU," Councillor MegaSeadramon told him chastisingly. He turned his head to the Royal Knights and smiled. "Sorry. He's been working hard today."

At this, DORUgoramon let out an annoyed grunt.

Alphamon closed his eyes. "It's fine. I'm used to DORUgoramon."

"We were friends at one point," DORUgoramon uttered as he folded his arms.

UlforceVeedramon wondered quietly what had happened between them. However, he decided that this was a question for another time. "It's in everybody's best interest to cooperate on this," he said. "It's not just in the Free Area where there have been incidents involving the rifts. And if something does happen to the Dark Area's barrier and a bunch of the prisoners escape, then it would be a disaster for the whole Digital World," he added.

The Council of Seven exchanged quiet looks. "Cooperate in what way?" Councillor Okuwamon asked. It was clear from his voice that they were willing to entertain the idea, but not willing to make a commitment yet. "What exactly did you come here to ask from us?"

"We want to find and isolate all the dark rifts that we can. We believe that we should work together with the Council of Seven and others on this. They are destructive anomalies that need to be contained," Alphamon explained, putting their proposal on the table. "We would also like your help thinking of ways to fix the Dark Area's barrier. Naturally, this is top secret, but we would like to gather the greatest minds around to figure out the safest and most successful way to deal with this problem."

Rosemon looked over her shoulder and smirked at Gaioumon. "Looks like they're after you, Gaioumon."

Gaioumon smiled politely. "I'm afraid that data science isn't my realm of expertise," he stated. "Although I would be willing to discuss strategic solutions, should the Council allow me."

"I don't know why they wouldn't," OuRyuumon spoke up. "All we're asking for is help with containing a problem that could threaten the Digital World. It's not anything dramatic like a military alliance."

DORUgoramon gave OuRyuumon a look. "Maybe not, Captain, but we have things to consider. We would need to use the military to find these rifts, for one thing. We can't have untrained Digimon wandering around them when they don't know what they're dealing with; those rifts are dangerous," he explained.

Alphamon smiled a bit at his words. "I'm glad that we can agree that they're dangerous, DORUgoramon," he said to him. He knew that DORUgoramon would be the biggest voice of opposition, so having him concede that point was a step in the right direction.

DORUgoramon looked across the table with an adversarial leer. "I guess so, but I'm still not convinced that all of this isn't just your fault."

"It's not like we were the ones who freed DarkKnightmon, Councillor," Dynasmon spoke up in Alphamon's defence. "We tried to contain the situation the best that we could. We took him and his mercenary alliance down in the end.

UlforceVeedramon nodded. "We're trying to fix the mess that was left behind in his wake. It would be a lot easier and more efficient if we had your help. We're not asking for much."

"The benefits outweigh the costs heavily," Alphamon said in agreement.

Councillor Angewomon looked over at her fellow Councillors. "I'm inclined to agree," she spoke up. "If there is even a one percent chance risk that the likes of the Seven Great Demon Lords could escape, then that alone should be enough to prompt us into action."

"I concur," Councillor Butenmon agreed, closing his eyes thoughtfully. "I was still a wandering warrior during the Night of Falling Stars. From the plains of the Digital World, I saw what the Seven are capable of. And that's to say nothing of the other prisoners incarcerated down there."

"I don't have a problem with helping out," Councillor MegaSeadramon also spoke.

Alphamon turned towards the crimson sea serpent. "If that's true, would that extend to your influence at sea, as well?"

"Sorry?" MegaSeadramon asked, tilting his head with confusion.

"Duftmon and Imperialdramon Paladin Mode both theorize that there could be dark rifts on the seafloor as well," the ebony paladin explained. "I know you have your navy, but with both of our connections, if we both talk to GigaSeadramon of the Deep Savers, I'm sure we could convince him to do an ocean-wide search as well."

MegaSeadramon grimaced. "Searching that vast area won't be easy…" He sighed. "But I don't want the oceans to be contaminated with darkness. We need to find a solution to the problem."

Alphamon glanced to Dynasmon, UlforceVeedramon, and OuRyuumon. That was three Councillors down. They technically only needed one more to side with them in order for a vote to pass in favour of their proposal with a four-three majority. However, he would prefer that all seven Councillors supported them unanimously.

Councillor Imperialdramon frowned and turned his head towards Gaioumon. "And what's your opinion on all this, Gaioumon?" he asked their advisor.

Gaioumon folded his arms behind his back and walked forwards to the table, his yellow eyes looking over at the Royal Knights with an unreadable, icy gaze. "I believe that there is merit to the Royal Knights' words…" he spoke.

"Gee, thanks," Dynasmon whispered under his breath at what sounded to him like the advisor being patronizing.

Gaioumon bowed his head and closed his eyes in thought. "I doubt that anybody here wants more of the Dark Area's prisoners escaping. And creating a team of intellectuals to brainstorm solutions is a good idea. However, the logistics of searching for these dark rifts are going to be incredibly difficult. The Digital World is massive, yet some of these rifts are no more than a meter long. Is there an efficient way of dealing with this? I'm not sure that randomly scouring the Digital World is the best way," he supposed calmly.

"We have the DADAR system," Alphamon responded. "That detects data anomalies such as dark rifts. It isn't foolproof, but it's the best option under the circumstances. It will require close coordination."

"How do we proceed when we find one?" Okuwamon questioned.

"Close it off, don't get too close, and report it. We don't want Digimon getting corrupted by the dark data," UlforceVeedramon responded. "We'll send in a specialist."

"And what if there are rifts within the Metal Empire?" Gaioumon inquired pointedly. "There seems to be an increasing rise in tensions up in Facture since the night of the party."

"We're investigating that," Alphamon explained to them. "Any aggravation between the Metal Empire and the Mamemon Kingdom is caused by communication errors."

Gaioumon smiled. "Is that so…?" he asked, his words lingering.

OuRyuumon frowned. "What do you mean by that?" he asked him suspiciously.

"Considering all of the recent military activity within the D-Brigade… It's as if somebody threw a stone at the Royal Base," Gaioumon stated calmly. "There is a lot of sabre-rattling for just a communication error."

"Gaioumon's right," DORUgoramon spoke firmly. "Do we need to worry about that?"

"We can keep PrinceMamemon under control," Alphamon assured him. "And Chaosdramon is pragmatic. I doubt he seriously wants a war…"

"That doesn't really have much do to with the Dark Area issue anyway," Dynasmon spoke up.

"It's all connected," Rosemon stated. "We don't want this to turn into a diplomatic problem."

"If you're worried about associating with us, it's a bit late. You already sent us all those troops from your military," UlforceVeedramon said with a shrug.

Imperialdramon nodded. "I suppose. Well, as long as there is a clear plan of action, I am willing to put my support behind it," he stated. He looked at Gaioumon. "You can't see any more problems?"

Gaioumon thought for a few moments. "No… This seems like a logical proposal to me."

The Royal Knights inwardly breathed sighs of relief. That was four councillors down, as well as the support of their advisor. They glanced at the remaining three: DORUgoramon, Rosemon, and Okuwamon.

Okuwamon tapped his claw on the table. "I'm with Imperialdramon, just as long as we have a strong strategy as well as continuous communication and cooperation between you and us."

"We intend to," Alphamon reassured him. "Poor communication is the first step in the breakdown of relations." He looked over and gave both Dynasmon and OuRyuumon meaningful glances.

Dynasmon smiled a bit. He turned his focus over to Rosemon. "What about you, Councillor Rosemon?" he asked her, hoping to get back on her good side.

Rosemon eyed him for a moment before examining her fingernails. "Hm, I'm not sure… You already have the majority support of the Council, so what does it matter what DORUgoramon and I say?" she asked dismissively.

"We'd like to have all of your support," Dynasmon assured her. "It's for the good of the Digital World."

"'For the good of the Digital World'…" she echoed, tracing her finger along the face of the table. "So… In that case, you would be willing to do anything to that end, wouldn't you? You're duty-bound as a Royal Knight, correct?"

Dynasmon frowned but nodded. "I guess I would, yeah."

A mischievous smirk grew on her lips. "I see…" she slyly spoke, gazing at him with growing interest. "In that case, if you want my support… woof like a Dogmon."

Silence swept across the table. Even the rest of the Council of Seven were stunned by the demand. Dynasmon's eye twitched incredulously. "Y-You… what…?"

"You can't be serious…" OuRyuumon said aloud, his mouth nearly agape.

Angewomon looked down the table at Rosemon with a miffed expression. "…That's incredibly petty, Rosemon."

Butenmon also glanced at her with an annoyed look. "You would have our guest – one of the Royal Knights – dishonour himself in such a manner? The indignity…"

Rosemon smiled and shrugged. "I merely want to test his level of commitment."

Dynasmon's face began to heat up and he stifled a groan. In his mind, this was revenge for when he flew off right before they were about to have sex. He knew that it wasn't his most chivalrous move ever, but he didn't expect this. He raised his large hand and placed it over his face. Dynasmon could practically hear Ulforce's lip trembling as he tried not to laugh.

There was a sense of apprehension across the table. The other members of the Council of Seven didn't want to speak out against their fellow Councillor too much in front of guests, but at the same time, they were worried that asking one of the members of the prestigious Royal Knights to do such a thing would cause a break down in diplomacy.

Alphamon felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead. "…Now, Councillor, I don't think that—"

"It's fine," Dynasmon spoke up after a resigned sigh. "I'll do it."

Alphamon blinked and turned to his friend. "Dynasmon?"

"You… really don't have to," Councillor Angewomon told him.

Councillor Rosemon, however, smiled a little bit wider.

"It's okay," Dynasmon responded, although his face was still red. "I have a big mouth, but I back up my words with actions…" He tugged at the collar of his armour with one of his claws. He sighed again and cleared his throat.

"…Arf. Arf. Rrrrrrr. Woof!" he barked, feeling the heat and sweat of embarrassment all over his face.

When he stopped, there was silence. The Councillors looked on with varying degrees of awkwardness, apprehension, and amusement.

Alphamon was blushing behind his armour, feeling embarrassed for Dynasmon. OuRyuumon bit his lip either to keep himself from laughing or saying something hostile. UlforceVeedramon's face was crimson, his eyes were watering, his lips were trembling, and he seemed like he was literally going to burst into a fit of laughter at any moment.

"…Did that suffice?" Dynasmon asked, putting his hand over his face and slouching down in his chair, unable to look anybody in the eye anymore.

Rosemon giggled gently. "More than sufficient," she responded with a shit-eating grin. "You are definitely a committed Royal Knight, Dynasmon. And as a reward for entertaining my silly whims, I'll support this proposition."

"Oh, thank Yggdrasil," Dynasmon sighed, half-worried that she was going to decide not to after that.

"And perhaps you can show me again a little later," Rosemon suggested, smirking seductively at the Royal Knight.

At this, Dynasmon immediately perked up. A tiny smile grew back on his face. "Well…"

"Let's move on, shall we?" Alphamon was quick to interrupt.

"Yes, let's," Imperialdramon spoke up. He looked down the table at the councillor sitting in the center. "DORUgoramon? What are your thoughts?"

DORUgoramon folded his arms and closed his eyes. "Seems like I'm outvoted…" he spoke.

Alphamon placed his hands on the table top and looked at his counterpart with a raised eyebrow. "Are you opposed to the idea?"

The dragon councillor opened his eyes and stared across the table at Alphamon. The Royal Knight looked back into his eyes, as if trying to read him. DORUgoramon held the gaze for several more seconds, leering defiantly.

However, he grunted and looked away. "I suppose not," he admitted, although it sounded like it was a pain for him to say so. He knew that he was at a disadvantage here. Given that it was for the security of the Digital World, they couldn't negotiate any demands without losing moral traction, especially not when all of his fellow councillors put their support behind it. "…Very well, this proposal has our support."

"Thank you," Alphamon responded graciously.

"But I want the Council of Seven to be directly involved in the decision making process," DORUgoramon added firmly.

"We intended for this to be a fully cooperative effort," the black-plated Royal Knight assured the councillor. "You don't have to worry about us ordering you around."

"Good," DORUgoramon spoke. He then reached his arm across the table and outstretched his hand.

Alphamon blinked and looked down at his hand. Although somewhat surprised, he immediately took it and shook firmly.

"We have a deal then," the dragon spoke, returning the handshake with force. "We'll hash it out a later date. I'm sure we both have other things that we're busy with at the moment."

Alphamon nodded but looked at the other six councillors as well. "We'll keep in contact and we'll find a suitable time to talk again."

"Who else are you planning to involve?" Okuwamon asked, flexing his mandibles nonchalantly as he talked.

"The Warrior Ten," Dynasmon spoke up. "Kaiser - I mean – AncientGreymon is eager to fix the Dark Area. AncientGarurumon and AncientSphinxmon are also keen. AncientSphinxmon – also having Anubismon as a form – knows a lot about the Dark Area."

"There's also the Mesozoic Kingdom and the United Dramonic Coalition. Among others," UlforceVeedramon chimed in. "Basically places with large amounts of territory, influence, and monpower. Probably not the Metal Empire though... I think we're off their guest list."

"We'll be sure to put in a good word for you," DORUgoramon told them with a bit of humour to his voice.

The Royal Knights were also thinking of speaking with the Devas, the Jungle Troopers, the Olympus XII, and the Heavenly Choir, but they didn't want to give away all of their plans immediately.

"Thanks," OuRyuumon said as he began to shuffle in his seat. He looked at Alphamon. "Is there anything else, Alphamon?"

Alphamon looked at the Council of Seven. "I think we've said all that we wanted to say," he said to them. "Was there anything you wanted to add?"

"No. We'll talk with the commanders of our military and navy," Butenmon assured the Royal Knights. "Though that should go smoothly. They'll be happy for something to do other than training."

Alphamon nodded. "We'll leave it to you," he said as he made to leave, prompting Dynasmon, UlforceVeedramon, and OuRyuumon to do the same. "You'll hear from us."

"You're setting out tomorrow, correct?" Councillor Imperialdramon asked them.

Dynasmon stood to his feet and stretched his wings. "Yeah, we're spending the night. Although Ulforce and I are still looking for a place to stay."

Councillor Rosemon gave Dynasmon a smirk. "I'm sure that I can arrange something for you…" she suggested with heavy undertones.

"How very kind of you, Councillor," Dynasmon responded, grinning and bowing slightly.

UlforceVeedramon gave them a flat, sideway stare. "_Where does that leave me, exactly?_" he wondered to himself.

Noticing UlforceVeedramon's look, Rosemon turned and smiled at him. "Would you care to accompany us too?" she asked him.

Both UlforceVeedramon's and Dynasmon's eyes widened as they comprehended her underlying message. "No!" they both stated in unison.

Alphamon smiled sheepishly. "We should be going now. Thank you for your time, Councillors," he told them politely.

"If we don't see you before tomorrow, safe travels," DORUgoramon said in response.

The Royal Knights and OuRyuumon bid them farewell and began to walk towards the doors of the embassy room. The guards promptly opened the doors for them and allowed them to walk out.

The four walked past them and down the hallway, towards the lobby. The sounds of their feet echoed against the marble floor.

"I think that went well…" UlforceVeedramon spoke up.

"It seems that way," Alphamon replied with a sigh of relief. "It could have gone worse."

"Yeah, it could have. I guess we should be relieved," UlforceVeedramon agreed. He then glanced over at Dynasmon with a broad smirk. "Especially you. Considering how you're now out of the dog house…" He then laughed. "Haha! Get it? Dog hous—OW!"

Dynasmon removed his fist from the back of Ulforce's head with gritted teeth. "We're not telling the others about that, got it?" he warned him.

UlforceVeedramon rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, yeah…" he mumbled.

Alphamon smiled slightly at the two. He looked over his shoulder to see OuRyuumon lingering behind. He slowed his paces to walk beside him.

"OuRyuumon…" he said in a caring tone. "I want to clear up about what happened earlier. Can we talk?

OuRyuumon's brows furrowed and he seemed hesitant. "Uh… I'm pretty exhausted, Alphamon…" he responded.

"Please?" Alphamon beseeched him. "I don't want either of us to brood over it."

The golden brown ryu glanced down pensively. After a few seconds, he exhaled. "Yeah… Okay…" he said in a resigned voice.

Alphamon nodded. After a few moments of quiet walking with OuRyuumon, he spoke up. "I'm sorry about the way I handled that…" he said to his friend, looking over at him.

OuRyuumon looked off to the side, away from Alphamon. "I'm sorry I did it in the first place…" he muttered.

"Don't be," Alphamon reassured him, placing his hand on OuRyuumon's shoulder. "It's just that… the timing wasn't right. I had a lot on my mind when you asked. It came as a shock to me. It was that more than anything…"

"What? The meeting with the Council of Seven?" OuRyuumon asked, his eyes darting over to Alphamon.

A frown formed on Alphamon's face. "No… Not exactly. It was something else. The personal business that I mentioned… It was weighing heavily on my mind."

"What was it?" OuRyuumon inquired. "At the time, I thought you were going to come out to your parents or something."

Alphamon rubbed the back of his neck and looked over at OuRyuumon with a sheepish expression. "Actually… I did that a few months ago, OuRyuumon…" he admitted, his guilt lacing his words.

"My parents told me… Why didn't you tell me?" OuRyuumon asked, more calmly than Alphamon was expecting.

Alphamon blinked with surprise. "They did…? And because I didn't want you to feel pressured to tell your parents too," he explained.

"I did that today," OuRyuumon responded with a small smile. "Actually… they already knew."

Alphamon managed a chuckle. "So did mine, somehow…"

OuRyuumon put his claws behind his head and walked. "And here I thought we were hiding it pretty well. I'm not flamboyant like RhodoKnightmon, am I?"

"I think it's just because they're our parents," Alphamon said with a shrug.

OuRyuumon nodded. He then turned his head and looked at Alphamon. "So… I know I shouldn't ask, but… I guess you don't want to get back together yet?"

The black-armoured Royal Knight looked at OuRyuumon as they walked out of the lobby and into the courtyard. "To be completely honest, OuRyuumon, I haven't even thought about it until you asked me today," he admitted to him. "We've just been so busy since DarkKnightmon's defeat. It sounds bad, but it just hadn't crossed my mind…"

OuRyuumon sighed a bit. "So that's a no…" he spoke. "I understand."

"It's a 'not yet'," Alphamon told him. "Right now we're busy with the Dark Area and the Metal Empire. However, once these things begin to calm down, I promise I will think seriously about it…"

The Captain of the Strike Forces nodded uncertainly. "Okay… You'd just tell me if you didn't want to, right?" he asked him.

Alphamon smiled at him. "I wouldn't string you along, OuRyuumon. You know that," he reassured him. "Those feelings haven't gone away; I just need time to think about it. I want to be able to put effort into us, and I can't do that with all these other things going on."

OuRyuumon returned the smile. "Yeah, okay… But on one condition."

Alphamon raised an eyebrow. "I thought I just left the negotiation table," he spoke with dry humour. "Yes?"

The dragon folded his arms. "You tell me what that personal problem was."

"Yeah!" UlforceVeedramon called out from ahead of them. "We were wondering that too!"

"You were supposed to be improving on that whole 'handling the burden by yourself' thing, Alphamon," Dynasmon chimed in with a grin.

OuRyuumon's face grew blood red. "You two were eavesdropping?!" he shouted in a fluster.

"Naturally," a smirking UlforceVeedramon said. "We wanted to know why you two were acting so weird."

Alphamon smiled a bit and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry. You're right. I should have said something," he conceded. "I just didn't want you all to be distracted during that meeting with the Council. I'll tell you what happened."

UlforceVeedramon and Dynasmon slowed down to walk with them as they passed by the various statues outside of the council building. "Go on," Dynasmon urged him, eager to know what was secretly bothering him.

"I went to visit Bagramon," Alphamon stated plainly.

The three Digimon walking with him suddenly stopped, leaving Alphamon to saunter for a few more strides before he realized that they had all halted.

"What?" OuRyuumon demanded.

"Bagramon?" Dynasmon asked incredulously.

"The guy we fought against during the Night of Falling Stars?" UlforceVeedramon inquired, arching an eyebrow.

Alphamon turned around. "…Yes, him," he answered calmly.

"Why?" the azure dragon knight wondered. "I mean, visiting your parents, sure, but why would you want to see him?"

"He's DarkKnightmon's brother," Alphamon explained, closing his red eyes.

OuRyuumon gritted his teeth at the mention of DarkKnightmon's name. "That doesn't really explain it…"

UlforceVeedramon scratched his cheek with a finger before turning to Dynasmon. "I thought DeadlyAxemon was his brother," he stated curiously.

"He was his new 'brother'. They weren't actually related. Bagramon was his real brother," Dynasmon explained.

Alphamon sighed and walked over to a nearby bench to sit down, being careful not to sit on his cape. "I felt that I owed Bagramon an explanation," he told them. He looked down with a light grimace. "After all… it was I who deleted DarkKnightmon."

"You still feel guilty…?" OuRyuumon wondered with a concerned expression.

"…If I'm honest… yes, I have been feeling guilty," Alphamon responded with sombre, thoughtful eyes. "I know that maybe I shouldn't, given what he's done, but he was once a very good friend of mine… a brother, even."

UlforceVeedramon winced. "Oh… Sorry, Alphamon. It's easy to forget that you two used to be friends," he said understandingly.

"Have you been keeping this in all these months?" Dynasmon asked him.

"I suppose, a bit…" Alphamon sheepishly answered. "They were my own problems. I didn't want to—"

"—bother us?" Dynasmon finished, walking up to him. He lightly flicked the Digicore Interface gem on Alphamon's forehead with his claws. "So much for working on that responsibility complex. We're your friends. And part of being a good leader is trusting your subordinates."

"…You're right," Alphamon said, smiling slightly and rubbing his forehead. "I've been trying to do that more, but I suppose it's not as easy as I thought…" He stood to his feet. "I have talked with Omegamon about it a few times."

"Okay, but you can talk with the rest of us about it too, if you need to," Dynasmon encouraged him,

"I know. Thank you… Though, I don't think I need to now. I feel better after speaking with Bagramon," the leader of the Royal Knights responded.

OuRyuumon walked over. "What did he say?"

"We just talked about blame and forgiveness. It helped to put things in perspective for me," Alphamon explained.

Dynasmon frowned but nodded quietly.

"I'm glad it helped," UlforceVeedramon said. "But how was Bagramon? I mean, he was part of the Heavenly War… Is the Choir still after him?"

"Those wars were a long time ago," Dynasmon told him. "A lot has happened since then. Digimon change."

Alphamon nodded in agreement. "He seemed enlightened… He's just a sage living in the Argent Mountains now. It's just too bad DarkKnightmon and I couldn't put our differences aside like I did with Bagramon. At least... not until it was too late," he said, the last part in a murmur.

OuRyuumon looked at Alphamon sympathetically. "Are you sure you're okay?"

The Lord of the Empty Seat sighed but smiled faintly. "Yes… It's just been a long, tiresome day. We should head out," he told them.

Dynasmon nodded with agreement. He suddenly raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. "Hey… where's Paildramon?" he asked aloud.

"Right behind you, Sir," she said from directly behind him.

"Gah!" Dynasmon flinched with a yell of surprise. He spun around to face her, flustered. "Have you been taking lessons from Karatenmon or something?!"

Paildramon blinked with confusion. "N-No, Sir Dynasmon. Sorry?" she sheepishly apologized, not expecting to startle him.

UlforceVeedramon laughed.

"Er, did the meeting go well?" she asked them.

Alphamon nodded. "Yes, thank you," he told her. "We have their full support, it seems."

Paildramon sighed with relief. "That's good to hear…"

"Worried about your dad embarrassing you?" UlforceVeedramon teased her.

Paildramon blushed a bit and glanced away. "Somewhat," she admitted.

"He was quite reasonable," Alphamon assured the dragon woman Digimon.

"Anyway… I guess I'll check into an inn or something since Dynasmon's going to be busy tonight," UlforceVeedramon said, flashing Dynasmon a grin. "Are you three staying with your parents?" he asked Alphamon, OuRyuumon, and Paildramon.

He received three affirmative responses.

"In that case, why don't we all go to a bar before we call it a day?" UlforceVeedramon suggested mirthfully.

"I think I'd rather just head straight home," Alphamon replied.

"Oh, come on! It's barely sunset," OuRyuumon urged him, pushing him along. "You're as bad as a Jijimon."

"Yeah, loosen up a bit!" Dynasmon agreed, pulling Alphamon by the arm.

"G-Guys!" Alphamon complained as he was pushed along.

UlforceVeedramon laughed and looked at Paildramon as they began to follow after them. "Hey, at least now we can enjoy the rest of our visit here…"


	11. Chapter 9: Infiltration

(Author's Notes: Thanks for all the replies. Here's the latest chapter. The next one will be in a few weeks or so. Also, it took me this long to finally come up with a name for the Royal Knights' territory and castle. Way to go me and my gradual worldbuilding. Anyways, enjoy!)

**Chapter 9: Infiltration**

Omegamon stood in the thick of darkness.

He looked up, but he couldn't see any semblance of sky or colour. He looked down and there was no ground beneath him – only impenetrable shadows. Omegamon spun around only to be faced with more of the sable void.

No matter which way he turned, there was darkness around him. He was completely surrounded by an endless abyss.

"Hello?" he called out.

He received no response. Omegamon narrowed his eyes and looked down at his hands. To his relief, the Grey Sword and Garuru Cannon were both fixed onto his arms. However, he still felt a sinking feeling all over his body, as if he was in quicksand.

Nevertheless, he decided to venture forth, into his lightless surroundings. His blue eyes shot back and forth warily. He half-expected something to lunge at him from the shadows.

Everything was quiet. He couldn't even hear his own footsteps or the sound of his cape rubbing against his back.

Omegamon scanned the darkness. In the far distance, he could see movement. It was just a hazy silhouette, but it was enough to ensure Omegamon that there was somebody there. His fingers twitched as he prepared to fire his Garuru Cannon at a moment's notice.

He grew nearer, walking cautiously into the looming abyss. As he stepped towards the shadowed form, he felt a sense of ease for some reason. Omegamon continued to walk towards the figure in the distance.

It was Alphamon. Omegamon immediately recognized his dark figure vaguely silhouetted against the daunting void.

A sigh of relief escaped his lips. "Alphamon…" he said to him. "Where are we?"

Alphamon took a step backwards. "Omegamon, stop this…" he told him with unease in his voice.

Omegamon frowned. "What?"

Before Omegamon could do anything else, his perspective suddenly changed. Omegamon found himself in Alphamon's body instead of his own. He looked down at Alphamon's arms, which replaced his own.

Omegamon in Alphamon's body looked up and saw that his old body was still opposite to Alphamon's. He watched as Omegamon raised his Grey Sword towards him.

"Omegamon, what are you doing?" he spoke, completely taking on the role of Alphamon now.

Omegamon's white, resplendent armour suddenly grew dark. It became as black as the darkness around them. His body turned ebony and gold, and his eyes flashed to a blood red colour.

He became Omegamon Zwart.

Alphamon's eyes widened. "Omegamon… Listen to me!" he called out to him.

Omegamon Zwart ignored him. He raised his arm and swept it out to the side, allowing his Grey Sword to shoot out as his cape blustered behind him. Omegamon Zwart then began to slowly walk towards Alphamon.

Alphamon sneered. He tried to step back again, but he found that his feet seemed to be stuck in place. He couldn't move them at all from the shadowy ground beneath him. "Damn it…! Omegamon! Don't do this!" he begged him fervently. "I'm your friend!"

Omegamon Zwart ignored him. The Digimon strode forwards implacably.

Alphamon raised his hand, palm open, but he didn't fire an attack. "Omegamon! It's me! Alphamon!"

Omegamon Zwart didn't respond. He grew ever closer. He began to poise the Grey Sword.

"Omegamon! Stop it!" Alphamon called out desperately.

Omegamon Zwart coiled his arm back. He gave Alphamon a final glare with his dark, red eyes before thrusting his sword arm forward.

Alphamon's eyes widened as the Grey Sword pierced through his armour, drove straight through his chest, and then emerged out of his back. Alphamon felt the metal inside of his body. It felt cool and the edges around the blade felt like pins and needles going through his chest. He watched as blood flowed from his armour and down onto the sword. He grabbed hold of the Grey Sword and shut his eyes tightly. Darkness enveloped his vision.

* * *

Omegamon's sapphire eyes snapped open and his body twitched with shock.

He found himself staring at the stone ceiling of his room. Dim, morning light shone in from the half-open window on the left side of the room.

The Royal Knight blinked and grimaced as his breathing began to grow calm once again. The blanket over his body was dishevelled and he could feel beads of sweat tracing his body. He lifted his body slowly and propped himself up on his elbows.

"_Another nightmare…_" he thought with a sigh.

He slid his slender legs over the side of the bed and sat up. He leaned forwards and rubbed his face with his hand.

"_It was about Zwart again…_" Omegamon contemplated to himself. "_I hate those dreams…_"

The acting-leader of the Royal Knights lowered his hand and looked up. He felt slightly at ease upon seeing the light - however dim - shining into his room and illuminating it. He saw his armour over on the rack on the opposite side of the room. To his relief, it was the regular white, gold and blue colour that he was accustomed to.

He shook his head and forced himself to stand to his feet. "_I'm filling in for Alphamon while he's gone,_" he remembered. "_I can't afford to worry about a nightmare. I have work to do…_"

Omegamon went and started to prepare himself for the day. He did his best to shake off the lingering emotions from the dream and forget that it ever happened. He couldn't let himself be distracted, after all.

* * *

The sky was grey with overcast clouds. The thick blanket of condensation was a mixture of pale and dark grey, revealing thunderheads further up in the atmosphere. They blocked out the sun and darkened the grassy landscape of the Royal Knights' territory within the Free Area. It was known as Splendor's Reach.

The Royal Knights' headquarters – Castle Albion - stood over the surrounding landscape. It was a prominent landmark, given its size and design.

Two kilometers away was a small, interspersed grove of trees surrounded by plants and shrubbery. As the smoky clouds drifted overhead, a breeze swept through the trees and undergrowth. Hidden among the flora were three Digimon.

"How's it look?"

GrandisKuwagamon levelled a long, handheld telescope to his eye and looked through it. He peered through the lens at the distant castle.

"This barely has enough range," he said, lowering the telescope. He turned and looked at Bolgmon.

All three of them were covered in camouflaged fabric. The cloth of mesh and various shades of green concealed the three bugs' shiny bodies, and it helped them blend in with the plants and trees around them. Blitzmon and Bolgmon even had some wrapped around the length of their horns.

"What about you, Bolgie?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him. "Have any better luck with your optics?"

"Shut up; I'm concentrating," Bolgmon answered curtly. He squinted into the distance as numbers and a ranging HUD flashed in his vision. He was zoomed in on the headquarters and its walls.

"Hurry it up before one of their patrols passes by," Blitzmon told him as he kneeled behind a bush.

"Get off my ass!" Bolgmon snapped. "You'll make me screw up the display!"

"Not so loud. The Royal Knobs probably have Digimon with good hearing on guard duty," GrandisKuwagamon reminded them.

Bolgmon went back to checking out the headquarters, ignoring his two companions.

"This is nuts, Grandis," Blitzmon said to the black beetle Digimon.

"More nuts than picking a fight with the Metal Empire?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him rhetorically. "At least if we get caught by the Royal Knights, they won't torture us. If they're idealistic as they say, that is…"

Blitzmon's gaze steeled. "I don't intend to get caught."

"Me neither, Blitz," GrandisKuwagamon agreed. "Just think about the reward."

"I am," Blitzmon stated calmly, although there was tension in his voice. "But what's our client's angle? First the Metal Empire and now the Royal Knights… What's he trying to do? Is he just dangling money in front of us until we get ourselves deleted?"

"I hear ya. These jobs are pretty dangerous. …But that one in Haganemame City was easy money, so there's got to be more to it. Whoever he or she is, they're probably working some sort of angle that we're not even thinking about. We're just pawns in their game," GrandisKuwagamon explained.

"Pawns are usually the first pieces to be taken out," Blitzmon stated dourly.

GrandisKuwagamon smirked. "Not us… We're survivors, Blitzie… We didn't claw our way through hell just to be taken down by some tin cans in a battle of wits we don't understand," he stated firmly. "As soon as we see something we can't handle, we cut and run."

"We're under contract though," Blitzmon reminded him.

"The contract says we get a payment after each new job we finish. We can get out if it gets too dangerous. We've got a hell of a lot of money outta this, so let's not get greedy. We know our limits."

"Do we?" Blitzmon asked. "We're facing down the Royal Knights. We've been on their blacklist for awhile."

"They won't know it's us. Wizardmon said that's what the client wants," GrandisKuwagamon replied. He then smirked and placed his hands behind his insect head. "Besides, won't it feel good to hit these self-righteous bastards where it hurts?"

"I'm down with that," Bolgmon said with a darkly excited look in his eyes. "I'd love to wipe the smug grins off their faces."

"What smug grins?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him. "You've never even met them."

Bolgmon shrugged. "That's how I picture 'em," he answered. "Anyway, I got a good scan of the castle. There's five guards on the south side of the wall. Probably one or two more in the gatehouse. Think those numbers'll change once it's past their bedtime?"

"Might reduce the numbers by one or two, but I'm guessing there'll still be a decent amount of guards at night. Enough to cover every angle, probably," Blitzmon deduced.

"There's hardly any cover from here to the walls, no matter what way we approach," Bolgmon added. "There's that river to the south of the castle, but I don't do water. You two could always go in and do it."

GrandisKuwagamon shook his head. "We need you for this Bolgie," he told him. "You heard Wizardmon; it's not about taking him out. We just need to make a big bang. We're supposed to get the Royal Knights' attention without being seen. You've got the best firepower out of the three of us."

Blitzmon nodded. "Besides, we need to you lay down tread tracks going to and from the wall," he explained. "Give them something to follow."

"Yeah, that's really frickin' safe," Bolgmon complained. "Charging the wall with my engine running. Might as well paint a giant, pink bullseye on me."

GrandisKuwagamon looked over at Blitzmon. Blitzmon nodded. "Blitzmon and I'll Zone Black Hole to the wall and take out the guards. It'll probably be cloudy tonight so we can't fly without havin' our backs to the clouds anyway. Once we clear the wall, I'll teleport you up and you can blast away," GrandisKuwagamon explained.

"Our lightning-thunder strategy," Blitzmon agreed.

"Hit 'em like a sonic boom," Bolgmon said with an electric laugh. "Okay."

"Just don't take too long and leave us standing with our dicks in our hands," GrandisKuwagamon told the tank Digimon. "Oh, and did you find his room? That would be helpful."

Bolgmon rolled his eyes. "Top floor, north side, seventh window down," he replied.

"You sure?" Blitzmon asked.

"I'm positive," Bolgmon insisted. "I'm in charge of support for a reason."

"Can you make the shot from the wall?" GrandisKuwagamon questioned him.

Bolgmon grinned. "Do Numemons smell like shit?" he answered rhetorically.

"Remember, Bolgmon, we've got to be quick with the exit strategy," Blitzmon reminded him.

"I know. I'll go into full gear on the escape. Attacking this place'll be like kicking the Royal Base; soon as we hit it, they'll come pouring out in swarms," Bolgmon stated. "I'll meet you guys on the dirt road where they won't be able to see my tracks anymore. Then you can Zone Black Hole us outta there. Then let's head west into the UDC, to those caves we found in the Dragon Mountains."

"That's what I was thinkin'." GrandisKuwagamon agreed. "Cool. So we've got the exit strategy down. Let's stay in that nearby town this afternoon. Knights' Cross, right? The one further up the river."

"Sounds good," Blitzmon agreed. "We'll lay low until it's time."

GrandisKuwagamon stood up and slowly slide-evolved to his GranKuwagamon form in the midst of the trees. "We attack late tonight," he said with a hiss.

Blitzmon nodded with a calm intensity and Bolgmon let out a dark chuckle.

"Let's get outta here before a patrol comes by. Zone Black Hole," GranKuwagamon spoke, tearing open a dimensional hole in the ground beneath them. He held out his arms for Bolgmon and Blitzmon to grab hold of, so that they could safely travel through the spacial rift.

There was a glint in GranKuwagamon's blood red, compound eyes. "Those Royal Knobs are in for a nasty surprise."

* * *

Omegamon strode down one of the hallways on the first floor of the Royal Knights' castle. He had just had a meeting with Shutumon, the head of administration.

It was late in the morning by this point. There was a thick layer of clouds in the sky outside, as well as a slight, temperate breeze.

Alphamon, UlforceVeedramon, and Dynasmon were still away at New Terminal. Sleipmon and Gankoomon also went off to do an inspection elsewhere in the Free Area. This left only himself, Dukemon, Magnamon, RhodoKnightmon, Craniamon, Duftmon, and Examon as the Royal Knights still at the castle. He was the acting leader of the Royal Knights in Alphamon's absence, but Dukemon insisted on helping him out.

Omegamon turned a corner and proceeded down the hallway, heading towards the foyer at the entrance of the building. He had a thoughtful expression on his face. He had tried to forget about it, but the nightmare he had still bothered him.

He thought about it as he walked down the wide corridor. He felt uneasy. He began to have pessimistic thoughts, but as soon they entered his mind, he immediately became worried that those very thoughts would have a negative effect on him. Omegamon grimaced as he reached the end of the hallway. He walked into the foyer at an increased pace, becoming so consumed in his thoughts that he wasn't watching where he was going.

The white knight walked straight into Dukemon's chest. Omegamon was alerted by the impact and he immediately recoiled with surprise.

"Hey! Careful, Omega," Dukemon said with a chuckle, raising his hands and placing them on the sides of Omegamon's shoulders. He observed him with a curious smile. "That face… You're already beginning to look like Alphamon and it's only been a few days since you took over for him. Things are taking the toll already, are they?"

Omegamon turned his head away with sheepish embarrassment. "S-Sorry, Dukemon…" he apologized.

Dukemon cocked an eyebrow and the smile behind his visor disappeared. "Is everything okay?" he asked him.

The white Royal Knight paused. He deliberated telling Dukemon what was on his mind, but he decided against it. It seemed much too trivial to make a big deal out of it. "Yes… I was just distracted," he responded.

"Well, okay," Dukemon conceded. He then smiled amicably. "That's what I'm here for," he reassured him.

Omegamon managed a small smile. "What? Distracting me?" he asked with a touch of humour in his voice.

Dukemon chuckled. "Helping you out," he responded, turning around so that he could walk beside Omegamon. "So, what's next on the agenda?"

"Hmm…" Omegamon stopped in the middle of the octagonal, marble foyer, and looked down towards the entrance hall that led outside. "How are the training drills going?"

"Good. I just came from the training grounds," Dukemon responded. "The Defence Forces and Strike Forces are working hard. They've made it a sort of competition between them to see who can train harder. It looks like they're going to train even if it ends up pouring outside." He smiled. "Grademon and HippoGriffomon are working well together while OuRyuumon's away too. The Strike Forces are in good hands."

Omegamon nodded. "I'm glad to hear it. We all need to be cooperating at times like this," the white knight reasoned.

"Yeah, you're right," Dukemon agreed, placing his hands behind his head. "So, is there anything else pressing that we need to see to?"

"Is Karatenmon back yet?" Omegamon asked him.

"No, he's still out conferring with his spies," Dukemon explained. "He said he wanted to make a stop at his hometown on the way back too. Maybe he'll ask for the help of the ninjas there."

"Whatever reliable information we can get would be useful," the holy knight Digimon said. He turned and looked at Dukemon. "What about Grani?"

"The dragon-bird's off scouting the Mamemon Kingdom. He insisted on doing it personally," Dukemon said with a chuckle. "He's too dedicated for his own good."

Omegamon smiled a bit as he eyed Dukemon. As his blue eyes lingered on the white and crimson knight, he grew thoughtful. He wanted to ask him something, but he wasn't sure if he should. It was something that he had been wondering for awhile, but it involved information that Dukemon never offered up to them. He wasn't sure if there was a reason for it, so he was reluctant to ask something that was potentially sensitive to his friend.

"Dukemon…" he began uncertainly.

Dukemon turned to Omegamon curiously. "Yeah?"

The Royal Knight stalled on his words. "…Never mind. It's nothing," he spoke, changing his mind.

Dukemon half-grinned and tilted his head. "What? You can't just tease me like that, Omegamon."

"Well, it's about you and Grani…" Omegamon sheepishly said.

Dukemon blinked. "What about us?" he asked him.

"…I was just wondering when you think he'll be back," Omegamon spoke, deciding against asking his real question.

The crimson knight rubbed the back of his head. He knew Omegamon well enough to have doubts that that was really what he wanted to ask. "Tonight probably. Tomorrow at the latest, since he's doing a training exercise with the Recon Squadron that day. Why? Do you need him for something?"

"Not urgently," Omegamon responded. "I just think that we should step up the patrols around Splendor's Reach – particularly around the castle."

"Why?" Dukemon asked him curiously.

"Well… I thought that since we've been implicated in the attack against the Metal Empire, Chaosdramon won't just ignore that. I highly doubt that they would attack us, but we still have to be careful. There's a chance that they could slip in spies or saboteurs," Omegamon explained.

Dukemon began walking to the other side of the foyer, prompting Omegamon to walk with him. "Yeah, that's true. Why don't you tell the Recon Squad yourself?"

Omegamon frowned at the idea. "I wouldn't want to undermine Grani. It's something I should talk with him about first, before I make any decisions."

The red and silver Royal Knight grinned at Omegamon. "You're too nice sometimes, Omega. Not that that's a bad thing."

Omegamon smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "I will just wait until he's back," he insisted.

"Okay," Dukemon answered, still smiling. "Anyway, want to grab some lunch? Rhodo's experimenting with Mesozoic cuisine, apparently."

"I just want to check in on MetallifeKuwagamon first, if that's okay with you," Omegamon put forward diplomatically.

Dukemon nodded and continued down the hallway with Omegamon. "Hope you don't mind if I join you," he said to him, raising an arm and patting Omegamon's caped back.

Omegamon nodded and they soon turned left down another corridor. It was there that they saw Magnamon walking down the hallway towards them.

"Hey, Magna!" Dukemon greeted with a friendly grin.

"Hey, guys," Magnamon responded. "Busy this morning?"

"Pretty busy, yeah," Dukemon replied, looking over at Omegamon momentarily. "Lots to do. You?"

Magnamon sighed and nodded. "I agreed to help Duftmon with something. He's a real taskmaster."

Dukemon chuckled. "I sympathize… What about the others?" he asked.

"I think Rhodo's making lunch with the kitchen staff. And Examon's helping Craniamon write a stern letter to PrinceMamemon."

At this, Dukemon blinked and exchanged glances with Omegamon. "He… is? That's not like Examon," he said quizzically.

Magnamon chuckled. "Actually, I think he's getting Craniamon to dial things back so he doesn't give PrinceMamemon nightmares."

"He'll be having a few of those in the future if we don't clear this mess up," Dukemon stated. "Does that guy think that Chaosdramon won't retaliate?"

Magnamon's smile faded. "I don't know…" He looked at Omegamon. "Actually, I was wondering if you think it's a good idea for us to send an envoy to the Metal Empire. We should try to get this cleared up before it escalates."

"I think that's a good idea, though I'm reluctant to do so without Alphamon…" Omegamon spoke meditatively.

Dukemon looked at the white knight. "He left you in charge, Omegamon. Don't be afraid to use your initiative; he trusts you, after all," he reminded their friend.

Omegamon nodded but frowned uncertainly. "I'll give it some thought. It's just that Alphamon is a better negotiator than I am," he replied.

Magnamon smiled. "You might be introverted, but you should give yourself more credit. I've seen you talk down some tense situations," the gold Royal Knight encouraged him.

"Yeah. You've cooled down my hot temper a few key times," Dukemon added with a grin.

Omegamon rubbed the back of his head. "Er, well… thank you," he awkwardly remarked. "I'll think about it." Eager to change the subject, he looked at the knight of Miracles. "Magnamon, is MetallifeKuwagamon in the computers room?" the Royal Knight questioned, looking over the shorter knight to look down the hall that he came from.

Magnamon glanced over his shoulder towards the computers room. "Yeah, I just came from there. He's working hard."

"I'll just check up on him," Omegamon responded. "Talk to you later, Magna." With those words, he walked past him and began to stride down the hallway.

The blue-scaled dragon knight raised an eyebrow and watched Omegamon quickly walk off. When he was out of earshot, he looked up at Dukemon. "Is he okay? He seemed a little… I don't know…" he said hesitantly.

Dukemon folded his arms and eyed Omegamon. "He's been acting kind of strange today," he agreed. "I'll talk with him a little later."

"Think it's the pressure of taking over from Alphamon?" Magnamon questioned, ponderingly tapping his golden mask with a claw.

"I don't think so… He's done this before, and he only ever gets flustered when he has to make speeches," Dukemon answered. "I think it's something else."

"Well… let me know if I can help," Magnamon told him. "I'll be in the library with Duftmon's shopping list."

Dukemon chuckled. "Don't let him make you his errand boy."

Magnamon shuddered. "Zero chance of that happening. That's almost more than being a Royal Knight's worth," he joked. "Anyway, good luck with Omegamon."

"Thanks, Magna," Dukemon said, patting his shoulder as he passed him to head after Omegamon. "Oh, by the way, have you seen BaoHuckmon? I'm supposed to check up on him for Gankoomon."

"He's training with the Sistermons," he called behind him. "Or, at least Noir. Blanc suddenly disappeared when I walked by."

Dukemon thanked him and they parted ways. He figured that if BaoHuckmon was with the Sistermons, he wouldn't need to keep his eye on him for awhile. The silver and red Royal Knight proceeded to wander down the stone corridor. He gazed down a few rooms ahead of him. On the left side of the hallway was a doorway from which the glowing light of a computer monitor shone.

He walked over and stopped in the door. Omegamon was inside the room, watching MetallifeKuwagamon type away on the keyboard across a long desk. The monitor screen was filled with complicated coding and Digi-Letters.

"-and this should update our firewall's security," MetallifeKuwagamon finished telling Omegamon.

"Hey," Dukemon greeted, walking inside. "What's up?"

"I was telling Omegamon about the security of our database," MetallifeKuwagamon said, glancing over to Dukemon. "I've been patching it after I detected a hacking attempt from the Metal Empire."

Dukemon frowned. "They've been trying to hack us?" he asked him.

The metallic insect nodded as he continued to type rapidly. "It's most likely the intelligence branch of the D-Brigade. They developed a strong cyber team soon after Digimon first realized that data streams could be used to carry long-ranged, digital information via e-waves. The team wasn't initially used for spying but to ensure that their own official and industry databases couldn't be hacked. However, when Chaosdramon took over, they were increasingly used for industrial espionage to make sure that they would have the economic edge. They also—sorry, I'm rambling, aren't I?"

Omegamon smiled. "It's fine, Metallife."

"What are they trying to hack us for?" Dukemon questioned.

"Most likely evidence that links us to PrinceMamemon. Or maybe sensitive information about our military," MetallifeKuwagamon explained. "I've managed to repel them."

"Keep up the good work," Omegamon told him. "We won't distract you any longer."

As Omegamon turned towards the door, MetallifeKuwagamon stopped typing suddenly. "…Is it going to be war?" he asked, his voice apprehensive.

Omegamon stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Don't worry. We're trying to avoid that if at all possible."

The former-Metal Empire Digimon gave a short nod and went back to work.

Dukemon moved aside so that Omegamon could walk out. The two Royal Knights walked side by side down the hallway.

"He seems worried," Dukemon mentioned, glancing over at Omegamon.

"Yes, he does," Omegamon replied, his gaze softening. "I suppose it's natural, considering that he's wanted for treason by the Metal Empire." He sighed softly and folded his arms and they walked down the corridor. "It must be hard… not having anywhere to go back to."

Dukemon's gold eyes trailed down and he subconsciously placed his hand over the black symbol engraved in the center of his breastplate. "Yeah… It is," he said softly.

Omegamon froze in his steps, inadvertently causing Dukemon to walk ahead of him. The crimson knight stopped and turned around to see Omegamon looking down at the ground, embarrassment all over his face.

"I-I'm sorry, Dukemon," he told him, his head bowed. "I wasn't thinking… I forgot that you-…"

Dukemon observed him with astonishment. After a few moments, a warm smile grew on his face, behind his helmet. "Don't be, Omegamon…" he reassured him. "I like to think that you don't have to walk on eggshells around me. You're… Well, you're one of the few people I feel comfortable talking to about my problems… especially that one problem."

Omegamon raised his head in surprise. "I… am?" he asked him, blinking.

The red Royal Knight stood up straight and rubbed the back of his head. "Apart from Grani, you're the first person I told about the Digital Hazard. You were also one of the most supportive, along with Examon and Magnamon."

"What about the others?" Omegamon asked him.

Dukemon half-smiled at his question. "…Don't get me wrong, the others are great. They were supportive too... It's just… there was this nervousness when I told them. I could tell that they were worried about it…"

"Of course," the white Royal Knight responded. "They were worried about you, like I was. Naturally…"

At this, Dukemon stalled. He thought about Omegamon's words carefully.

Finally, he spoke. "Yeah…" He forced a smile. He didn't want to pursue his scepticism, so his voice was resigned and acquiescent. "Yeah, you're right, Omega…"

Omegamon quietly stepped beside him.

"I'm… I'm glad that you feel that way, Dukemon," the second-in-command said to him sheepishly, his blue eyes staring at the stone floor in front of them. "That you feel like you can talk to me."

Dukemon smiled a bit and gave him a friendly elbow. "It's not hard when you're one of the least judgmental guys that I know," he told him, raising his hand and resting it on his shoulder. "So… Speaking of talking to you…"

Omegamon raised his gaze and looked at Dukemon curiously. "Yes?"

"I've been meaning to do that today," Dukemon informed them. "Do you mind if we go to your room?"

Omegamon frowned and looked forward again. "My room?" he asked sceptically. "…What about lunch?"

Dukemon chuckled. "We can get it after. I know you have a big appetite," he assured him. "It won't take long."

After some deliberation, Omegamon nodded in agreement. "Let's go then."

The two holy knights made their way over to the stone staircase at the end of the hallway and walked up it. Upon reaching the second level of the castle, they strode down another broad hallway towards the wing of the headquarters where their bedrooms were. Upon reaching the semi-lit hallway, Omegamon headed to one of the rooms near the end of the passage. He opened the door and allowed Dukemon to walk in.

Dukemon stepped inside the bedroom. The bedroom was standard fare for the rooms inside the castle. There was a large, carefully tidied bed with white covers over on the far end of the room, near the windows. Over on the left side was a large desk with a personal computer and several notebooks neatly stacked on it. Dukemon briefly glanced outside the windows from where he stood. The room overlooked the training grounds, so he was able to see the Strike Forces doing combat drills across the wide, open area.

He turned around and closed the bedroom door after Omegamon walked inside. "Can we sit down?" Dukemon asked him.

"Of course," Omegamon responded. "Shall I pull up a—" He didn't finish his sentence as he saw Dukemon already walking over and sitting down on his bed. The white knight felt a bit embarrassed at Dukemon's informality, but he walked over and sat down on the bed as well, although at the foot of it.

Dukemon looked over at him. "Sorry, what?" he asked, leaning one arm over on the nearby pillow.

"Nothing," Omegamon assured him with a nervous smile. "So… What did you want to talk about?"

"Well… you, to be blunt," Dukemon explained. He sat up a bit straighter and looked at him more fully. "Is everything okay? You seem kind of different today."

Omegamon winced and looked down at his lap. "I'm fine, Dukemon," he said, although none-too-convincingly.

"Omegamon…" Dukemon told him with a flat, disbelieving voice. He folded his arms for emphasis. "I can find other ways to get it out of you, you know."

The acting-leader of the Royal Knights felt a bead of sweat drip down the back of his head. He wasn't sure what Dukemon meant by that. Regardless, it meant that Dukemon saw through his thin façade and he probably wouldn't leave him until he got to the bottom of it.

"I just have a lot on my mind, Dukemon," Omegamon told him, his words vague and minimizing.

Dukemon leaned forwards a bit. "Anything in particular?"

Omegamon realized that Dukemon was going to be stubborn. He sighed softly. "…Yes…" he admitted. "I had a nightmare last night."

Dukemon raised an eyebrow. "A nightmare…? What about?"

The Royal Knight brought one of his legs up onto the bed and leaned forwards onto it. "I dreamt that I was Omegamon Zwart again…" he replied, his voice melancholy. "I stabbed Alphamon…"

The crimson caped warrior winced faintly at his words. He reached his hand over and rubbed Omegamon's shoulder. "It was just a dream…"

"Was it?" Omegamon said with a grimace.

Dukemon frowned curiously behind his helmet. "Huh?"

"What if there's more to it, Dukemon?" Omegamon inquired as he turned to his friend.

"What do you mean?" Dukemon responded.

Omegamon looked down. "What if… What if Alphamon wasn't able to fix me completely? What if there's still dark data inside of me? It was an impromptu thing that he did to purify me, and he wasn't entirely sure that it would work. Perhaps it didn't completely work. Perhaps Duskmon missed something when he checked me afterwards."

Dukemon sighed and closed his eyes meditatively. "Let me ask you this, Omega. How do you feel? …Do you feel like you?"

The white Royal Knight looked over with some confusion. "Do I feel like me?" he repeated in question.

His red and silver counterpart nodded. "Do you feel like there's something trying to sweep you away and take control? Do you feel like you're sinking with nothing to grab hold of?" he asked, his voice serious and meaningful. "I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. You can remember when DarkKnightmon forced the dark data into you, right? Do you remember how that felt?"

Omegamon grimaced and felt a cold chill creep down his back. "…Yes…"

Dukemon looked Omegamon in the eyes. "And do you feel like that at all? Even a little?"

Omegamon looked down in thought for a moment before looking up to face Dukemon again. "…No. I don't think I do," his light voice responded.

His friend smiled and gripped his shoulder. "Then you're fine."

The fused knight observed Dukemon thoughtfully. "You sound like you're speaking from experience, Dukemon…"

Dukemon smiled wistfully and looked away. "I am… From one time," he said, his deep tenor voice honest yet reticent.

Upon seeing Dukemon's reaction, he knew not to pry deeper. He simply nodded understandingly. "…I still feel guilty, Dukemon…" Omegamon sombrely said. "For what I did to Alphamon… to all of you."

Dukemon inched down the bed and slid his hand onto Omegamon's back. "Which was in no way your fault. Yeah, you and Alphamon had an argument, but the dark data amplified that. Don't blame yourself, Omega."

"It's hard not to when it was me who was doing everything," he explained. "It was my sword, my cannon… I saw everything happen as it took place. I can't separate myself entirely from what Zwart did; it wasn't like my body was stolen from me…"

Dukemon's golden eyes narrowed slightly. "Yeah, I understand that… but still… It was the influence of the Dark Area," he told him.

Omegamon nodded lightly. "Yes, I know…" he sighed. "I'm sorry, Dukemon. I don't know why I'm moping. This is very unprofessional of me."

"We all have our problems," Dukemon reassured him with a small smile. "You're allowed every now and then."

Omegamon returned the tiny smile. "It shouldn't be when I'm in charge of the Order," he replied.

"Hey, at least you didn't try to throttle Duftmon like I did, last time I was in charge," Dukemon joked.

The acting leader allowed for a soft, light chuckle. "We all think about doing it at one time or another."

"I didn't hear the end of it for awhile. It's more trouble than it's worth," Dukemon told him with a playful wink.

Omegamon smiled. He began to feel more at ease with both himself and Dukemon. He found that Dukemon often had that effect on the people that he was with. At least, most of the time.

"Dukemon…" Omegamon spoke up. "Can I ask _you_ something now?"

"Sure, Omega. Anything," Dukemon replied light-heartedly.

"Anything?" the Royal Knight repeated, looking him in the eyes.

Dukemon nodded. "Go for it."

"…How did you meet Grani?" Omegamon asked him.

The crimson knight sat up slightly, taken off guard by the question. "U-Uh…" he stammered and paused. "Did I say 'anything'…?"

"It's just that nobody seems to know how you two met…" Omegamon put forward. Upon seeing Dukemon's reaction, he was suddenly not as comfortable asking as he was a few moments ago. "It's all a big mystery. The few times it came up in conversation, you changed the topic."

Dukemon pivoted on the bed so that his legs hung over the side, making it easier for him to stand up. "It's no big deal, really," Dukemon dismissively responded, obviously uncomfortable.

Omegamon frowned. "Then why don't you tell me?" he asked him.

The carmine Royal Knight rubbed his chest and stood to his feet. He considered walking out of the room, but he stopped himself and stood there silently for a few moments. "…Okay, it _is_ a big deal," he told his friend. "It is to me, anyways."

Omegamon placed his feet on the floor and stood up as well. "Do you not trust me?" Omegamon asked him, locking eyes with him.

Dukemon sighed. "That's not it, Omegamon. You know it's not," he replied animatedly. "I just don't like talking about it. With anybody – not just with you."

Omegamon folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "I'm trying to be understanding, Dukemon, but it's hard when I have so many questions," he explained. "I respect your right to privacy, it's just that…"

"It's really nothing personal, Omega," Dukemon assured him, looking away from him. "I don't like talking about my past. You can probably guess as to why."

The white Royal Knight nodded and sighed. "I understand… I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to cause you discomfort. I was just curious."

Dukemon smiled a bit. "It's fine, Omega. Sorry for being weird about it…" he told him, offering his hand as a show of good will.

Omegamon took it. "You have your reasons."

"I'll tell you one day. It's just not an easy thing for me to talk about," he told him, smiling ironically. "Which I realize is weird, considering that we're talking about the time I met my oldest friend."

"You don't have to explain, Dukemon," Omegamon told him. "Anyways, thank you for talking to me. It helped to get that off my chest."

Dukemon gripped Omegamon's hand and then released it. "Whenever you need it, just ask," Dukemon told him

"Likewise," the acting leader of the Royal Knights replied. "Want to get some lunch now?"

Dukemon laughed. "Always thinking with your stomach," he said, patting Omegamon's shoulder.

Omegamon tinted in the cheeks a bit and walked towards the door. "Then let's get back to work," he made sure to add.

Dukemon grinned and allowed Omegamon to walk out. "Whatever you say, acting leader," he told him.

As soon as Omegamon left the room and began to walk down the hallway, Dukemon's smile faded. He watched with a mixture of guilt and hesitation as Omegamon walked ahead of him. He stopped himself from gripping the symbol on the front of his armour and instead reached behind him to close the door of the room. Putting his thoughts out of his mind, Dukemon walked to catch up with Omegamon.

* * *

The afternoon passed smoothly and without irregularity. The training drills continued until the evening and the patrols maintained their consistency.

It was now the evening and a large portion of the Order was in castle's cafeteria, eating their supper. Those who weren't were either on duty or waiting for free space to open up in the cafeteria so that they could find a place to sit. It was in the early evening that the cafeteria was most active, teeming with hungry soldiers.

This included the Royal Knights. Since half of the knights were away on business, the ones remaining at the castle were all able to fit at one table. The rectangular table was located over at the far wall of the cafeteria, opposite to the one where the entrance was. Sitting at the table were Omegamon, Duftmon, and Craniamon on one side. Opposite to them was Magnamon, Dukemon, and RhodoKnightmon. At the end of the table was Examon, as his wings would get in the way otherwise. The seven were chatting amicably.

"Shouldn't you be in the kitchen helping your kitchen staff?" Dukemon asked RhodoKnightmon in jest.

"Ah, now, you know they are competent enough to make RhodoKnightmon-approved meals even while I'm away on a mission," the svelte, pink Royal Knight responded, wagging his fork. "Besides, with the rest of the Royal Knights away and the Aerial Strike Forces still practicing manoeuvres at the coast, we aren't as busy as usual."

Duftmon took a polite, modest bite of a vegetable on his fork and swallowed it before speaking. "I hardly think that they will need to practice anti-amphibious assault manoeuvres in preparation for fighting the Metal Empire," he mused aloud. "It seems like a waste of time to me."

Craniamon elbowed the tactician's arm sharply.

The leopard knight let out a cry of surprise when he suddenly dropped the food-filled fork down his front. He looked down at his lap and then up to glare at the violet Royal Knight. "Now look what you've done! I just washed this sash!" he rebuked him.

Craniamon, unfazed, gave him a stern look. "Officially, they're not training to fight the Metal Empire. Don't say that out loud," he curtly told him.

Duftmon muttered something about Craniamon under his breath and took a new, thoroughly cleaned fork from out of his pocket. "It may not be official, but that's what they are doing. Why do you think Alphamon gave the order to step up the training for all branches of the Order?"

"That doesn't mean you should say it out loud," Craniamon countered. "There's no war yet, and the soldiers might hear you. We don't want it getting out that we're considering that option."

"Hmph," Duftmon huffed as he sat up straighter in his seat. "I'm finally able to enjoy a meal without Gankoomon's and Dynasmon's disgusting table manners and you go and ruin it."

Craniamon rolled his glowing, red eyes. He took some pleasure in knowing that Duftmon's annoyed demeanour meant that he was conceding the point. He looked over to his right, to Examon, who was eating red meat. "Examon and I finished the letter to PrinceMamemon," he stated with a hint of pride in his voice.

Omegamon looked over at Examon. "How bad was it?" he asked him.

Examon swallowed the food in his mouth and smiled. "I at least convinced him not to use insults," he replied. "Do you want to read it for approval?"

Omegamon shook his head. "I trust it's fine. At this point, using the strongest terms is probably necessary, if it shakes PrinceMamemon out of his stubbornness."

"A letter's fine, but I think we should go to his palace and knock on his door," Craniamon suggested. "That way, he can't just ignore us."

"I don't know," Magnamon said sceptically. "Going to meet with PrinceMamemon would only implicate us to the Metal Empire even more. I'm sure they have spies all over the city by now."

Duftmon nodded. "You bring up a good point, Magnamon. The first step the Metal Empire takes in times of crisis is to intensify their surveillance," he explained.

"It's a good thing we put Karatenmon and his spies on counter-espionage, then," Dukemon stated.

"This is all we can do, for now," Omegamon told them. "Like Craniamon said before, we don't want to escalate things, so we have to play defensively."

Magnamon sighed and put his eating utensils down. "I'm worried about how MetallifeKuwagamon is handling it. I can tell he's getting anxious." He looked across the cafeteria to another table where the mechanical insect Digimon was sitting across from Karatenmon, who had since returned to the castle.

"He should be fine as long as he stays in the castle," RhodoKnightmon pointed out.

Dukemon frowned. "That's no way to live though," he stated with a hint of anger in his voice. "Digimon living in fear… That's why we need to take Chaosdramon down."

Craniamon kicked Dukemon's leg under the table.

"Ow!" Dukemon yelled. He glared at Craniamon. "What was that for?!"

"You're talking suspiciously in public," Craniamon responded simply. "Let's change the subject already."

Examon nodded and looked at the crimson Royal Knight. "When is Grani coming back?" he asked him.

"Tomorrow, it looks like," Dukemon responded, rubbing his sore leg under the table. "Gankoomon and Sleipmon will probably be back in the afternoon tomorrow too." He stood up with his empty tray and glanced over to a nearby table, where BaoHuckmon was sitting across from Imperialdramon: Dragon Mode. "Anyway, I have to go talk with BaoHuckmon. I'm gonna give him a little bit of mentoring."

"I'm sure he'll appreciate that," Magnamon said with a knowing smile. "A lot."

"Just don't go overboard," Duftmon added as he dabbed his mouth with a napkin. "Although, knowing you, you likely will."

Examon grinned. "Ignore him, Dukemon. You're a good mentor," he told him.

Dukemon chuckled. "Big compliment from my favourite student," he said with a wink. With that, he took his tray to be cleaned and walked over to Gankoomon's apprentice.

Magnamon took a drink from his glass. "What are all of you going to do this evening?" he asked curiously.

"Train," Craniamon spoke immediately.

"You just ate. You shouldn't exercise while digesting," Duftmon told him disapprovingly.

"I didn't get a chance to practice today," Craniamon responded.

"I think I'll have a long, relaxing bath," RhodoKnightmon spoke. "Oh, and speaking of which, be sure to shower after your session, Craniamon."

Craniamon rolled his eyes. "And the rest of you?"

"I will be reading a book in my room," Duftmon stated.

"I might join you in training, Crania," Magnamon told him.

Craniamon nodded, willing to have somebody to spar and work out with. "Fine with me."

Magnamon looked across the table. "And you, Omegamon?"

"I have some paperwork that I need to finish up. Then I'll probably just relax," Omegamon answered.

"Sounds like a good plan," he said.

And with that, the golden Royal Knight stood up from the table, taking his empty plate and silverware in his claws. He began to bring his plate to be cleaned, but he was interrupted when MetallifeKuwagamon suddenly walked over to their table.

The short dragon knight looked up. "Oh, hey, Metallife," Magnamon greeted.

"Hello," the bug Digimon greeted. "I just wanted to say that I've finished updating the security for our systems and databases. They should be D-Brigade-proof now."

Omegamon gave him a small smile and a nod. "Thank you very much, Metallife," he told him. "You should take a rest."

MetallifeKuwagamon nodded. "I will. Just happy to be of service," he told them.

"Come on. I'll walk with you," Magnamon told him, beginning to walk.

Craniamon stood to his feet as well. "Meet me at the sparring room in half an hour, Magnamon," the violet knight told him as he walked away.

The rest of the Royal Knights finished up and cleared the table as well. This was so that they could make room for the next set of occupants.

Omegamon looked across the cafeteria to Dukemon, who was talking to an excited BaoHuckmon. He was glad that he talked to him earlier. He felt more relaxed and confident now. The Royal Knight wasn't sure if it was because Dukemon just had that effect on him or if it helped to talk with someone who knew what they were talking about.

Either way, Omegamon felt more like the acting-leader of the Royal Knights now.

* * *

Evening soon turned into night. The weather stayed the same over the Royal Knights' headquarters and the rest of the Splendor's Reach. The thick pall of clouds covered the sky, blocking out the setting sun and the dual moons. The dark, ashen veil also threatened rain. As night set in, mist covered the landscape and gently glided across the grassy plains. The thick, ghostly fog caressed the ground as it drifted in the breeze. The mist was impenetrable, so it was hard to see more than five meters in front.

Even from the castle walls, which were raised above the mist, it was hard to see what was happening on the ground below. Despite this, the castle guards continued to stand on guard. They patrolled the walls and various places around the castle vigilantly. They were on night duty, but they were still very much alert. It was around midnight and most of the Digimon living in the castle had gone to bed with the exception of the on-duty guards and a few others.

Two anthropomorphic Digimon walked along the western wall – the one that faced the road in and out of the castle. One had the brawny, feline body of a Leomon. The other was a blue furred canine – MachGaogamon. The two guards walked along the ramparts towards each other. They were at the part of the wall just north of the barracks buildings, adjacent to the north side of the castle grounds where the large training area was located.

"Hey," the Leomon greeted as he stopped in front of the MachGaogamon.

"Yo," the MachGaogamon responded, halting as well for a short break. "How's your shift going?"

The Leomon shrugged. "Okay, I guess. It'd be better if it weren't so creepy tonight," he said, nodding over the parapets to the eerie mist swathed across the plains. "I don't like not being able to see the ground."

The MachGaogamon grinned and folded his arms. "Have you been listening to scary stories again?" he questioned, glancing over at the veiled landscape. He then looked up at the grey clouds, which made the night not as dark as it could have been. "I'm more worried about it raining before my shift ends. I don't want to get my fur drenched."

"Just towel off if that happens," the leonine guard told him.

The canine Digimon shrugged. "Can't. Everything's in the laundry today," he responded. He was about to open his mouth again, but he suddenly frowned. His ear twitched and he turned towards the misty landscape around the castle. "Do you hear that?" he asked his comrade.

The Leomon raised an eyebrow at him and glanced over to the distance. "Hear what?"

"I don't know…" he murmured, listening keenly. "It's like a whirring sound."

"I don't hear anything… Maybe it's the wind," the lion man responded.

The MachGaogamon sneered. "It doesn't sound like the wind. I'm going to check it out."

"Are you serious?" the Leomon asked him incredulously. "Stay on the wall."

As the two castle guards debated and continued looking into the distance, neither of them noticed what was happening behind them.

A tear leading to a black void opened in mid air, just behind the wall. The jet-black body of GranKuwagamon slowly emerged into the open air from the dimensional Zone Black Hole. His ebony carapace blended into the night. Standing on his back was Blitzmon, who gracefully jumped off.

GranKuwagamon silently slide digivolved into GrandisKuwagamon. The now-humanoid insect moved towards the ramparts alongside Blitzmon.

The MachGaogamon guard sneered and his ear twitched again at the presence of another sound from behind them. "I hear something else," he told his comrade.

Just as the canine Digimon was about to turn around, a pair of pincers clamped shut around his neck, holding him in place. The MachGaogamon released a gurgled yell of pain and surprise. He reached up on reflex to grab the tight forceps choking him.

The Leomon spun to face him and his eyes widened to see a GrandisKuwagamon standing behind MachGaogamon. He immediately reached for his sword hanging from his belt. "Mach-grgh!?" He was cut off when a yellow hand reached out and grabbed the end of his snout. A second arm wrapped around his neck from behind and put him in a firm chokehold.

Blitzmon stood behind him and glared with a silent intensity. As the Leomon grabbed Blitzmon's arms with one hand, his other drew his blade and prepared to strike. However Blitzmon wrenched his arms sharply in different directions, strong enough to break the Leomon's neck. The guard buckled and burst into data, after dropping his sword with a clang.

Meanwhile, GrandisKuwagamon kept hold of the MachGaogamon's neck before he drove his Gran Killers into the canine's back, straight through his digicore. The tips of the claw gauntlets pierced from his chest and caused blood to spurt onto the stone parapets of the wall. The MachGaogamon guard ceased struggling and burst into data along with his comrade.

GrandisKuwagamon withdrew his Gran Killer from the cloud of data, the tips of which still dripped crimson liquid. He looked around the walls and towers carefully, his blood red eye shimmering with intensity. He then turned to Blitzmon and spoke in a hushed voice. "This part of the wall looks clear," he whispered. "We need to make this quick."

"I'll keep watch here. You go get Bolgmon," Blitzmon quietly responded.

GrandisKuwagamon nodded and jumped off the wall, flapping his wings and flying towards the misty ground. He disappeared in the fog.

Alone on the wall, Blitzmon watched the castle carefully. He could see the outlines of guards on different parts of the wall, but they were likely too far away for them to be able to distinguish him. He also worried about the guard towers and the nearby barracks. They had to make this quick, otherwise they'd be spotted.

It was a minute until a second Zone Black Hole opened up in the fabric of space. GranKuwagamon emerged from the spacial rift with Bolgmon in his arms. The large, black insect gently placed Bolgmon on top of the wall and then clung onto the parapets from the outer face of the wall.

"Can you make the shot from here?" GranKuwagamon asked in a low hiss.

Bolgmon slowly drove forwards on the wall, positioning himself so that he was facing the main building of the castle. He brought up the HUD in his vision and scanned the north side of the giant building. "Yeah, I can. The angle's good enough," he responded.

Bolgmon then bent forwards and planted his larger pair of hands firmly on the castle wall. He began to angle his giant horn cannon. A screen suddenly emerged from the cyborg insect's back. It was a tracking screen that began flashing with numerical and digi-letter algorithms as the screen showed him taking aim at one of the windows on the third level of the castle.

"Seventh window down…" he murmured. Bolgmon glanced over his shoulder to GranKuwagamon, who was standing nearby on the wall. "Grandis. Get behind me and hold me steady. If I hit the wall from the recoil, it could throw my aim off."

"Fine," GranKuwagamon replied, repositioning himself on the parapets and latching onto the wall with his four clawed legs. Once in position, he pressed his hands against Bolgmon's back to brace him against the recoil.

Bolgmon aimed carefully and he began to charge up energy within his horn cannon. "I can't be sure the MetallifeKuwagamon guy is in there," the tank Digimon stated.

"Where else would he be at this time?" GrandisKuwagamon asked.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter if you hit him or not," Blitzmon added. "Just don't take too much time taking aim."

"Gotcha," Bolgmon responded. His eyes narrowed and a grin crawled onto his metal face. "Firing in 5… 4…"

GranKuwagamon held Bolgmon tightly.

"3…"

Blitzmon took a few steps back. "Be ready, Grandis," he told the giant, black bug Digimon.

"2…"

GranKuwagamon nodded and braced both himself and Bolgmon.

"1," Bolgmon rumbled as his cannon brimmed with positronic energy.

"Field Destroyer."

A massive, glowing beam tore from his cannon and surged through the night sky. The force of the laser sent Bolgmon shooting into reverse; sparks ignited beneath his cannon arms as they dragged against the stone despite Bolgmon trying to hold himself in place. He was cushioned by GranKuwagamon, who held him steady from behind as the stream of positrons roared.

The thick, positron laser soared over the barracks and the castle courtyard as it shot up at a slight incline towards the building. The beam wailed and crackled with surging energy and its light lit up the stone surroundings brightly.

The tip of the beam hit its destination and tore through the stone wall. The targeted room exploded, and the residual beam passed into the next room down, creating a secondary blast. Positronic energy and dust exploded out of the windows in a thunderous, fulgent blast of yellow-white. Giant fragments of stone shot outwards from the building and the ceiling collapsed inside the room.

No later than when the last bit of smoking energy leaked from Bolgmon's cannon did he get upright again. "Let's go!" he barked as shouts began to echo through the reverberations of the explosion.

GranKuwagamon grabbed Bolgmon and started flapping his wings rapidly, using all his strength to heave the heavy Digimon into the air. He flew over the parapets and swooped down, Blitzmon right behind him. As soon as GranKuwagamon was near the ground, he let go of Bolgmon and allowed the cyborg mecha to drop.

Bolgmon dropped like a brick, but he sent his energy into the vents on his underside. This sent pressurized steam shooting out, which allowed him to land gently on the ground. As soon as his treads touched the grass on the other side of the moat, he put his engines into full gear. Bolgmon ripped across the fog-veiled grass, steaming away as quickly as he could.

While he did that, GranKuwagamon ripped his pincers into the fabric of space once again. "Zone Black Hole," he whispered, ripping open a temporary void in front of him. He allowed Blitzmon to jump onto his back as he flew through. As soon as they passed through the rend, it sealed up as if it was never there.

Black Pincer Company left behind them a chaotic scene. As the Order's soldiers began to scramble, smoke billowed out of a gaping hole in the third floor of the castle.

* * *

Omegamon, Dukemon, Magnamon, and RhodoKnightmon ran up the stairs from the second floor to the third floor. They wanted to know just what was going on. They had been either awoken from their sleeps of drawn away from whatever they were doing by the quaking explosion a minute earlier. The reverberations from the explosion could still be felt in the stone foundations.

The first one up the stairs was Omegamon. He darted into the hallway and stopped. The ceiling of the corridor was cloaked in smoke, which seemed to be pouring out of two of the rooms far down the hallway. Omegamon readied his Garuru Arm and dashed down the hallway towards the epicenter of the explosion.

Dukemon was right behind him, but as soon as he started to run, Captain Knightmon charged out of his room, half-naked and holding his short sword in one hand and his kite shield in the other.

"What in the blazes is going on?!" he demanded, looking around with a mixture of grogginess and vigilance.

"Dunno. Think it was an explosion," Dukemon responded hurriedly. "Grab everyone in the other rooms and bring them downstairs. Then scramble with the Defence Forces!" he called to the Captain as he ran by him.

"Sir!" Captain Knightmon called back, dutifully running into another room.

Magnamon and RhodoKnightmon ran after Dukemon and Omegamon. A worried glare formed on Magnamon's face. "Those are Metallife and Karatenmon's rooms…"

"Be prepared for more blasts!" RhodoKnightmon warned as he slid on his Pile Bunker.

Omegamon and Dukemon stopped just short of the rooms, allowing Magnamon and RhodoKnightmon to catch up with them. Running towards them from the opposite end of the hallway were Duftmon, Craniamon, and Examon.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Duftmon demanded as he hastily finished pulling on his armour.

"We're under attack," Omegamon stated, using his free hand to pull his cape over the bottom half of his face so that his throat wasn't irritated by the dust and smoke.

Just as Omegamon was about to enter the room in front of him, a tall, dark figure staggered out of the next room down.

Karatenmon emerged from the smoky room, clutching the twin Irataka no Ken swords in his talons. He was wobbly on his feet and he looked around in a daze. The black, scruffy feathers on his head were matted with blood from a cut above his eye.

"Karatenmon!" Dukemon called out urgently.

Craniamon cautiously walked over to him and held the crow man steady. "I've got you," he told him. "Are you alright?"

Karatenmon grunted, wincing at the shock and the pain in his head. "Yeah… Just dizzy… All I need is a minute," he responded.

"What happened?" Examon asked him, glaring as he hurried into Karatenmon's room, Ambrosius in hand.

"Explosion," was all Karatenmon said before releasing a haggard cough.

"Metallife!" Magnamon shouted out.

Omegamon turned and watched as Magnamon ran into MetallifeKuwagamon's room to the left of Karatenmon's. The white Royal Knight frowned and followed him inside.

The room was half full of dust and smoke and it radiated static. Rock crumbled from the half-collapsed ceiling. The outside wall and window were completely gone, allowing the smoke to flow out and Omegamon to see into the night. The wall separating the room from Karatemon's was partially vaporized and partially collapsed too.

MetallifeKuwagamon lay on the rubble-strewn floor in the center of the room, unconscious. The exoskeleton of his right leg was badly scorched and the metal shell fragmented, allowing blood to ooze out. The rest of his body was badly scuffed and it looked like the blast had thrown him hard.

"Metallife! Can you hear me?" Magnamon asked him urgently, kneeling down beside his body.

Omegamon's sapphire eyes narrowed. He looked to his right and gazed into Karatenmon's room, where he saw Examon looking out the partially destroyed outer wall with his lance-rifle hybrid at the ready.

Omegamon looked around at the other Royal Knights and then back to Examon. "Examon!" he called out to him. "Go scout it out." Examon nodded and jumped out of the hole in the wall, taking to the sky.

"Dukemon, Magnamon, you're with me!" Omegamon ordered with determination and composure in his voice. He then turned around. "Duftmon, RhodoKnightmon, go and help organize the forces. Craniamon, you stay here and guard Metallife and Karatenmon!"

Omegamon ran and jumped out what was left of the window, flying into the air as well. Dukemon also made his way down to tail him, as did Magnamon, although he was reluctant to leave the wounded bug Digimon. Following them were Duftmon and RhodoKnightmon.

Meanwhile, Duskmon ran down the hallway towards Craniamon and the wounded Digimon after being arisen by Knightmon. The eyes on his body were red and irritated from all of the smoke and dust, but he continued anyways.

"Good timing, Doc," Cranimon told him. "There was a powerful explosion. We've got a couple wounded here."

"I'm fine. Just need to collect myself…" Karatenmon insisted dismissively.

Duskmon narrowed his eyes and walked up to the avian Digimon. He used his hand to turn the spymaster's head so that he could inspect his head wound. "You might have a concussion, so you aren't 'fine'. You're coming with me to the ward," he told him.

"But we might be under attack," Karatenmon protested stubbornly. "I'm not going to let a tiny cut slow me down."

"The others can handle it for now, whatever the situation is," Duskmon insisted, his voice not leaving room for argument. He then looked into MetallifeKuwagamon's room and looked the wounded Digimon over. "Craniamon, can we use your shield as a stretcher? We need to carefully move him down to the medical bay."

Craniamon nodded. "Consider it done," he said. He allowed Karatenmon to lean against the wall. "Now, you heard the physician. Don't you go disappearing."

Karatenmon gave a weak smile of resignation. "I won't. Ninja's honour… Don't want to get told off by Duskmon…" he said with a bit of humour in his voice.

"Good," Craniamon said, moving into what was left of MetallifeKuwagamon's room so that he and Duskmon could transport him. The violet Royal Knight took off his shield and placed it beside the insect Digimon. He then kneeled down and glanced out the window. "_Still no follow-up attack? Strange… Maybe it's over now…_"

* * *

It wasn't long until dawn broke the next morning. The dark sky was still a deep grey as the clouds continued to cover the sky. The rest of the night after the attack had been busy. Everybody had to prepare for another potential attack, but Examon and the scouts were employed to try and follow the attackers. The entire Order was on guard.

The hours passed and they soon realized that it was just the single attack. However, that didn't stop the constant patrols and investigations around the castle.

Omegamon stood outside the castle walls, poised on the grassy landscape. He stared down at a patch of dewy grass, which had been crushed by dual tank treads. His blue eyes had an pensive intensity in them as he leered down at the tread-like impressions in the grass.

Dukemon stood beside him silently. He gazed into the dark distance. He was able to spot Examon's form against the cloudy sky. "He's back," he told Omegamon.

Omegamon looked up to see swooping down towards them. Examon flapped his sentient wings a few, graceful times, and landed gently before them.

"Any luck?" Dukemon asked him.

Examon sighed and shook his head. "We've looked everywhere," he stated. He pointed down at the lines of crushed grass. "We followed these tracks, but they just disappear once they lead to the main road. Right now, the scouts are doing a general sweep of the area around the castle and following the road through Knights' Cross, but it's not looking good."

Omegamon narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Thank you, Examon."

Examon looked over as Magnamon, Duftmon, RhodoKnightmon, and Craniamon walked over to them as well.

"What's the final report?" Omegamon asked.

"Leomon and MachGaogamon of the Castle Guards have been deleted, it seems," RhodoKnightmon grimly explained.

Omegamon grimaced and nodded.

"It was likely during the infiltration," Duftmon surmised.

Magnamon was glaring furiously.

"How are MetallifeKuwagamon and Karatenmon?" Examon asked them.

"Karatenmon only has minor injuries and a small concussion," Craniamon responded. "MetallifeKuwagamon's leg is broken and he's still unconscious. Duskmon said he'll be okay though."

"Whoever it was snuck onto the wall, attacked, and then disappeared into the night," Dukemon said with a sneer.

"How did they get past our defences?" Examon asked.

"They were smart. They took advantage of the weather and infiltrated stealthily. They probably timed the guards' movements as well," Omegamon noted with a frown.

Duftmon placed his hands on his hips. "We need to learn from this experience. Furthermore, we examined the damage to the castle," he stated. "Assuming that their aim was accurate, they were targeting MetallifeKuwagamon. Though from the angle of attack, Karatenmon was a bonus."

"And we all know who did it, too!" Magnamon angrily spoke up.

The Royal Knights turned to look at him.

"It was the Metal Empire trying to assassinate them!" Magnamon stated firmly.

Duftmon frowned with thought. "It's possible… Although it was a flagrantly aggressive and provocative move. Foolishly so," he cogitated.

Magnamon turned to him. "Come on, Duftmon. How can there be any doubt?" he asked him. "Tank Digimon… a covert infiltration squad… The fact that they tried to assassinate their former scientist and inventor… Who else could it be?"

"I have to agree with Magnamon here," Dukemon said. "The Metal Empire… They think we've been working with the Mamemon Kingdom to steal from them and undermine them. This is their declaration of war. They're sending us a message saying that they're not afraid of us."

Craniamon nodded and cracked his knuckles. "Who else would do this?"

Duftmon folded his arms. "I suppose the evidence is pointing clearly towards the Metal Empire…"

Magnamon's intense red eyes narrowed. "We're the defenders of Yggdrasil. Attacking us is like attacking Yggdrasil itself! We can't let them get away with this!" he stated ardently.

Dukemon and Examon looked at him worriedly. It was rare to see Magnamon angry like that.

RhodoKnightmon frowned. "I suppose we now have an excuse to go to war," he pointed out.

Omegamon raised his head and stared towards the horizon. "I suppose…" he murmured. "…However, I'm not making any official declarations until Alphamon and the others come back. I said that I wouldn't make any massive decisions about the Metal Empire without everybody present." He slowly closed his fists. "With that said, I think it would be best to assume that we're going to war. We need to make the necessary preparations, just to be on the safe side."

Examon shouldered his Ambrosius lance. "We really may be going to war?"

"That depends on how the Metal Empire reacts," Omegamon stated firmly. He narrowed his blue eyes with determination. "However, we need to bolster our defences. And keep up that search. We need to make sure that what happened last night never happens again…"


	12. Chapter 10 Part 1: Behind the Barrier

(Author's Notes: Here's Part 1 of Chapter 10. Sorry for the delay. I'll post Part 2 in a week. Enjoy!)

**Chapter 10: Behind the Barrier (Part I)  
**

Several days had passed since the attack on the Royal Knights' castle. By this time, Alphamon, Dynasmon, UlforceVeedramon, Gankoomon, Sleipmon, Grani, OuRyuumon, and Paildramon had all returned from their respective travels. To say that they were shocked at what they found upon their return would be an understatement.

The weather outside was still grey. There were intermittent rain showers that wetted the stone buildings and the roads of the headquarters, adding a shimmering lustre to the area. The drops of morning rain pattered against the stained glass window of the council room.

Inside, all twelve Royal Knights were seated around the circular table. Captain Knightmon, Grani, OuRyuumon, and Karatenmon stood behind them as well. Karatenmon's violet helmet was removed to accommodate the bandage wrapped around his forehead. Despite his wound, he insisted that he was now fine and able to perform his duties as normal.

There was a heavy atmosphere throughout the council room as the meeting took place.

"…And that's all we know about the attack," Craniamon stated.

Alphamon was leaning forward with his arms on the table. His brows were lowered with thought as he took all of the information in. "I see…" he responded grimly. "The evidence certainly does seem to point to the Metal Empire."

"I could kill them," Dynasmon said with a growl as he cracked his thick knuckles.

"They still haven't actually claimed responsibility for the attack, right?" Sleipmon asked aloud.

RhodoKnightmon shook his head. "Why would they? They wouldn't want to turn the other powers against them as well. Chaosdramon will probably deny the accusations we levelled against him," he observed.

Duftmon nodded with agreement. "Until we find whoever perpetrated the attack, it's his word against ours," the strategist added. "Chaosdramon may even say something ridiculous… such as that we faked the attack in order to have an excuse to go to war with them."

"You are right about one thing, Duftmon," Alphamon said, his deep voice echoing authoritatively. "We need to find the ones who carried out the attack." He turned his gaze to Zero ARMS: Grani, who floated behind Dukemon. "How is the search going, Grani?"

Grani, whose blue eyes were gazing at Karatenmon, slowly turned his attention to Alphamon. "Inconclusive," Grani informed him. "We have exhausted the search for tracks and trails, so now we are asking around the towns in Splendor's Reach and the adjacent Free Area provinces. The attack came from the west, so they may have approached from the United Dramonic Coalition as well."

"The Stealth Forces are helping out," Karatenmon spoke up.

Grani looked back over at the crow Digimon. "You should be resting, Karatenmon," he told his fellow captain calmly. "You still need to recover."

Karatenmon grinned at Grani out of the corners of his beak. "Are you worried about me, Grani?" he asked him teasingly. "That's unusual."

The crimson, avian dragon narrowed his eyes. "…No. I shouldn't bother, obviously. Seeing as your head is as hard as rock…" Grani spoke, his calm voice growing immediately irritated. "And you clearly must be fine if you are able to joke about it so freely."

Karatenmon winced subtly at Grani's displeased reaction. He rubbed the back of his neck in sheepishness. "I'll rest afterwards… but the Stealth Forces aren't going to stop functioning just because I've got a bump on the head," he responded. "Anyway… the spies are collecting information. It seems like the Metal Empire is preparing for something, but at this point, I really can't say when or what."

Omegamon looked over at Grani. "How did your visit to the Mamemon Kingdom go?"

Grani closed his eyes, growing calm and professional again. "Poorly. PrinceMamemon isn't taking visitors at the moment, apparently," he responded. "I also noticed an increased military presence in Haganemame City, particularly around the palace. I believe he knows what is going to happen, so he will be calling on us for help once he gets frightened."

Alphamon nodded. "That seems likely."

"And what about this attack against us?" Craniamon asked with a frown.

Dukemon looked around the table. "We all know that Chaosdramon and the D-Brigade were behind it. There's no doubt about that. What's important is that two of our soldiers have been deleted and two were wounded. What are we going to do about it?" he asked the Royal Knights.

Duftmon folded his arms and closed his eyes. "Doesn't something feel strange about the attack, though?" he asked aloud. "A single tank-type Digimon attacking the castle from the front? It's absurd."

"He must have had other Digimon with him," UlforceVeedramon pointed out. "The two guards weren't taken out by firepower or else there'd have been more damage."

"Even so…" Duftmon mused.

Magnamon was leaning back in his chair with his arms folded. "Even so, we can't let them get away with it," he said firmly, a glower not far from his lips.

Alphamon glanced over at Magnamon. "What do you suggest we should do, Magnamon?" he asked him. "You were opposed to going to war before."

Magnamon's eyes shot over to Alphamon. "I still am. I never mentioned war," the gold knight responded pointedly. "We should take the Metal Empire out at the top. Get rid of Chaosdramon and the leading D-Brigade officials. Delete them, as it's our duty to do so."

"That's easier said than done, Magna," Dynasmon responded. "Facture's got better security than Havelock Prison."

"I doubt they're easy to take down either," Gankoomon stated, folding his arms.

"That doesn't mean we shouldn't try," Craniamon responded.

"There's no guarantee that would change anything, though," Examon countered. "If the D-Brigade is so disciplined, wouldn't its lower officers just rise up and take their place and retaliate with a vengeance? Taking Chaosdramon down doesn't necessarily mean everything beneath him would crumble."

Duftmon folded his arms. "You aren't wrong." He looked over at Karatenmon. "What do you think of the JumboGamemon loyalists? Perhaps we could convince them to rise up in revolt and assist them in causing disorder in the Metal Empire."

"It's hard to say," Karatenmon responded. "If you're even suspected of being one, you could be imprisoned or worse. It's a climate of fear and suspicion over there. That makes it hard to organize resistance."

"Hold on," Alphamon said, raising his hand. "I don't think we should be the ones to declare war. At least, not without solid evidence."

"Are you saying we should do nothing?" Magnamon asked him incredulously.

RhodoKnightmon turned his head to Alphamon. "I'm not sure that now is the time to be giving them the benefit of the doubt."

"I'm not saying that," Alphamon responded. "However, I don't think we should act immediately." He gave Magnamon a meaningful look. "Emotions are still running high, and we might end up making a decision that we will later regret."

Magnamon grimaced and looked down at his lap.

"Let's wait a bit before we decide what to do," Alphamon said to the whole table, trying to be as diplomatic as possible.

"I agree," Karatenmon spoke up, surprising some of the attendees of the meeting.

"You do?" Gankoomon asked him, cocking an eyebrow. "Even though they nearly blew you up?"

The raven ninja nodded and tugged at the bandage on his head. "Right now we're baying for blood and oil," he explained. "We should wait and let our tempers settle. This attack might have been a provocation to get us to declare war on the Metal Empire. Maybe they want us to lose the moral high ground or coax us into attacking them. We don't want to play into their hands."

"I suppose we cannot rule out that possibility," Duftmon stated.

Grani glanced over at Karatenmon with subdued interest. "That's surprisingly reasonable for you. Are you recalling your ninja training?" he asked him.

Karatenmon smiled. "I _was_ second to top of my class."

"I can believe that," the Zero ARMS dryly stated.

"I also think we should wait," Examon put forward.

"So do I," Omegamon agreed.

Magnamon frowned. "Waiting somehow feels like a failure…" the Knight of Miracles said, making his frustration clear.

"It isn't," Sleipmon assured him. "You know you'd typically agree to wait, under different circumstances…"

"You mean if they didn't try to kill Metallife?" Magnamon asked in retort.

Dynasmon looked over at him. "You've gotta admit it, Magna," he said to him.

Magnamon sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I suppose so…" he conceded. "Just as long as we don't forget about this because it's inconvenient."

"We won't, Magnamon," Alphamon reassured him. He looked around at the rest of the Royal Knights. "Should we put it to a vote or do we more or less have consensus?"

The table of Royal Knights looked around at each other.

"I don't like the idea of waiting," Dukemon spoke up, "but I realize that it's probably the best idea right now."

"I suppose," Craniamon said with a nod.

"Yeah…" Dynasmon agreed with a sigh.

The rest gave either vocal or tacit agreement as well.

"Sounds like you have your answer," Gankoomon said to Alphamon.

"This won't be the last we talk about this," Alphamon promised them. "I'm as angry as the rest of you about that attack."

Knightmon nodded. "Anyway… How did the meeting with the Council of Seven go?"

"Good," Alphamon replied. "We got them to agree to help us with the Dark Area. We'll have to meet again to work out the finer details."

"I suppose that's good, at least," RhodoKnightmon stated.

UlforceVeedramon smiled a bit. "Dynasmon got really close with Councillor Rosemon too," he added, smirking over at the violet dragon knight.

"That can't be good for diplomacy," Craniamon deadpanned. Gankoomon let out a laugh at this.

"Shut it," Dynasmon told them, although grinning as well.

"Anything else noteworthy?" Duftmon asked.

"Only personal matters," Alphamon replied. "But this meeting isn't the place for that. I'll talk about the finer details of the meeting in my report."

UlforceVeedramon leaned forwards onto the table and looked over at Gankoomon and Sleipmon. "How did the inspection go?"

"Routine," Gankoomon said with a flick of his hand. "Sleipmon spent half of the time on autographs."

Sleipmon smiled sheepishly. "He's exaggerating…" he insisted.

"Doubt it," UlforceVeedramon chuckled.

"Is there anything else we need to address?" Duftmon asked aloud.

"MetallifeKuwagamon is recovering. He still can't walk, but Duskmon says he might be able to in a week or so," Omegamon stated.

"We need to increase our castle security," Magnamon informed them.

Knightmon nodded. "We're already on it. The walls will be double-guarded during the night with increased shifts so that each guard has fresh eyes."

"We've also got stone masons coming in from Templeton to repair the damage to the castle," Dukemon explained.

"How much'll it cost?" OuRyuumon asked.

"Not sure yet," Dukemon answered. "They'll have to look at the damage first."

Dynasmon rose to his feet and stretched his arms and wings. "Ngh… Anyway, I guess that's it?" he asked everyone.

Alphamon stood up as well. "Seems to be."

Right as the Royal Knights began to rise, there was a knock at the door of the council room.

"Enter," Dynasmon said, heading over to the door anyways.

The doors opened and a Hawkmon flew in. "Excuse me," he politely greeted them.

Grani turned around and looked at him. "Hawkmon?" he asked curiously,

"What's up?" Dynasmon asked him.

"Grani, Sir. Royal Knights," the Hawkmon said, flapping his wings so that he gently landed on the ground. He bowed formally. "The Scouts sent me to deliver a message."

"Go ahead," Alphamon told the small bird Digimon.

"A digital anomaly," the falcon messenger explained. "The DADAR's been giving off readings and a patrol in the area noticed a strong energy."

"Who sent you?" Grani asked him.

"Leftenant MailBirdramon, Sir," Hawkmon responded, referring to the Digimon who was in charge of the Scouting division of the Reconnaissance Forces.

Grani looked over to the Royal Knights. Alphamon nodded to him. The Zero ARMS nodded in return and turned to Hawkmon. "Fetch him and tell him to meet us in the war room. We will head there now," he told him.

"Yes, Sir," Hawkmon replied, nodding and flying back down the great hall at swift speeds.

"Shall the rest of us get back to our duties?" Captain Knightmon asked, gesturing to himself, OuRyuumon, and Karatenmon."

Alphamon nodded. "Yes. We'll call for you if we need you, Captains," he informed them. "Thank you for attending."

OuRyuumon began to lead the way out with Knightmon and Karatenmon. "Don't worry. We'll make sure that Karatenmon goes to rest," he said, placing his hand on the crow man's shoulder.

"That really isn't necessary," Karatenmon said sheepishly as he was pushed along.

"You would have to lock the door in order for him to obey you," Grani said with a sigh.

"Thanks, Grani," Karatenmon sarcastically mentioned over his shoulder as the three other Captains walked away.

* * *

Ten minutes had passed since the council meeting ended. The Royal Knights gathered on one side of the war room. Zero ARMS: Grani and MailBirdramon were perched on the other side of the room.

MailBirdramon was a large steel dragon Digimon slightly larger than Grani was, though the castle's corridors were wide enough for him to fit through them. He had a steel coat on his neck, chin, talons, and top side of his wings. His body was a smooth, cobalt hue everywhere else. His cool, yellow eyes gazed at the 3D map table.

Craniamon leaned against the wall with his arms folded. He waited for the technical stuff to be finished so they could get to whatever the problem was. He watched as Duftmon stood at the war table, typing in the coordinates that were taken from the DADAR readings.

"…And finally, mu eight," MailBirdramon told him, finishing reading off the coordinates.

"That brings us to the north west," Duftmon said as he finished typing. "To the north of the Republic of Node. The Autonomous Expanse."

"The wilds," Gankoomon stated, having travelled through there many times.

MailBirdramon nodded. "The stretch of land ruled over by nobody. Consisting of a few independent cities, many autonomous towns, and the untamed wild."

Craniamon's interest was piqued. He glanced over to the war table, to see Duftmon bring up vectors of a familiar landscape on the 3D map. When he saw the terrain, he stood up straight from the wall.

"The exact coordinates are a kilometer to the west of Caer Ygg," Grani stated from memory.

Dynasmon raised an eyebrow and looked over at Craniamon. "Hey, Craniamon, isn't that your hometown?" he asked him.

Craniamon turned his crimson eyes away from the map and looked ahead of him. He shrugged his shoulders. "I guess so," he answered noncommittally.

"What's the situation?" UlforceVeedramon asked MailBirdramon.

"I can only speculate at the moment," MailBirdramon replied calmly. "There was an abnormal spike in data on the DADAR. We zoomed in and found a small but steady influx of irregular data in that location."

"This is starting to sound like Dusk Forest again," Examon stated, folding his winged arms and glancing over at Craniamon.

MailBirdramon nodded his long-necked head. "It does sound like it could be a dark rift. It shows the signs. I don't know if it is new or if we just missed it."

"It's impossible to find every one," Magnamon mused with a thoughtful frown on his face. "There's too much land to go over, even using the DADAR system."

Sleipmon scratched his cheek with a finger. "It must be new," he stated. "If it's been around for awhile, somebody would have reported it to us by now, right, Craniamon?" He looked over at Craniamon for his affirmation.

Craniamon glanced away. "Digimon in the Autonomous Expanse prefer to do their own thing," he dismissively said. "There's a reason people call it the wilds."

"It's different in the cities and towns though," Dukemon reasoned. "I mean, Caer Ygg's your hometown after all. If there was something weird going on, you'd be the first to know, right?"

The violet Royal Knight shrugged. "Yeah, sure," he tersely responded. "I didn't hear anything."

Alphamon glanced at Craniamon but focused his attention onto Grani and MailBirdramon. "Do we think it could be a dark evolution?" he questioned.

"It's in the realm of possibility," Grani responded.

Omegamon narrowed his eyes. "We have to make sure," he stated purposefully. "We're all aware of the power of the dark evolution."

"I agree," Dukemon concurred, his gold eyes lingering on Omegamon before looking across the room. "MailBirdramon, you said you had a scout there?"

MailBirdramon half-nodded. "In the general area, Sir… He reported seeing an unusual aura in the forest, as well as a general feeling of nausea and uneasiness," the leader of the scouts explained. "However, he decided it was better to return here than to risk making visual confirmation."

"It's better to be safe in that situation," Dynasmon said. "That way, the message can get to us."

"Indeed," RhodoKnightmon replied as he crossed a leg over the other. "So, what should we do about it? Send a team from the Strike Forces to investigate?"

Dukemon frowned at the idea. "I don't know, Rhodo. What about the situation with the Metal Empire?" he asked.

Alphamon narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin pensively. "…I can see where Dukemon's coming from," he stated. "I don't feel comfortable sending our military anywhere right now. It could be deliberately construed as a provocation. Or they could be attacked. I think it would be best to consolidate our defences here and keep up their training and preparations for the time being."

"Then what do we do?" Gankoomon asked, cocking his head to the side and folding his arms. "Can't just ignore it."

"May I suggest sending a team of two Royal Knights?" Duftmon put forward. "We would be able to move in secret, and we should have the power to put any potential dark evolution down. It makes the most sense, tactically and logistically."

"Can we afford to send two Royal Knights off at a time like this?" Sleipmon asked him.

"Ten Royal Knights at the headquarters is plenty," Duftmon insisted. "Besides, even if we were to decide to attack the Metal Empire, the two knights would likely be done before our forces even made it out of the Free Area. Simply speaking hypothetically…"

"Two knights it is," UlforceVeedramon stated. "Anybody want to go?"

Examon looked over at Craniamon. "We can assume Craniamon will be one of the two," he pointed out.

"No, we can't," Craniamon responded.

"…What?" Examon asked incredulously.

Craniamon shrugged. "I'm gonna pass on this one," he said as if it was no big deal.

A stunned silence swept over the war room and everybody turned to look at the violet Royal Knight with disbelief.

UlforceVeedramon walked up Craniamon and put his hands on his shoulders. He then shook him wildly. "Who are you and what have you done with the real Craniamon?!" he demanded.

"Guh!" Craniamon pushed UlforceVeedramon's hands away. "Cut it out," he said to him. The skull-themed knight looked around at everybody and saw their bewildered expressions. "…What?"

"…Are you feeling alright, Craniamon?" Alphamon asked him.

"I feel great," Craniamon responded defensively. "I don't want to take the mission. So what?"

"It's your hometown," Examon stated, blinking.

Craniamon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I do know that, Examon," he sarcastically replied. "Does that mean I have to go?"

"It could be in danger," Sleipmon added.

"It's a hassle," the violet Royal Knight said, folding his arms. "Two of you can do it."

Dukemon scratched his cheek with a finger. "That's not even the weirdest part of all this…" he mentioned.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day that Craniamon turns down a mission," Magnamon said, his eyes wide with agreement.

"You're always talking about getting the top mission completion rate…" Omegamon said, staring in disbelief as well. "It's alright to admit you're not feeling well…"

"I'm feeling _fine_," Craniamon said with growing annoyance in his tone. "At least, I was…"

"Then why don't you want to go?" UlforceVeedramon questioned.

"Gah! Do I need a reason?" Craniamon said with frustration. "Quit piling on me."

Dynasmon folded his arms. "I'll go," he stated firmly.

Craniamon glanced away. "See? No big dea—"

"—And you're coming with me, Craniamon," Dynasmon added decisively.

The Royal Knight in question glared at him. "…What?" he coolly asked.

"Or are you seriously telling me that you, Craniamon, are turning down a mission?" Dynasmon questioned, giving him a level stare. "Can you handle it, knowing that you refused to take a mission? You're a Royal Knight. You have a responsibility to the Digital World, remember? Or don't you care about your responsibilities? Are you going to spit on your own personal oath, Craniamon?"

Craniamon winced and clenched his fists. "Fine!" he barked through his visor. "I'll go, if it means that much to all of you. What do I care…? Just shut up about it already."

Dukemon grinned and leaned over to Omegamon and Alphamon. "Dynasmon can be persuasive when he wants to be," he murmured to them.

"He certainly can," Alphamon responded, a bead of sweat gracing his head.

"I wonder what's with Craniamon, though," Omegamon mentioned.

Duftmon turned his attention back to the war map. "Good. So, Dynasmon and Craniamon are going. I trust you know the terrain well enough, Craniamon," the leopard knight said to them.

"I know it," Craniamon muttered, walking over to the table. "That's a glade in Iron Forest."

"That's not as bad as Dusk Forest, is it?" Examon asked him, remembering their last trip to a forest to investigate a similar situation.

"It's much more open. Less dense," Craniamon answered. "The tree trunks are as hard as iron though."

"I suppose that's something," Examon responded, recalling how hard it was for him to move around in Dusk Forest.

Dynasmon placed his hands on his hips. "So, Craniamon and me'll—"

"'Craniamon and I will'," Duftmon corrected his grammar.

"—go up to Caer Ygg and look around," Dynasmon continued without missing a beat. "We'll find out what's going on."

"Be careful," Omegamon told them.

"We will, Megz," Dynasmon replied with a grin. "Right, Craniamon?"

Craniamon rolled his glowing eyes. He turned around and headed to the door. "If we're done, I'm going to go get ready," his deep voice informed them as he walked out of the room.

When the door closed behind him, UlforceVeedramon looked around. "What's with him?" he asked.

"Maybe he doesn't want to leave the castle after the attack," Magnamon suggested.

"Or maybe he's always grumpy like that," Gankoomon said with a shrug.

"He rarely ever willingly turns down missions though," Dukemon pointed out. "It's not like him."

"I'll see how he is once we're gone," Dynasmon assured them. "Think you guys can handle things while we're gone?"

"I'm sure we'll manage, Bull-face," Gankoomon told him with a grin. "You two go enjoy yourselves on your man date."

Dynasmon rolled his eyes. "It's a mission, Moustache, but if you're feeling jealous, you can go instead," he counter-teased.

Gankoomon smirked. "I'm good. Just as long as Wyvern makes sure you two behave."

"Is that your way of saying you're worried about us? How sweet," Dynasmon responded with a chuckle.

Alphamon decided to step in before their usual ribbing session got out of hand again. "So, how do you plan to get up there?" he asked Dynasmon.

Dynasmon turned and shrugged. "We'll probably take the Locomon Rail to New Terminal and then walk from there. I think that's fastest?"

"You know what to do if it's a dark rift," Alphamon said to him.

The white and violet Royal Knight nodded. "Don't worry, Alphamon. Just take care of things here."

Alphamon smiled. "Alright. We'll leave it to you two. Good luck, Dynasmon."

Dynasmon grinned and gave them a thumbs up. "Thanks. I'll go get ready."

With that, he walked out of the war room and left the other knights to finish up there. As Dynasmon headed to his room to pack, he wondered what exactly was up with Craniamon.

* * *

One Locomon ride later, the morning became midday, and after a few hours of brisk walking, the midday turned to the early afternoon. The two Royal Knights made their way up to the northwest of the Republic of Node.

The weather there was much different than the constant clouds and occasional rain currently affecting Splendor's Reach and other parts of the Free Area. It was mostly sunny with several low-hanging clouds. The temperature was warm, but only mildly so, and there was a soft breeze blowing down the grassy hills.

Craniamon strode down a wide, dirt path at a hurried walking pace. Dynasmon lingered behind him several meters, walking at a more relaxed pace. Around the dirt path were rolling fields of grass. The emerald blades of grass swayed back and forth in the breezed. In the distance were several hills which gave the landscape the resemblance of ocean waves at the height of a storm.

Dynasmon glanced at the violet Royal Knight ahead of him with a puzzled expression. Craniamon seemed impatient for some reason. He hardly slowed down the whole time, and he couldn't sit still at all while on the Locomon. This seemed contrary to his initial reactions to coming.

"Hey, Craniamon!" he called over to him. "Slow down. You'll tire yourself out. We're supposed to be regaining our energy before we start jogging again."

"I'm fine," Craniamon responded dismissively. He then thumbed to the nearby grassland. "Come on. Let's take a shortcut and go across the fields."

Dynasmon raised an eyebrow and kept walking along the path. "How is that a shortcut? Going up all those hills won't be faster; let's just keep taking the road to Falconhead. It'll only take a few more hours. Then we can stay there overnight and head north from there tomorrow."

"I bet my way is quicker," Craniamon urged him impatiently. "Come on, Dynasmon. We'll be there fast enough."

"Do you know the way to Caer Ygg from the middle of nowhere?" Dynasmon asked him sceptically. "I bet we'll get lost."

Craniamon rolled his eyes and muttered inside his helmet. "And wouldn't that be a shame?" he sarcastically murmured. "Don't be a wuss, Dynasmon. Let's go. I'll race you."

Dynasmon stared at him flatly. "I don't want to race. I'm getting tired of racing," he responded. He raised his arm and pointed down the road. "There's a vending machine up ahead. I want to stop there for a drink."

"Fine…" Craniamon spoke in response. "Race you there."

"Cr—" Before Dynasmon could respond, Craniamon bolted into a sprint. Instantly feeling a challenge to his masculinity, the dragon man released an annoyed curse under his breath and reluctantly ran after Craniamon. "Hey!"

"You need more than just muscle!" Craniamon called behind him, ripping down the road in full plate armour.

"You need more than hot air!" Dynasmon shouted back, beginning to close the gap between them.

Craniamon pushed himself harder, increasing his speed down the road. He could see the distant rectangle grow closer. He grinned behind his visor and sprinted for it.

Within a matter of seconds, he skidded to a stop on the road, kicking up dust and dirt as he decelerated. He turned around and folded his arms across his chest smugly. "You lose, Dynasmon," he told him with a subtle, victorious grin.

Dynasmon slowed down and walked up to him, rolling his eyes. "You had a head start."

"Sorry. Can't hear you over all that dust," he teased him.

Dynasmon gave him a light punch on the arm and walked up to the vending machine that stood by the side of the road. There was nothing else nearby – just the vending machine. It was the sole landmark as far as the eye could see. The vending machine seemed to be plugged into the ground, although they weren't even sure that there was a power source. It was just one of the many oddities in the Digital World that most Digimon took without a second thought.

Right next to the machine was a small, circular hole in the ground. It didn't appear to have a bottom – at least not a visible one. There was a sign behind it that read 'Thank you for recycling!' in digi-letters.

He inserted a few coins into the vending machine and looked over the possible options in the machine. It was mostly cans or bottles of drinks inside, but there were a few small snacks as well. "Hmm… What do you think I should get? Coco Cola or iced tea?"

Craniamon put a hand on the machine and leaned against it. "Neither are particularly healthy. Get juice or water or something," he advised him.

"I want something good," Dynasmon responded, pressing a few buttons to get a can of cola.

"Fine. Get me a water then," Craniamon told him.

"What happened to your money?" Dynasmon asked him light heartedly as he bent down to retrieve his drink.

"You lost the race. You're buying," the violet Royal Knight informed him.

Dynasmon gave him a sideways glance. "We never agreed to that," he muttered, although he bought Craniamon a bottle of water anyways. He stood up and tossed Craniamon the bottle, which the warrior caught handily. Dynasmon used the tip of claw to pop the cap of his drink, causing it to hiss and fizz. He took a quick drink from the can and then turned to Craniamon. "So… What's up?"

Craniamon opened his bottled water and tipped up his visor so that he could drink. "Huh?" he asked after a gulp of the thirst-quenching liquid.

"You've been edgy and impatient all day," Dynasmon observed, taking another drink.

Craniamon tipped up the bottle and began chugging all of the water down. Once the last drop was gone, he tossed the bottle into the recycling hole and folded his arms. "No, I haven't," he answered briskly.

"Yeah, you have," Dynasmon responded with a grin.

"I just want to get to Falconhead already," Craniamon told him offhandedly. "Are you done?"

Dynasmon rolled his eyes and glugged down the rest of his drink. "I am now," he told him, tossing the can in the nearby hole as well. "Let's get going if you're so eager."

"I was waiting for you," Craniamon told him. He turned around and walked down the road, away from Dynasmon and the vending machine.

Dynasmon sighed and jogged to catch up with him. He intended to find out what was wrong, one way or another.

* * *

It was several hours before Dynasmon and Craniamon reached their destination: Falconhead.

Falconhead was a major city in the Republic of Node. The city itself was built at the top of a steep, sturdy cliff in the northwest part of the Republic. Falconhead was built on a plateau that overlooked a deep valley hundreds of meters below. The walls of the cliff were dark and vertical. It offered residents a beautiful view as well as a natural defence from the north. On the south side was just a gradual – almost level - incline for kilometers, so accessing the city that way was fairly easy.

Like the city of Cloudspire, Falconhead was very aerial Digimon-friendly. A big part of its population consisted of avian, insect, and angel Digimon. The city itself seemed to open itself up to the sky, where Digimon could be seen flying around constantly. For those that wanted to go north into the valley, they would either have to fly down from the fenced cliff edge or take the cave network built into the plateau that comes out at the base of the cliff.

Since it was the evening by the time they arrived, Dynasmon and Craniamon decided to stay overnight and then head up to Craniamon's hometown in the early morning. They chose to stay at one of the inns in the city for the night.

The two Royal Knights found themselves in the bar portion of the inn. They sat in a booth against the wall, below a faded, translucent window. In front of each of them were empty plates with only juices, sauce and scraps of food remaining on them. They each held a large mug of frothing, golden ale in their hands.

Dynasmon brought his glass to his mouth and took a large swig of the strong, bubbly liquid. "Ahh! That sure hits the spot!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah…" Craniamon responded, taking a drink as well.

Both were feeling the effects of the potent liquid at this point.

Dynasmon grinned widely at the knight across from him. "Don't drink too much, okay? We've got to wake up early tomorrow," he reminded him.

Craniamon rolled his eyes. "Look who's talking…" he responded playfully. "Don't try to pick up any female Digimon here, while you're at it. You'll give us a bad name."

"I know my lovemaking skills are the best among the Royal Knights, but you don't have to worry about that," Dynasmon teased.

"Oh, don't flatter yourself," Craniamon answered, taking another swig of his beer.

Dynasmon smirked. "I knew getting a beer or two down you would help."

The violet Royal Knight glanced up at him. "What are you talking about?" he asked curiously.

"Well, you've been acting weird all day," the dragon knight pointed out.

Craniamon suddenly frowned and looked down at his bubbling drink. "No, I haven't…"

"Yes, you have," Dynasmon replied. He then grinned and thumbed at his shoulders. "Even Wyvern noticed."

"Well, you're both wrong," Craniamon tersely informed him.

Dynasmon leaned back in his seat and folded his arms with an unconvinced expression. "Come on, Craniamon. I _know_ something's up. Just tell me."

Craniamon frowned more intensely, as if glaring into his drink. He didn't reply.

Dynasmon leaned forward on the table. "We're buddies aren't we? Spill already. Maybe I can help," he put forward.

"Tch," Craniamon scoffed, looking off to the side grimly. "Not likely." He took another drink from his beer.

The wyvern knight furrowed his brows. "Are you worried that the castle will be attacked while we're gone?" he asked him.

Craniamon sighed and shook his helmeted head. "It's not that…"

"Then what?"

Craniamon turned his red eyes back to Dynasmon and shot him an annoyed leer for the constant pestering. "I don't want to go to Caer Ygg," he finally conceded.

Dynasmon raised an eyebrow. "What? That's it?" he asked him incredulously. "You're putting up the whole 'frozen treatment' just because you don't want to go to your hometown?"

Craniamon gave him a frigid glare. "Maybe we should go to your hometown and see how you react," he retorted brusquely.

Dynasmon glanced down at his drink and there was a quick dance of blue on his shoulders as Wyvern protested the words. "…Hey, at least you still have a hometown," Dynasmon told him calmly. He quietly raised his mug of beer and took another drink.

The violet Royal Knight winced when he thought about what he just said. He immediately felt guilty when he realized the insensitive comment that he made; Craniamon forgot that Dynasmon's home had been destroyed a long time ago. He placed his drink down and rubbed his face sheepishly. "Sorry…" Craniamon apologized to him with a bit of heat in his face. "I wasn't thinking..."

Dynasmon gave him a small, reassuring smile. "Forget it... It's ancient history now," he insisted. He lowered his glass onto the table and ran his claw up and down the handle. "But it does make me confused. Why wouldn't you want to go to your hometown? …Come to think of it, I can't remember the last time you really talked about Caer Ygg."

Craniamon sighed and looked up at Dynasmon. "That's because I haven't returned home since I left."

The white-armoured Royal Knight tilted his head quizzically. "What do you mean 'since you left'? You mean…?"

"Since before I became a Royal Knight," Craniamon responded, leering down at his swirling beverage. "Several months after I evolved from Knightmon to Craniamon, I left and never went back."

Dynasmon rubbed the back of his neck. "…Why? Any particular reason?" he asked him, looking across the table at his comrade with both interest and consideration.

Craniamon raised his beer and sighed into the glass, inadvertently fogging it up before taking a drink of the liquid. After he swallowed, he put the empty mug down and looked at Dynasmon. "I don't know. Maybe. It wasn't like it was one single thing," he explained. His voice was agitated; he wasn't used to talking about himself. "When I hit my Mega form – felt more comfortable in myself – Caer Ygg didn't feel big enough for me anymore…"

"How do you mean?" Dynasmon questioned.

"It felt too small… too slow," Craniamon explained. "When I became a Mega, I felt this desire to go off and achieve something. I wanted to do something that challenged me and my power. I wanted to make a name for myself. I couldn't do that hanging around Caer Ygg. That's why I left and adventured all over the world. A lot of Mega-level Digimon feel like that, don't they?"

Dynasmon nodded. "Yeah, I guess a lot of them do. My situation was different, but I can definitely understand it," he said.

"So, that's the main reason. There really wasn't much for me there. I wanted to go off and be one of the best," Craniamon explained, a bit of sheepishness if his voice.

"How long after that until we first met?" Dynasmon asked him.

Craniamon thought for a few moments. "A few years later. Four or five, maybe," he informed him.

Dynasmon chuckled and remembered their meeting. "You were a selfish asshole. Even two years later when you joined the Order."

"Maybe…" Craniamon conceded, still feeling the buzz from his drink. "But I had the skills."

Dynasmon grinned and leaned back against his wings. "Well, it wasn't your winning personality that got you into the Order," he pointed out. "You got better as time when on, though. Got to be more of a team player and less of a loner. You got less arrogant too."

"Arrogant, huh…?" Craniamon mused.

"Yeah. You came off too confident in your abilities. Like you automatically deserved to be in the Order," Dynasmon mused, thinking back to how Craniamon used to be. "At least, until Alphamon served you that humble pie in that first sparring match."

Although flushing at the memory, Craniamon smiled faintly. "I remember it well… That was when I realized I still had a long way to go to get to the same level as the rest of you. It was a bitter pill to swallow at the time. Like maybe I really didn't deserve to be a Royal Knight," he stated, remembering.

Dynasmon smirked. "You pushed yourself hard after that. You impressed me with the effort you put in," he stated. "Though I could tell that you put a lot of a pressure on yourself to be in the same league as the rest of us. You put a lot of significance into the title of Royal Knight, didn't you?"

Craniamon simply shrugged. Dynasmon knew that that was one of his tacit yeses, but that things were getting too personal and intimate for him, even in his drunk state. The dragon knight decided to ease off his questions. "But anyways…"

"And you?" the black digizoid-armoured Royal Knight asked. "Was it as hard for you becoming part of the Order as it was for me?"

"It was a new, weird experience for all of us," Dynasmon responded, thinking back to all those years ago. "But yeah, I had trouble too…"

"How?" Craniamon questioned, eager to move the subject off himself.

"Hmm… It was hard being part of a group and it was really hard trying to settle down into a single place for a long time after being a mercenary for so long," he admitted.

Craniamon nodded.

Dynasmon frowned as he thought. "…It was also hard allowing myself to trust people again."

Craniamon looked up and stared across the table at Dynasmon. His glowing, red eyes observed him with a curious, pensive leer.

They were interrupted when a Fairymon waitress walked over to their table to collect their empty plates. "Can I get you two anything else?" she asked with a polite smile.

Dynasmon glanced over at Craniamon. "Want anything?"

"I'm fine," Craniamon answered.

"I think we'll pay up, then," Dynasmon said to the waitress.

The waitress collected their mugs as well. "Okay. I'll be right back with the bills."

Dynasmon looked at Craniamon. "We should have an early night if we want to get up early," he told him.

Craniamon nodded. "Yeah, might as well."

As the two Royal Knights waited for the bill, they each quietly thought to themselves. Craniamon thought about what Dynasmon said.

Meanwhile, Dynasmon still had more that he wanted to ask Craniamon. However, he decided it would be best to wait until tomorrow. He reminded himself to ask him before they made it to Caer Ygg.

* * *

As soon as dawn broke the next day, Dynasmon and Craniamon were already off. They set out from Falconhead and headed north into the valley. They continued north until they reached the Autonomous Expanse.

The terrain there was rugged and untamed – much like many of the Digimon residing in the territory itself. The Autonomous Expanse was by no means a homogeneous territory. It had varying types of landscapes depending on where in the Wilds you were. There were rocky, weathered wastelands, dense forests, raging rivers, craggy mountains, and sweeping plains. Most of these areas were rich with overgrown flora.

The two Royal Knights made their way across one of the plains. Its flat terrain was covered by a mixture of grass and blackish dirt. Over to their left was a small river that flowed from a small set of mountains in the far distance. They walked along a dirt road at a leisurely speed. About a kilometer ahead of them, at the end of the road, was a sizeable, citadel town built on top of a medium-sized hill. It was surrounded by a twenty meter high, stone wall. It somehow looked uninviting.

Dark grey clouds enveloped the sky, giving the landscape a forbidding atmosphere. After a few minutes, droplets of rain began to lightly fall from the sky. The clouds had been threatening showers for the past hour or so.

The two violet-themed knights meandered down the road. Dynasmon noted that Craniamon had been walking progressively slower as they drew closer. Suddenly, Dynasmon halted when a bead of water splashed down onto his white helmet. He outstretched his arm and opened up his palm to feel the sprinkle of raindrops.

"Looks like the rain caught up with us," Dynasmon remarked as he looked up at the sky.

"Great," Craniamon muttered to himself. He trudged down the path and glanced off to the side, coming to a stop once he caught up with Dynasmon. "Why don't we go around Caer Ygg? That's faster."

Dynasmon placed his hands on his hips and turned to face Craniamon directly. "You really don't want to go, do you?" he deduced.

Craniamon shrugged noncommittally. "No big deal to me," he insisted with forced indifference.

"Then let's go to the city first," Dynasmon said, intent on getting a response.

"It's a waste of time," Craniamon said forcefully.

"We need to see if this potential dark rift had any effect on the Digimon there," the dragon man reminded him. "You want to see for yourself, don't you?"

The royal purple knight sneered behind his helmet, which was starting to grow wet with drops of rain. "Fine. Whatever…" he said, trying to sound apathetic. He walked past Dynasmon and continued down the road towards the city.

Dynasmon raised an eyebrow and went to walk beside him. "I don't get you, Crania. Why don't you want to visit Caer Ygg? Okay, it's been a long time since you left. What's the big deal?" he questioned.

"You wouldn't get it," Craniamon responded, side-glancing at him.

Dynasmon folded his arms, ignoring the drops of rain peppering their bodies. "Try me."

Craniamon turned his glowing, red eyes away from Dynasmon, looking towards the river. "I told you. I haven't been here since just after I became a Mega-level. I haven't visited, I haven't dropped by while I was in the area, I haven't even written," he told him emphatically.

The dragon knight looked at him curiously. "Why not? I would have visited my hometown if I could."

Craniamon shrugged. "I don't know… When I became a Royal Knight, I was somebody different than who I was when I was younger. I was better. It was like a fresh start. I guess I wanted to put the past behind me or something…"

Dynasmon frowned. "You didn't even want to write? Don't you have people who care about you living here?"

Craniamon walked silently for a few steps. "…I'm not much of a writer," he responded after deliberation.

The white and violet dragon leered at his comrade out of the corner of his eyes. "It's pretty selfish to toss aside important people in your life just because you moved up in the world," Dynasmon told him pointedly.

The knight of black digizoid didn't respond. He just walked quietly and balled up his fists.

"You don't know how good you have it, Craniamon. You have a home and a family to go back to. Dukemon and I don't have that same luxury. But you act like it doesn't even matter," Dynasmon admonished him.

Craniamon glared at the road ahead of him. "My situation isn't the same as yours was, Dynasmon. Don't try to tell me how good I have it. And _stop_ forcing your desires onto me," he responded coldly to the criticism.

Dynasmon scowled. "I'm _trying_ to make you see how big an idiot you're being," he retorted sharply. "You're just acting like a coward."

Craniamon sneered. "Think what you want," he dismissively muttered.

"I plan to!"

The conversation ended there. As the two Royal Knights continued down the road towards Caer Ygg, an awkward silence and a tense atmosphere washed over them. They still walked side-by-side, but neither spoke to the other as the rain continued to pelt their armoured bodies.

After about five minutes of uncomfortable walking, Dynasmon glanced over at Craniamon. "Were you planning to bring up your shield or anything? We're getting wet," he said to him, though there was still lingering irritation in his voice.

Craniamon silently placed his hand on his black digizoid chest armour and pulled the Avalon shield from it by accessing its data. He raised the large, black shield over their heads to shelter them from the rain.

The two continued to walk towards the walled city. They could see the gates ahead of them, as well as some Digimon on the walls looking at them suspiciously.

Several minutes later, they approached the opened gate and the base of the walls. As the two Royal Knights began to walk towards the gateway to pass through the walls, a guard came out to meet them. It was a giant, green dinosaur with massive horns protruding from his back. The Tuskmon took a few steps forwards and leered down at the two mega-level knights.

"Halt. Who goes there?" the dinosaur Digimon asked the Royal Knights.

"Dynasmon and Craniamon of the Order of the Royal Knights," Dynasmon informed him.

The Tuskmon blinked curiously at his response. His eyes rested on Craniamon and then looked back at Dynasmon. "Please state your business."

Dynasmon glanced at Craniamon enquiringly. However, the knight in question looked away.

"We're here to investigate a data anomaly in the nearby forest. Can we enter?" Dynasmon asked him.

The Tuskmon frowned and then looked over his shoulder. "I'd better ask… Please wait here," he responded. He turned around at a wide angle before tromping back inside the walled city to the nearby gatehouse.

Dynasmon looked over at Craniamon. "That was weird. Wasn't it?"

"Mm…" was Craniamon's only reply.

"They've gotta know who the Royal Knights are, right?" Dynasmon questioned.

Craniamon frowned in response.

The Tuskmon clomped back through the gate and strode over to them. "Sorry. Yeah. You two can enter…" he told them. "I guess you'll be wanting to see the mayor?"

The violet Royal Knight didn't respond.

"Yeah, please," Dynasmon answered instead.

The dinosaur guard nodded. "Need someone to take you there?" he asked them.

"Nah, we've got it covered," Dynasmon said, looking back at Craniamon.

"Okay. Back to guard duty then," the Tuskmon stated, letting them pass through.

Craniamon walked forwards silently, leading the way. He headed up a wide, stone road that went up the hill at a soft incline.

Dynasmon sighed and extended his hand, placing it on Craniamon's shoulder to stop him. "Look, Crania, sorry for being judgmental earlier... I just can't understand what the problem is."

Craniamon glanced over at him. "Forget it, Dynasmon," he assured him. "It's just… well, you'll probably see…"

The knight clad in white plate armour moved his hand off Craniamon's skull-themed spaulder. "If you say so…" he said, walking forward up the wide, stone road.

The violet paladin followed after a moment of hesitation. He walked up beside Dynasmon and continued using the Avalon as an umbrella for them. He had an ulterior motive in that the shield might conceal him as he walked through the city.

The main road leading up from the gate and further into the city was broad and long. It led up the sizeable hill of Caer Ygg to the small citadel at the apex of the hill, and then back down to the opposite side of the hill. The road wasn't steep; it was only inclined enough that the rain water could flow down the gutters of the road. On each side of the street were several shops, ateliers, inns, restaurants, and the like.

Several Digimon made their way up and down the street despite the rain, going from one place to another or in and out of shops. Some of the Digimon stopped and stared at the two Royal Knights as the pair headed up the road. Others glanced at them out of the corners of their eyes with looks of suspicion and unease.

Craniamon noticed the eyes gawking at them. He expected it, really. However, he still felt edgy and perturbed.

Dynasmon also picked up on the gazes. He looked around them with confusion. This wasn't the reception he was used to. Usually the Royal Knights were greeted with admiration and excitement, or, at the very least, respect. That didn't seem to be the case here.

As the two Digimon walked by, they were able to hear the murmurs between the onlookers.

"Aren't those the Royal Knights?" one whispered.

"What are they doing here?" another mumbled back.

"That's Craniamon, isn't it?"

"What's he doing back here?"

"Who's that guy he's with?"

"What do they want?"

The murmurings continued as Craniamon and Dynasmon kept walking. They saw more Digimon ahead of them stop and turn to look at the two outsiders.

Craniamon tried his best to ignore the gazes and the comments. He ducked his head just stared at the road ahead of him.

Meanwhile, Dynasmon frowned at the unusual reception and looked around at the nearby Digimon, many of whom averted their gazes when his eyes landed on them. The Royal Knight looked at Craniamon questioningly.

Craniamon pretended not to notice and just continued walking, past several more Digimon who eyed them and mumbled to one another.

"Didn't Craniamon used to live here?"

"I heard the mayor exiled him."

"Isn't he called the Demon Knight?"

Craniamon continued walking silently. He tried to focus on the road and the sound of the rain pelting the Avalon shield above him. He angled the shield slightly to further conceal his face. With his free hand, he balled up his fist tightly.

Dynasmon frowned harder and looked at Craniamon incredulously. "What's the deal, Craniamon?" he asked him.

"Nothing…" Craniamon responded simply, yet unconvincingly.

The Digimon continued to glance at him out of the corners of their eyes, still muttering.

"No, no. He's the Death Knight," one said in hushed voice. "I mean, look at him. Skulls everywhere."

"I heard he left because he killed somebody and his father disowned him."

"I doubt it. I just heard he and his father had a big fight."

"But he just _looks_ evil, doesn't he?"

"I get goosebumps just being near him. Even his shield is scary. And those eyes…"

"His partner there looks as rough as he does."

"I don't know what he's doing back here. He thought he was too good for this place."

"How did _he_ become one of the Royal Knights?"

Craniamon maintained his icy expression and proceeded forwards, up the hill.

Dynasmon scowled at the murmurs, rumours, and comments as they turned increasingly bitter and snide. Hearing people say malicious and hurtful things about his friend caused his blood to boil. He clenched his large fists and stormed ahead of Craniamon to make himself known.

"Do any of you have something you want to say?!" Dynasmon challenged them, looking around at all the Digimon in the near vicinity.

A shocked and embarrassed silence swept across the street. Nobody really wanted to face down a Royal Knight who just called them out.

Craniamon grimaced and lowered his shield, allowing the rain to fall on his body. He walked towards Dynasmon. "It's fine, Dynasmon. Forget it," he told him as he passed by the dragon knight.

Dynasmon stared at Craniamon as the violet knight walked ahead of him. "Tch," he scoffed, relaxing his arms and letting the issue drop. As he strode forwards to catch up with Craniamon, several of the Digimon released a breath of relief.

He broadened his violet wings out into the rain and stepped up beside his fellow Royal Knight. "You okay?" Dynasmon asked him.

"I'm fine," Craniamon insisted coolly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Dynasmon eyed him sceptically. "You heard what they said back there…" he said to him, rubbing the back of his neck. "What the hell was that about? And don't tell me nothing - because I'm not an idiot."

Craniamon sighed. He knew there wasn't any point denying it anymore. "I was never expecting a warm welcome when I returned," he informed him. "It was a cold farewell..."

The wyvern knight's gaze softened. "But why?" he questioned.

Craniamon continued leading the way up the ascent, his armour rattling softly with every step. "One of them had it right; I did have an argument with my father when I left," he explained.

"About what?" Dynasmon persisted, knowing that he'd have to pry in order to get Craniamon to divulge more details.

He turned his head up towards the citadel at the apex of the hill. "Me leaving," Craniamon responded. "I wanted to carve a path in the world myself. He wanted to carve it for me. Simply put, I wanted to leave, and he wanted me to stay."

"It sounds like he was just worried about you," Dynasmon assumed.

Craniamon looked over at the dragon beside him. "It wasn't like that, Dynasmon. He was never that kind of father… I had my own plans, but they went against his plans for me. That's why he wouldn't let me leave."

"I see…" Dynasmon said with a frown. "Think he's still here?"

"Most likely," Craniamon answered. "We'll see..."

"Didn't you ever want to write to him after all these years?" the lavender blue Royal Knight asked. "Even just out of curiosity?"

Craniamon frowned as he scaled the hill. "I'm not… good at writing personal letters…" he muttered. "Besides, it's been too long…"

"Maybe long enough to put the past behind you two," Dynasmon suggested.

The violet warrior sighed with exasperation. "Dynasmon… Don't get any ideas about trying to patch things up between me and my father. I know you mean well, but…" he said, giving Dynasmon a meaningful glance.

"Hey, I'm just suggesting," Dynasmon responded, putting his hands up. "Don't dismiss it out of hand. You can see him after we're done and see how you feel then."

"Might see him sooner," Craniamon mumbled under his breath.

Both Royal Knights reached the top of the hill after ten more minutes of walking. At the zenith of the hill was a giant stone building that stood taller and wider than the rest. It was the citadel of Caer Ygg.

The town was built around the fort for protection from the dangers of the Wilds. At one time – and still, to a degree – the Wilds were plagued by bandits and fearsome Digimon. There were fights and skirmishes over territory, resources, food, money, and sometimes no real reason. Nobody controlled the harsh terrain of the Autonomous Expanse, they merely inhabited it.

The citadel itself was a massive building of thick stone. It was smaller than the Royal Knights' castle, but the building still towered over the rest of the structures in Caer Ygg. Each corner of the building had sturdy bastions. Rain washed down the rock walls, causing it to glisten. Standing by the large, double-doored entrance were two guards. One was a buff, bull-like body of a Minotaurmon, and the Centalmon adjacent to him had the body of a centaur. They stood inside the portico to avoid getting wet as the rain continued to drizzle.

Dynasmon and Craniamon walked up to them, prompting their attention.

"Can we help you?" the Minotaurmon guard asked the Royal Knights.

"We're here to see the mayor," Dynasmon said to them.

"It's a matter of security," Craniamon added.

The two guards exchanged looks. After a moment, the Centalmon turned towards the doors. "Follow me," he said, pushing the doors open and disappearing inside.

Dynasmon followed him inside while Craniamon hesitated for a moment before steeling himself and walking in as well.

The interior was stone and formal. The citadel was less a military keep than it was an administrative building. It was the mayor's place of work. In the lobby, there was a red carpet laid out for the Royal Knights to wipe their wet boots on.

The Centalmon led the two Digimon down a long, wide hallway. The atmosphere was cold and stiff somehow. It might have been due to the austere interior design that the building felt so unwelcoming.

Soon, the guard stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway. He raised his hand and knocked.

"Yes?" a voice asked.

"There are two visitors here to see you," the Centalmon guard said through the door. "They say it's a matter of security."

"Send them in," the male voice told him.

The Centalmon guard opened the door and backed away. Dynasmon walked in first, followed by Craniamon.

The room was an administrative office. Along the walls were bookshelves full of organized books, scrolls, and maps. The air in the room had a stuffy, papery scent. On the opposite side of the room was a long desk covered with neatly arranged papers and things.

Behind the desk was a humanoid Digimon dressed in red garments. Over his chest, he wore ornate silver armour fitted with a violet cape. He had a human face with a white skin and brown hair. On top of the top half of his head was a cross between a crown and a pointed, purple, wizard hat. Beside him, on the desk, was a glowing gem that he used as a light source.

As the Mistymon rose from the desk, he suddenly froze upon seeing Craniamon and Dynasmon walk in. For a split second, his eyes widened, but he soon regained his composure and stood up straight.

Craniamon stopped upon entering the room and gazed at the Mistymon mayor. He took in a deep breath.

Dynasmon watched as the Mistymon began to walk around the desk so that he could approach them. He decided to speak up and introduce them formally. "Hello, Mayor," Dynasmon said to him. "I'm Dynasmon and this is Craniamon. We're members of the—"

"I know who you are," Mistymon responded, walking up to the pair of them unflappably. He turned his head and looked at the knight next to Dynasmon. "…Craniamon…"

Craniamon stared the Mistymon mayor in the eyes, making it a point to be as calm and collected as he is.

"…Father," he responded.

Dynasmon's eye twitched. He turned and stared at Craniamon incredulously. "W-What?!" he demanded. He looked at Mistymon. "You're Craniamon's dad?!"

"Indeed," Mistymon calmly responded. He looked Craniamon's form up and down scrutinizingly. "…You look bigger."

"I am," Craniamon responded.

"I see…"

"…"

"…"

After a few moments of silence, a bead of sweat dripped down Dynasmon's head. On top of the tense atmosphere, having two aloof, standoffish Digimon in the same room made the situation even worse. He felt like he was going to get frostbite.

Mistymon was the first one to break the silence. "…I had heard that you became one of the Royal Knights."

"Yes," Craniamon responded coolly. "I'm very happy with them."

The corners of the mayor's lips turned down. "I see," he responded frigidly.

"You're still the mayor?" Craniamon asked him in return.

"On and off. Occasionally I'm an advisor or a minister instead, but, currently, I'm the mayor once again," Mistymon replied. He folded his arms and observed Craniamon studiously. "And what brings you back to Caer Ygg? I thought you were never going to set foot inside this place again."

Craniamon glanced away. "…Yeah, well… I'm here for a job," he told him.

"Did you get kicked out?" Mistymon asked him acerbically. "I thought that working for me would be the last place you might come for a job. Behind magma mining. Or sewer maintenance."

Craniamon shot him a defiant glare. "I meant I'm here on a mission for the Royal Knights."

"Yeah," Dynasmon spoke up, deciding to get down to business before personal matters could cause an argument. "We came here to investigate a matter of security."

"Oh, you know about that," Mistymon mentioned, glancing at Dynasmon.

"Possibly. Has anything out of the ordinary been going on?" Dynasmon asked him.

"Yes," Mistymon stated plainly. "There has been a string of burglaries and attacks lately. It started a few days ago after a strange occurrence was reported in Iron Forest."

Footsteps echoed from behind Craniamon and Dynasmon, causing them to turn and look towards the door. A green, reptilian humanoid Digimon walked inside. "We sent a team into the forest yesterday to investigate, but they still haven't returned," the new arrival informed them.

"Who are you?" Craniamon asked him.

"This is Captain Dinohumon. He's in charge of Caer Ygg's law enforcement and security," the mayor explained.

"They still haven't returned, huh?" Dynasmon asked.

"We think that it might be a dark rift: a crack leading from the Dark Area," Craniamon added.

"We have it under control," Mistymon told them firmly. "Right, Captain?"

Dinohumon nodded and stepped up beside the mayor.

"It sounds like you just lost a squad of Digimon," Craniamon pointed out, folding his arms. "I wouldn't call that 'under control'…"

Mistymon shot him a stern look. "This is a local matter. With all due respect, you needn't worry yourselves. It's Caer Ygg's problem."

"These dark rifts have cropped up all over the Digital World," Dynasmon told him. "If this rift is new, like you seem to suggest, then it's important that we check it out. They're dangerous."

"I think you're jumping to conclusions, Royal Knight," Mistymon told him, oddly not intimidated by his title. "We don't know for a fact that it's one of these dark rifts you speak of. It could be brigands who set up a camp in the forest."

Dynasmon folded his arms. "We detected a flow of data on our DADAR system," he informed him. "We've seen this before. We're not jumping to conclusions."

"Nevertheless, Caer Ygg will handle it," Mistymon insisted. "It's our problem."

"Don't be ridiculous," Craniamon stated bluntly. "What do you guys know about dark rifts? Or the Dark Area, for that matter. This isn't just Caer Ygg's problem. It's a matter of network security – our jurisdiction."

Mistymon glanced at Craniamon. "I know you Royal Knights take care of network security, but we do things differently here in the Wilds. We take care of ourselves. Caer Ygg's priority is Caer Ygg," he answered unflappably.

"Yes. I know," Craniamon sarcastically answered. "You don't have to tell me that. I grew up here, remember?"

Mistymon narrowed his eyes slightly. "Yes. I do. That doesn't change the facts."

"What facts?" Craniamon retorted icily. "That you believe that this town should only look after itself? Don't you think it's selfish to think never look outside these walls? There's more to the Digital World than just Caer Ygg, Father."

"That seems to be your opinion in general, Craniamon," Mistymon said coolly. "Though you should look in a mirror before calling me selfish. The fact is that this town was never enough for you. You wanted the world." He levelled a stare at him. "And now that you are one of the Royal Knights, it seems like you've got it."

Craniamon returned the gaze. "Do you resent that I've been successful?" he asked him. "That I made something of myself? I'm one of the twelve Royal Knights… The best of the best. Is having ambition such a bad thing?"

"No. I'm happy for you," Mistymon told his son, although with resentment lacing his words. "I'm sure you believe that it was entirely worth abandoning your home for."

Craniamon balled up his fists at this. "You just can't stand that I wouldn't go along with your idea to sit in this stuffy citadel doing useless mayoral things forever. It's all about you and your responsibilities. It always has been."

"Okay, okay!" Dynasmon spoke up loudly, getting in between the quarrelling relatives and putting his hands up. "This is getting out of hand."

"Indeed," Mistymon agreed, relaxing his disposition and sitting down. "I don't want to argue."

"Tch," Craniamon scoffed under his breath, folding his arms and looking away. "We still need to investigate this rift."

"I suppose I can't stop either of you," Mistymon responded with a light sigh. "I suppose it would be appreciated if you could find out what happened to the team we sent into the Iron Forest. I don't want to risk more lives if something happened to them"

"We don't want that either," Dynasmon answered diplomatically. "We'll investigate the forest."

The mayor nodded, deciding that it was probably more practical to let the Royal Knights do this for them. "Two Megas have a better chance than a collection of Champions and Ultimates."

"Good that we can agree on something," Craniamon said.

"There's a chance that it could be a Mega level Digimon doing these attacks. Digimon corrupted by dark data are stronger than usual. They could even evolve," Dynasmon pointed out. "Just to be safe, don't send in anybody after us."

Both Mistymon and Dinohumon nodded.

Craniamon looked at Dynasmon and then back at his father. "We'll head out in an hour."

"Very well," Mistymon responded. After a moment, he glanced aside thoughtfully. "…Good luck," he added.

Craniamon frowned, nodded, and then turned around to leave. "Thanks," he muttered, barely loud enough for them to hear.

The Royal Knight walked out of the room and headed back down through the hallway.

Dynasmon followed him, his red eyes lingering on his friend. He felt like he underestimated Craniamon's reasons for not wanting to return here. He just hoped that they might be able to work things out after this.


	13. Chapter 10 Part 2: Behind the Barrier

(Author's Notes: Here's Part 2 of Chapter 10. Enjoy!)

**Chapter 10 (Part II): Behind the Barrier**

An hour passed from Craniamon and Dynasmon's meeting with the mayor. In that hour, they got some food inside them and prepared themselves for potential combat.

The duo of Royal Knights walked through the Iron Forest. It was about as welcoming as Caer Ygg itself. Although the forest wasn't particularly dark since the trees were spread out, the trees themselves were rigid and austere. The bark was a greyish-brown and the trees were as tough as a semi hard metal. The sturdy lumber made for good building materials, but strong Digimon were needed to fell the trees. The leaves of the trees were like aluminium.

The rain continued to fall from the clouds. The tree canopies were pelted with water drops. This caused a noisy pattering all around the Royal Knights that covered the sounds of their footsteps.

Craniamon led the way, since he knew this forest the best. He spent a lot of his time as a Knightmon and Gladimon training in here. The forest wasn't far from the west gate of the town, so it wasn't hard for him to just slip out after he had finished his lessons or duties. The violet Royal Knight walked ahead of Dynasmon, his Claiohm Solais spear in his right hand and his Avalon shield in his left. He was very aware that his comrade was staring at him.

Dynasmon followed behind Craniamon, indeed gazing at him thoughtfully.

Craniamon sighed and glanced over his shoulder at the Royal Knight. "Say it, Dynasmon…" he told him knowingly.

The wyvern knight blinked, the voice pulling him out of his thoughts and taking him off guard. "Huh?"

"I know you. You've been wanting to say something since we talked to my dad," Craniamon said observantly. "Plus, you keep staring at me. Not exactly subtle."

Dynasmon folded his arms and scoffed, although grinning a little. "Well, if you put it like that…" he said, lengthening his strides so that he walked closer to Craniamon. "Why didn't you tell me your dad was the mayor?"

"I don't like talking about myself," Craniamon answered dryly. "Haven't you picked that up yet?"

"You could have at least mentioned it on the way to Caer Ygg. I was going to find out eventually," Dynasmon retorted.

Craniamon rolled his eyes. "I wasn't sure if he was still the mayor. Leadership changes every so often," he explained.

Dynasmon gave the knight a sideways leer. "Guess you two really didn't keep in contact…" he muttered in a gruff voice. "Was that round two of the argument?"

"More like round seven," Craniamon murmured. He looked at Dynasmon. "What did you expect? We parted on bad terms with a lot of things said on both sides. We weren't going to hug it out when we first saw each other."

"It just sucks that there's so much resentment between you two," Dynasmon stated, frowning.

"We came here to check out a dark rift, not fix my personal problems," Craniamon told him, growing mildly agitated. "Focus."

Dynasmon released an ironic laugh. "The nearest I've ever gotten to fixing your personal problems was letting you spar with me until you were satisfied after you screwed up on a mission," he informed him.

"And that's the way I like to keep it," Craniamon answered him curtly, looking ahead at the dripping forest in front of him.

"Yeah, of course…" Dynasmon muttered, rolling his eyes. "I know you like to be Sir Glacier all the time, but I'm supposed to be your friend. The rest of the knights are supposed to be your friends too. If you can't open up to us, then who can you to?"

"I don't _want_ to open up. I don't _have_ any problems," Craniamon insisted.

"You and your dad haven't spoken for… how many years? That's not a problem?" Dynasmon asked him, folding his arms and raising an eyebrow.

"Not to me. The past is the past."

"And you just sweep the past under the rug, do you?" Dynasmon questioned, starting to grow annoyed. "Like Dukemon? …No, that's not fair. At least he's always been open and honest about that one problem he's got. The one closest to his heart…"

Craniamon winced. "What do you want from me, damn it?" he calmly asked him.

Dynasmon gazed passionately into Craniamon's eyes. "I _want_ you to let me help you," he urged him.

Craniamon returned a frigid gaze. "You _want_ me to have a loving relationship with my father and a place that I can call home… Stop trying to force your own desires onto me, Dynasmon. I'm not a pet project to make you feel better."

This caused Dynasmon to snarl. "Damn it! This isn't about me, you selfish bastard! I want to help you because you're my friend!" he shouted angrily.

"Right, I don't want to spill my guts to you, so that makes me selfish," Craniamon answered, rolling his eyes. "I know you've got a weird thing about friendship, but you also keep judging everyone by your own standards. You've got your version of justice and I've got my own values.

Dynasmon gritted his teeth, his anger still bubbling. It was clear he wasn't swallowing Craniamon's argument.

Craniamon's exasperated breath echoed behind his visor. "You're my friend, but that doesn't mean I have to tell you everything. My problems are my own problems," Craniamon stated firmly.

"Caer Ygg's problem is Caer Ygg's problem," Dynasmon echoed pointedly, glaring at him. "Sound familiar?"

This struck Craniamon into silence. The violet Royal Knight narrowed his eyes and increased his stride.

Dynasmon matched pace with him, not letting him get away that easily. "You know what your problem is?" he asked him.

"I'm stuck on a mission with you?" Craniamon sarcastically answered.

"You're afraid to be vulnerable!" Dynasmon's deep voice boomed. "That's what you are."

Craniamon stopped in his tracks at the words, allowing Dynasmon to catch up with him.

Dynasmon walked ahead and got in front of Craniamon, blocking his way. "Being vulnerable is like some sort of weakness to you," the dragon knight told him, pointing his claw at him.

Craniamon narrowed his eyes and swatted Dynasmon's hand away. "That's the _definition_ of vulnerability, dumbass," he fired back, his words less calm and composed than all the previous ones.

"So Dukemon and Magnamon and Sleipmon are weak because they wear their hearts on their sleeves?" Dynasmon challenged him. "Being honest about your problems and weaknesses… Willing to face up to that… I call that strength."

The composed, glowing, crimson eyes of Craniamon locked with Dynasmon's passionate carmine ones.

"But I'm guessing you disagree. The only definition of strength is being cool, unemotional, and the best at everything you do?" Dynasmon questioned. "Your definition of strength, you mean."

Craniamon closed his fists tightly. Dynasmon's words were really beginning to affect him more than he'd like to admit.

"You can never show emotion. You can never accept help. You can never fail. That's what you think, right?"

Craniamon quietly bowed his head, shadows cast over his face and rivulets of rain running down his helmet to his chin.

Dynasmon cocked his head to the side. "That's your personal goal, isn't it? So, I guess you think you're pretty strong-?!"

Craniamon suddenly lashed out. He dropped his spear and grabbed Dynasmon by the collar. He stepped forwards and leaned in, putting his face inches away from Dynasmon's. "I NEVER SAID I WAS STRONG!" he shouted at him.

His voice resounded through the forest, cutting through the rain. Dynasmon was taken at a loss for words as he stared into Craniamon's wide, agitated eyes.

Craniamon regained his composure and pushed Dynasmon back to put space between them. He immediately looked away in a mixture of embarrassment and anger. "Besides, don't talk to me about that! You're just a hypocrite," he told the stunned Dynasmon. "Big, macho Dynasmon. The physically strongest Royal Knight. Don't talk to me about not being vulnerable…"

Dynasmon blinked and clawed at his collar, regaining his poise. "What are you talking about? Maybe it's not often, but I at least talk to my friends about that stuff. You know about what happened to my hometown; I barely know anything about this place! I told you all because I can trust you!" Dynasmon countered.

"Oh, here we go…" Craniamon muttered. "'My friends'. 'Loyalty'. You always throw those around when you want to guilt somebody. And when they aren't up to your standards, you hold it against them and get all sanctimonious. It's more like a tactic than an ideal. Is that real friendship, Dynasmon?"

Dynasmon's eyes widened for a moment before suddenly hardening. It was his turn to get fired up. His temper flared and there was a burning look in his crimson eyes. He took a step forwards and coiled his fist back. "What would YOU know about it?!" he shouted, throwing his fist towards Craniamon.

Craniamon watched as the clawed fist flew towards him. He glanced down the length of Dynasmon's arm. However, he saw a flash in the distance behind Dynasmon.

The violet Royal Knight acted quickly. He swerved and ducked under the punch, grabbing Dynasmon's forearm with his free hand. He spun around and flipped Dynasmon over his shoulder while raising his shield behind them. When Dynasmon thudded onto the ground, Craniamon released him and angled his shield, which began to glow.

"God Bless!" he shouted.

The Avalon shone brightly and kicked up an invisible barrier around the two Royal Knights. Even the rain pelted off and the washed down the transparent dome as it formed.

A glowing, crescent arc slammed into the omni-directional blockade and shattered upon impact with the impenetrable defence.

"What the hell?" the stunned Dynasmon asked, sitting up immediately and looking around.

"We're under attack," Craniamon told him, reaching down and picking up the Claiohm Solais. "I told you we needed to focus."

"Save it," Dynasmon spoke irritably, charging up power in his palms. When the barrier disappeared after three seconds, the trickling water splashed down on their already soaked forms.

The two Royal Knights raised their broad, dripping, heaving bodies and stood back-to-back to cover each other's blindspots. They gazed through the rain and into the forest.

However, no matter which direction they looked, they couldn't see their attacker. It was particularly hard to see through the veil of rain.

"I don't see anybody. Long-ranged?" Dynasmon asked Craniamon lowly.

"Don't think so. I only saw the attack for a few seconds. I think it's close," Craniamon answered, scanning the forest in front of him with quick-moving eyes.

"Hidden, then?" the wyvern knight questioned, glancing over his shoulder at Craniamon. "I can't sense anybody nearby, can you?"

"No," Craniamon answered. "They must be concealing themselves somehow. Or maybe the rain is messing with our instincts."

"What do you want to do?" Dynasmon murmured to him.

"Break for the clearing," Craniamon responded quietly. "It'll be easier to fight out in the open."

Dynasmon nodded. "Go!" he shouted.

Right as the two broke apart, another blade of energy sliced between them, where they had been standing. The arc of energy scored the ground like a fine blade stroke.

Dynasmon spun around and raised his hand, glowing power brimming from the gem in his palm. "Dragon's Roar!" he bellowed, releasing elemental energy in the form of a shot of electricity from his palm. The bolt of lightning snapped through the rain, electrifying the drops of water around it.

Using the attack as suppression, Dynasmon took off running alongside Craniamon, the dragon knight following his comrade's lead.

"This way," Craniamon told him, sprinting through the forest. "Almost there."

Dynasmon nodded and jumped into the air, flying after him. He looked over his extended wings to try to see behind him, but he didn't see their attacker.

He was distracted when another slash tore through the rain from his right. The arc cut towards him, but he quickly flapped his wings and flew above it, causing the attack to explode on contact with a nearby tree. Dynasmon reacted quickly. He angled his body and stretched his arm out, releasing another blast of lightning from his hand towards where the attack came from.

Dynasmon saw his lightning attack light up a flash of red and grey just as the colours began to fade away. The bolt of energy pierced through the colours. Dynasmon thought he heard a pained rasp as data suddenly exploded and melded into the downpour.

"I think I got it!" Dynasmon called out to Craniamon.

"Keep going," Craniamon advised, still running. "Could be more."

Dynasmon nodded and followed him between the dispersed trees. Through the rain, he could just manage to see a break in the trees ahead of them.

"That's it there," Craniamon told him, dashing forwards to the clearing.

Dynasmon flapped his wings, inadvertently flicking countless beads of water from the leathery appendages. He inwardly noted that they hadn't been attacked since he blasted that last one. He was sure he hit something, but it felt way too easy to be a dark evolved Digimon. He recalled how much trouble Examon and Craniamon apparently had with that Darkdramon, and Omegamon Zwart had been a nightmare to deal with. Maybe it really was just bandits like Mayor Mistymon said?

Suddenly, he noticed Craniamon stop at the very edge of the clearing. The violet Royal Knight raised his hand in a signal for Dynasmon to halt. Dynasmon raised an eyebrow and descended to gently touch down behind him. He was standing in front of a wide, open glade covered with soaked grass, puddles, and mud from the rain. It was pretty spacious, so there was a lot of room to manoeuvre there.

"Shh. Do you hear that?" Craniamon mumbled to him quietly.

"Hear what?" Dynasmon whispered back.

"Listen," Craniamon told him.

The dragon knight listened carefully. Initially, all he heard was the sound of the rain hissing continuously. However, after a few seconds he could begin to hear faint voices mixed in with the sound of the showers.

"Where is that idiot?" one voice asked. "He said he'd be right back."

"Who knows?" another voice answered.

Craniamon elbowed Dynasmon's arm and gestured to the left part of the clearing. Dynasmon looked over and saw the semi-concealed forms of four similar Digimon. They seemed to be floating in the air. They all had short, legless bodies of grey cloth. Over their heads and backs was a large, scarlet, hooded mantle that concealed their faces. In their stubby arms, they had large, golden scythes connected to a ball and chain.

"Phantomons," Craniamon whispered to Dynasmon. "Four of them."

Dynasmon nodded and eyed them warily. "Bandits?" he whispered.

"Don't know. Let's keep listening," Craniamon suggested.

"Somebody go look for him," one of the Phantomons said. "He's probably trying to steal more stuff."

"Yes, do that," another one agreed.

"You do it. I want to get back to the Dark Area already. At least it's not raining there," a third Phantomon complained.

"We find a way to escape that hellscape and you want to go back there just because of a little rain?" the fourth ghost Digimon chided. "You have to be joking."

Craniamon and Dynasmon exchanged stunned looks at these comments.

"They're from the Dark Area?!" Dynasmon whispered harshly. "They escaped?!"

"This is bad," Craniamon murmured, gripping his spear and shield tighter.

"We're not going back there for good," one of the Phantomon assured the other. "But I want to tell Count Murmuxmon that I found a way out of that prison. He will be most pleased with me."

"What's this 'I' business?" another Phantomon remarked pointedly. "We all came across that rift in the abyssal sky."

"But I noticed it."

"Forget it. We all win if we return to Count Murmuxmon with this loot and news of escape. We'll be promoted and rewarded for sure," one of the ghost Digimon said.

"So, the sooner we get back, the better. And the longer we wait here, the more chance they'll send another team to investigate. One of you go find that dawdling fool," another said.

One of the Phantomon began floating in the general direction of Dynasmon and Craniamon. "I'll go."

Dynasmon looked at Craniamon. "They must mean the guy who was attacking us," he said to the dark paladin.

"We can't let even one of them slip back to the Dark Area," Craniamon responded. "We've got to take them out quickly."

Dynasmon nodded in agreement and eyed the Phantomon that was floating towards their part of the forest.

"Let's take him," Craniamon told him.

He placed a hand on Dynasmon's shoulder to tell him to stay in place. Meanwhile, Craniamon took off into the rainy forest. He circled around through the wooded terrain to flank the Phantomon from the other side.

Dynasmon ducked behind the thick trunk of the nearby tree to conceal himself better. He pressed himself against the wet bark and carefully peered out to keep an eye on the Phantomon.

The Phantomon hovered to the edge of the glade and began to make his way into the forest. He was floating right between Dynasmon's and Craniamon's positions. Dynasmon dug his back foot into the ground, preparing to act.

However, the Phantomon suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. The eyeball pendent attached to the chain necklace around his neck glinted. The spectre Digimon suddenly whirled to face Dynasmon. "I know you're there!" he announced, panic and anger in his voice.

Dynasmon snarled when his eyes locked with the Phantomon's. "_Damn it! I forgot they had those crystals that let them glimpse into the future! Can't let him disappear._" Dynasmon thought to himself, rushing forwards.

Acting on instinct at the sudden charge, the Phantomon began to wheel in reverse. He raised the flap of his cloak in front of his body, preparing to vanish and escape from sight. Before he could finish the action, he saw a flash of danger coming from a different direction. Already feeling a second presence behind him, all the Phantomon could do was look over his shoulder.

His eyes widened when he saw Craniamon standing directly behind him, bringing his spear down on him. The flat side of the Claiohm Solais collided with the Phantomon's head, conking him straight into the ground. The shock of the attack caused the scythe and chain to fly from his arms.

Dynasmon picked up the Phantomon by the body and forced him against the tree. He then raised his free hand and held the gem of his open palm in front of the ghost Digimon's face. "Scream and you're dead," he warned him.

The Phantomon glared at the two Royal Knights but kept quiet.

Craniamon stepped up to him as well and towered over him intimidatingly. "You're from the Dark Area?" he asked him.

"No," the Phantomon responded with a sneer.

"Then who's Count Murmuxmon?" Dynasmon asked him, calling out his lie.

The Phantomon glowered. "Uh…"

"You should answer," Craniamon advised him coldly.

"He's from the Dark Area, okay?!" the Phantomon responded, hoping that his comrades would hear his voice. "He's a subject of Lord Barbamon."

"Where's the dark rift?" Craniamon sternly asked him.

The spectre Digimon glanced around, starting to fear that the other Phantomons couldn't hear him. "Uh, promise to let me go if I tell you?" he asked him.

"Yes," Craniamon told him.

Dynasmon looked at Craniamon incredulously. He knew Craniamon knew that they couldn't let even one Phantomon return to the Dark Area with this news. It either meant that Craniamon was making a risky promise or that he was planning on going back on his word. Neither option sat well with Dynasmon – he wasn't fond of going against one's word. However, he couldn't undermine Craniamon's negotiation tactic in front of the Phantomon either.

"It's over in the big clearing there. To the right side," the Phantomon conceded. "I'll go show you."

"No need," Craniamon responded. "I'll find it myself. You can go." He looked at Dynasmon emphatically.

Dynasmon winced and reluctantly let go. He didn't want to, but he wasn't about to break a promise that Craniamon had made. However, he gave Craniamon an intense, questioning look.

Craniamon locked eyes with Dynasmon and then looked down at the Phantomon, who was collecting himself. "And you had better hurry," he warned the ghost Digimon.

The Phantomon forwent collecting his scythe and just began floating into the clearing quickly. He made a direct route for the dark rift.

"Craniamon, what are you doing?!" Dynasmon whispered harshly.

"Giving him a head start," Craniamon responded. He spoke loud enough for the Phantomon to hear. "Five…"

The Phantomon immediately tensed up and looked over his shoulder with wide eyes. Without a second thought, he began to fly swiftly towards the rift.

"Four…" Craniamon gave Dynasmon a meaningful glance and nodded to the left end of the clearing where they had heard the other Phantomons.

"Three…"

Dynasmon frowned and nodded. He flapped his wings and began flying through the veil of rain.

"Two…"

Craniamon gripped the Claiohm Solais and bent his knees, preparing to lunge.

"Guys!" the escaping Phantomon shouted out to his comrades urgently.

"One!"

No later than the word escaped his lips was Craniamon vaulting through the air at great speed and distance.

At the same time, Dynasmon tore through the air. He began to put his energy into summoning Wyvern from his body. His form became cloaked with blue power and there was a deep snarl in his throat as he put his focus into calling his great aura dragon. The rain hissed and sizzled as it struck him, evaporating on contact with his energy.

The Phantomon that Craniamon freed sped for the dark rift. He could see a black fissure far ahead of him. It was several meters long and almost a meter thick at its widest point. The chasm frothed black energy.

However, the phantom Digimon sensed a presence above him. He glanced up and saw Craniamon descending on him with his lance pointed downwards.

Craniamon drove his spear down into the Phantomon before he could get close to the dark rift. The Dark Area expat released a shout and burst into data.

After landing, Craniamon stood up straight and observed the rift. One of that size wasn't good. He stood near it with his Claiohm Solais and Avalon in hand. He made it his job to guard the rift to make sure that none of the Phantomon got in.

Meanwhile, Dynasmon surged towards the trio of Phantomon. By now, the Phantomons had heard their comrade's shouts and turned towards Dynasmon with shock. They were hovering around a collection of loot that they had stolen and were planning on bring back to the Dark Area.

"Attack!" one of the Phantomon yelled.

Dynasmon glared at them passionately as Wyvern began to surge from his body. "Breath of Wyvern!" he roared.

The glowing, blue aura dragon roared as he tore through the rain, evaporating any drops that got in his way. He swept across the clearing towards the three Phantomon.

"Scatter!" one of the Phantomon shouted.

Two of the Phantomons spun around and disappeared into the air. However, the third was too slow in acting, and Wyvern descended on him. The energy dragon soared forwards and blazed through the Phantomon, obliterating him immediately. Wyvern continued on and slammed into the other side of the clearing in a massive explosion that sent power billowing out.

The detonation sent the two hidden Phantomons reeling through the air. A blossom of bright, azure energy plumed upwards into the rainy sky.

Dynasmon looked around, still growling a bit as residual draconic energy lingered on his body. The two remaining Phantomons had disappeared from sight using their magical abilities.

"Be ready, Craniamon!" he called out to his friend. "They're hidden!"

Craniamon nodded and scanned the landscape around the dark rift carefully.

Dynasmon felt his energy begin to return to his body. Breath of Wyvern had a long cooldown time, but he could still fight in the interim.

"Soul Chopper!" a voice shouted from behind him. Dynasmon looked over his shoulder and saw one of the Phantomons reappear behind him, slashing his scythe down.

An arc of energy tore from his scythe and slammed into Dynasmon's back. The bladed curve exploded on contact with Dynasmon's armour, throwing him forward somewhat. His back smoked with dark energy and Dynasmon spun around with a grunt.

"Dragon's Roar!" he snarled, raising his hand and firing a blast of lightning at the ghost Digimon behind him.

However, the Phantomon already brought up his cloak and disappeared from view before the lightning could hit him.

As Dynasmon was distracted, the second Phantomon reappeared behind him to once again attack his exposed back. "Soul Chopper!" he yelled, slashing his scythe across Dynasmon's wings and chrome digizoid armour. Sparks burst out when metal hit metal, and a light cut opened up on the outer part of Dynasmon's wings.

The wyvern knight snarled and spun around, throwing his mighty fist towards the Phantomon that attacked him. However this ghost Digimon simply disappeared before the punch could hit him. Dynasmon released a grunt of frustration.

Before he could react, a ball and chain swung out from behind Dynasmon and coiled around his neck tightly. Behind him was the other Phantomon, who pulled on the chain part of his scythe to try and hold Dynasmon in place.

Dynasmon pulled against the chain and snarled angrily. "Pests!" he growled. However, an idea dawned on him. As long as the chain was attached to him, he knew where the Phantomon was.

The dragon knight spun around and grabbed hold of the sickle's chain with his hand. He used the exact same tactic that the Phantomon was using on him.

The Phantomon sneered and tried to pull his scythe away but he found himself unable to wrestle it away from Dynasmon's sheer strength.

Dynasmon raised his hand and aimed his palm gem at the Phantomon trying to restrain him.

However, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the second Phantomon zooming towards him with his scythe, trying to take advantage of the situation.

"End Waltz!"

From over by the rift, Craniamon was spinning his Claiohm Solais spear around rapidly. The spear generated sonic and electric energy the faster it spinned. The power released itself in the form of a horizontal cyclone that tore across the clearing. The End Waltz technique engulfed the interfering Phantomon, knocking him around in the blast's folds and sending him flying into a steel tree.

Dynasmon was now free to focus on the Phantomon whose chain was wrapped around his neck. Dynasmon kept his grip on the chain tight, refusing to let the Phantomon pull away by using his vastly superior strength. He aimed his hand precisely at the spectre Digimon.

The Phantomon's eyes widened and he decided to let go of his scythe and try to escape. He grabbed hold of his dimensional cape and started to bring it up.

"Dragon's Roar!" Dynasmon shouted.

A blast of light energy pierced through the rain. Although the rain dispersed the light element somewhat and weakened it, he was at a close enough range for it to still be effective. The burst of radiance tore through the Phantomon's body and purged him into data.

When the Phantomon was gone, Dynasmon lowered his smoking hand. He reached up and pulled the chain off from around the neck, allowing the weapon to burst into data as well.

The dragon man Digimon released a breath and looked around the rainy clearing. He wondered where the last remaining Phantomon was. Did Craniamon's attack finish him?

Dynasmon looked over to Craniamon. "Where's the last one?!" he called out. "Did you get him?!"

Craniamon frowned. He wasn't sure.

As the violet Royal Knight looked across the clearing at Dynasmon, the Phantomon reappeared behind Craniamon, right near the dark rift.

The Phantomon made a break for the Dark Area. His spectral body neared the gaping, shadowy abyss and he was about to fly in and escape the Royal Knights.

However, at the last second, Craniamon spun around. With a wide, clean stroke of his double spear, the blade of the Claiohm Solais tore through the cloth fabric of the Phantomon's body. The Phantomon burst into data just above the rift and the cloud melded with the falling rain.

Craniamon released a breath and lowered his spear. "That's all of them…" he said. He gazed down at the dark rift with bitter eyes and then walked away from it. He made his way over to Dynasmon, who was walking towards him as well.

The two Royal Knights met in the center of the clearing, ignoring the drops of rain that showered down on them, soaking their armoured bodies.

"That was close…" Dynasmon said, sighing with relief. "You had me worried with that Phantomon."

Craniamon nodded. "I wasn't going to let him get too far," he responded. "And yeah. Too close," he agreed. He turned his body slightly and looked over his shoulder towards the dark rift. "…Dark Area escapees… This is bad."

"Yeah, it is…" Dynasmon concurred, frowning softly. "But it could have been worse. This is the only case of this happening, and we stopped those Phantomons before they could report back to their superiors."

"Still. What's to stop others from finding the hole and escaping like they did?" Craniamon asked him.

"Us. The Royal Knights," the wyvern knight assured him. "We need to isolate this rift, put some guards on duty, and then we can get Imperialdramon or Anubismon or somebody to come here and seal this thing up."

Craniamon nodded. "You're right," he told him. The Royal Knight then paused and looked away sheepishly. "…Right about a lot," he muttered.

Dynasmon raised an eyebrow in surprise and looked at Craniamon. "Huh?"

The paladin sighed. "Sorry, Dynasmon," he told him, although refusing to make eye contact. "For being a dick earlier…"

The white and violet dragon knight rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah… Same. I shouldn't have pushed you so much." For emphasis, Dynasmon walked over and offered his hand. Craniamon stabbed his spear into the ground and took the hand firmly.

"You were right about me," Craniamon said to him, pulling his hand back. He folded his arms and looked away. "I do hate appearing vulnerable… I don't like to fail. I don't like to open up. I don't like to ask for help." He winced. "…Even saying this much is… hard."

"Why?" Dynasmon asked him curiously.

Craniamon just shrugged. However, he soon realized that that wasn't an answer and grimaced. "I…" He paused and clenched his fist. After a moment, he took a breath and continued. "…I sometimes feel… inadequate," he admitted with great difficulty. He looked off into the forest. "Like I'm not good enough… to be a Royal Knight."

Dynasmon blinked with shock. "What? Don't be ridiculous," he told him. "You probably try the hardest out of any of the Royal Knights."

"Why do you think I try so hard?" Craniamon responded rhetorically. "I put a lot of pressure on myself to be the best. I want to prove that I'm worthy to be one of the Royal Knights." He felt heat in his face behind his helmet as he admitted these things. "You mentioned how I acted when I first joined the Order. How I hated working with others… I liked doing missions on my own. I liked fighting one-on-one… I thought working as a team was a weakness because I had to rely on others. …It took awhile to realize that working to complete the mission was more important than my own ego."

"Yeah, but you got there in the end," Dynasmon assured him, smiling a bit.

Craniamon shrugged. "Even now, it's hard for me to accept help… I want to be perfect in everything I do. And I'm aware I don't take failure well."

"Nobody's perfect," the wyvern knight said. He pointed at himself. "Look at me."

"You're one of the founding Royal Knights at least," Craniamon spoke. He shook his head. "It's ironic. I left here to get away from the pressure of my father, only to end up putting pressure on myself all the time. …Maybe it's because I wanted to prove him wrong. Or prove myself right. I don't know. I'm not good at this stuff." He made a dismissive shrug.

"You really shouldn't pressure yourself," Dynasmon insisted. "You're a hell of a Royal Knight. Nobody questions that." He grinned. "Yeah, you can be a dick sometimes, but like I said, nobody's perfect."

Craniamon frowned. "Yeah…But it's weird how right you were, even when I don't let anyone in… I don't know if I can stop being so guarded and stubborn."

Dynasmon released a sigh. "It's who you are, Craniamon. I'm not asking you to change or anything… I was just frustrated…" he explained, feeling guilty that he made Craniamon feel like this. "You know what I'm like. My friends' problems are my problems… And I'm like a stubborn, direct battering ram when people put up walls with me. I just didn't want you to lose your family and hometown when there was still a way back."

Craniamon glanced at him. "I know."

Dynasmon smiled bitterly. "Not entirely… You were right, though. I think part of the reason I was so bothered was because I had lost my hometown and family to that Armageddemon. It was partially me wanting you to have what I didn't…"

"You probably wanted what was best for me," Craniamon murmured, looking away awkwardly.

The dragon knight grinned a little. "Thanks… but you're right… I guess I do have a thing about friendship and loyalty…" he conceded.

"You do. You're still probably better at it than me though," Craniamon said.

"Okay, enough of this self-pity crap. It doesn't suit you," Dynasmon told him with a grin. "I like you better when you're an ice cold, stuck up, competition freak. You just care about friends differently than I do. I shouldn't have judged you for it."

Craniamon managed a light grin. "Fine. I was just trying to be nice but I guess I shouldn't bother," he teased. "As long as we're opening up and getting personal, what's the deal with that? The whole friend-thing, I mean."

Dynasmon's grin faltered. "Uh… Well…"

Craniamon looked at him curiously. "Don't hold out on me now, Dynasmon. I just poured out more sappy, personal crap to you than I probably did in my entire life. I'm not doing that for nothing," he stated stubbornly.

The wyvern Royal Knight glanced down in thought. He was reluctant to say anything, but he didn't want to be a hypocrite either. He gave his friends trouble for not talking about themselves but he didn't want to do the same about this particular issue. "Okay… I guess so…" he responded uncertainly.

The dark paladin raised an eyebrow at his change in behaviour. "…You don't have to, Dynasmon. I was kidding," he told him.

Dynasmon sighed and shook his head. "No, I want to… I just don't like talking about it much."

"It's fine," Craniamon assured him, not wanting to press him.

"No. I'm a Digimon of my word," Dynasmon stated firmly. "We're friends, so I want you to know what happened."

Craniamon frowned, but nodded silently.

"…It was a long time ago. Awhile after my village was destroyed, I got into bodyguarding. I wanted to protect people," he explained thoughtfully. "I took a few jobs like that for a few years. Got a reputation for being capable, loyal, and dedicated. Eventually, this lord offered me a contract to be his personal bodyguard. A TonasamaGekomon." There was a bitter look in Dynasmon's eyes.

Craniamon noticed Dynasmon's discomfort but he stayed quiet and allowed him to continue.

"It was fine for awhile," Dynasmon explained. "He seemed perfectly normal… Nice, even. Then, about a year later, there was an assassination attempt on him." He closed his eyes. "I managed to delete them, but after that… he was different."

"…How?" Craniamon asked him.

Dynasmon opened his eyes and looked down. "He got paranoid… I was probably the only one that TonosamaGekomon trusted after that. He thought that people in his court were responsible for the assassination attempt. He also started to get ruthless…" he said with sombre notes to his words. "He started having them arrested without any real trial… and then he had them executed."

Craniamon was silent.

"I… tried to convince him not to, but he wouldn't listen. But… that was all I did… I didn't stop him, I didn't get in his way… I just went along with it…" Dynasmon spoke. There was a tortured look in his eyes, even as rain poured down his face and dripped off his horns. "He was my lord. I even thought of him as a friend. …I was weak… I was too loyal… Loyal to the wrong Digimon."

Craniamon's gaze softened subtly.

"…Then he started oppressing his people. He began to distrust them too, and he started getting stricter and more heavy-handed. I tried to convince him that there were better ways. He didn't listen." Dynasmon sighed. "But I still stuck by him. I thought I'd be able to change him… No, I was fooling myself. I really just didn't want to betray my lord. Loyalty was more important to me than anything… It was more important than doing what was right, apparently."

A frown formed on Craniamon's face.

"He just kept getting worse," Dynasmon explained. "He became a real tyrant. Using his army to extort the Digimon of his land… A resistance movement started up as a result. When it did, he wanted to get rid of them all." Dynasmon grimaced. "The leader was captured and brought to his palace hall. He told me to execute him right there."

Craniamon stared at Dynasmon. "…Did you?"

"…I couldn't. He was just an ordinary Digimon who wanted to protect his friends and family from a tyrant. It hurt too much to even consider it. I realized that I was as bad as my lord was. My loyalty to him was just an excuse to look the other way. I was a coward, really…" the Royal Knight replied bitterly. "That was when I realized I couldn't just go along with whatever TonosamaGekomon wanted anymore. I told him what I was never able to before. I told him 'no'."

"…What happened?" the Royal Knight asked curiously.

Dynasmon looked up at Craniamon. "He snapped. He started beating me. Badly," he explained. "I didn't put up much of a fight… But when I was lying bruised and bleeding on the floor, he turned away from me and started walking towards the resistance leader - a Veedramon. He said that if I wouldn't kill him, he would do it himself. …I said I couldn't let him do that, but he just kicked me again."

Craniamon frowned. "Then what?"

"He walked up to the Veedramon and was about to delete him. I raised my hand and the next thing I knew, I was a Dynasmon. I used Dragon's Roar and blasted TonosamaGekomon through while his back was turned," Dynasmon explained with a grimace.

"You did the right thing…" Craniamon assured him.

"I know… I know it was the right thing to do, but… it was hard for me." He sighed. "You're right. I am too loyal. Even after all that, I still felt guilty about it."

Craniamon closed his eyes and folded his arms. "I'm sure it was hard. Don't feel bad about it."

"I don't, now… I regret not doing it sooner," Dynasmon explained sombrely. "But at the time, I was a mess. I felt guilty… but I also felt used and betrayed. After being hurt by the Digimon I was so loyal to, it was hard for me to trust people again. That's why I stopped being a bodyguard. …I didn't want to put myself into that situation again. I wouldn't allow myself to trust people…" He rubbed the back of his head. "That's when I became a mercenary. I knew I formed deep bonds of loyalty with people, so as a mercenary, I cut myself off and had only superficial relationships with others. I didn't want to get hurt again."

"…Understandable."

Dynasmon nodded. "It took me a long time for me to let myself open up to a deep bond of trust again. It was KaiserGreymon, Magnamon, and Alphamon that first started to break through that barrier. It wasn't easy, but I realized that it was safe to trust Digimon like them… Then I became a Royal Knight and found even more friends I could trust." Dynasmon offered Craniamon a tired smile. "And when I have friends as important as that, I'll never take them for granted…"

Craniamon smiled faintly and reached out to put his hand on Dynasmon's shoulder. "I see…" he said, his voice understanding. "Guess I'm lucky I brought you along, after all."

"…Who brought who along?" Dynasmon asked with a grin, although he was inwardly very pleased that he had been able to mend things with Craniamon.

Craniamon smirked and removed his hand. "Whatever." He turned around and looked at the dark rift behind him. "So… About that thing…" he said, his smile vanishing as they turned their attention back to the issue at hand. "I don't feel good about leaving that unattended. Why don't you head back to Caer Ygg and tell them what we've found and get them to bring reinforcements in? I'll stay here and keep an eye on it."

Dynasmon looked at Craniamon. "Trying to get out of seeing your dad?" he asked him, although not judgmentally this time.

The armoured warrior sighed and glanced aside. "It's not that… I'll talk to him before we leave," he assured Dynasmon.

"I've got a better idea," Dynasmon informed him. He raised his claws and stepped towards the dark rift. "This isn't a permanent solution, but it should help make the rift smaller, at least. Then we can send a team up to close it for good."

The wyvern Royal Knight kneeled down and placed his claws on the ground near the dark rift, careful not to get too close. "Dragon's Roar!" Dynasmon started pouring elemental energy into the ground from the palms of his hands. With one hand, he used the essence of darkness to help staunch the flow of dark energy, and with his other hand, he used the power of earth to seal up the rift so that it was just a sliver.

After a minute of fine-tuning and being sure that his work was done, Dynasmon stood up. "There. That should be safe for several days. Long enough for us to send a team up here."

Craniamon frowned. "If my father allows it," he amended.

"It's up to us to convince him," Dynasmon said with a smile.

After a moment, Craniamon nodded. "Guess it is…"

The two Royal Knights proceeded to walk out of the clearing and back into the forest. They made a direct route for the citadel at Caer Ygg.

* * *

After twenty minutes of walking, Craniamon and Dynasmon were back in Mayor Mistymon's office. They were dripping from head to toe due to the heavy showers outside. Fortunately for them, they had been given towels to dry off.

Mistymon sat on one side of his desk while Craniamon and Dynasmon stood attentively on the other side. The mayor's brows were furrowed hard and his mouth was curved down as he thought.

"So… five Phantomons attacked the team we sent into Iron Forest…" Mistymon said aloud, thinking to himself as he spoke.

"I think they're also the ones behind those robberies you mentioned," Dynasmon added. "We found a pile of loot – precious valuables – that they were going to take back to their masters in the Dark Area."

"So they truly were from the Dark Area…" Mistymon murmured.

Dynasmon nodded. "If it weren't for Craniamon, they probably would have escaped to tell their masters about the rift. Then they would have come back with a legion of demons," the dragon man exclaimed.

Craniamon gave Dynasmon a look. While he appreciated that Dynasmon was trying to help, he didn't feel comfortable taking credit for something that they both did. "We both stopped them," he insisted adamantly.

Mistymon frowned and stood to his feet. "It… seems I owe you both an apology," the mayor said sheepishly, looking between the two Royal Knights, but particularly at Craniamon. "I was close-minded and flippant earlier. You both turned out to be right."

Dynasmon looked at Craniamon. The Royal Knight shuffled awkwardly in place. He didn't know what to do with an apology. "…It's fine," Craniamon responded dismissively, glancing aside. "Holes leading from the Dark Area are a hard thing to imagine."

Mistymon rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Craniamon. "I… feel that perhaps I was unnecessarily short with you earlier, as well. The shock of seeing you again brought up the feelings of our last argument. I shouldn't be bitter that you wanted to be independent. …I'm sorry about that," he told him.

Craniamon internally squirmed in his armour. It was easier for him when they were arguing. However, he forced himself to look up and lock eyes with his father. "Don't worry about it... The, uh… feeling's mutual," he managed.

Dynasmon smiled.

The mayor nodded. "So… What happens next? With the dark rift, I mean," he said to the two Royal Knights, getting back to business. "You're right. I don't know how to handle something like this."

"I managed to seal a large part of it up for now," Dynasmon explained. "That should stop any more Dark Area inhabitants from noticing it, but we need to send a specialized team up to seal it for good. Is that alright with you, mayor?"

Mistymon nodded with agreement. "Whatever it takes. We're equipped to deal with bandits, not a legion of whatever comes out of the Dark Area."

"You should also station guards around the rift to be safe," Craniamon advised him. "But make sure they don't get too close. Dark data can corrupt."

"I will bear that in mind," Mistymon responded. "Is there anything else you can tell me about it?"

Craniamon nodded. "There are side effect of being around the rifts too long. Moodiness, an increasing sense of power and energy, stuff like that. So, be sure that the guards rotate out regularly."

"I'll do that," the mayor told him.

"Great," Dynasmon said. "We'll start heading back today and then send a team here so that you're not waiting too long."

"Very well," Mistymon said, standing to his feet. "When do you plan to head out?"

Dynasmon looked at his comrade. "…We don't have to go immediately."

Craniamon frowned uncertainly and glanced at his father. "…We probably should," he mentioned.

Mistymon nodded. "Yes, it's probably best to go soon. It's generally not the best idea to travel the wilds after dark, even for two Royal Knights," he agreed.

An awkward, uneasy silence overtook the room. It was the silence of two Digimon who wanted to say more, but didn't quite know the words.

Dynasmon was about to try to break the silence, but the mayor beat him to it by speaking up. "…Not that I wouldn't like to see more of you, Craniamon," the Mistymon offered.

Craniamon blinked and looked up in surprise. "Uh… Yeah. Same," he responded stiffly. "Maybe… I'll stop by home as we leave. Would that be fine?"

Mistymon smiled a bit. "Yes. I'm sure your mother would be thrilled."

The violet Royal Knight nodded and rubbed the back of his head. "So… We'll do that now, then," he said, starting to turn around.

"Very well…" Mistymon spoke, watching the Royal Knight begin to leave. The mayor then cleared his throat. "Rm. Craniamon…"

Craniamon halted and looked over his shoulder at him.

Mistymon frowned and walked out from behind his desk. "I think, perhaps, I was wrong about your decision all those years ago…" he put forward apprehensively. He stopped behind Craniamon.

The Royal Knight in question turned around to face him, eyeing him curiously.

"You… You've turned out to be a fine Digimon," Mistymon stated. "Being a Royal Knight wasn't what I wanted for you, but I suppose you had to make decisions for yourself. It's clear this makes you happy, so…" He trailed off sheepishly.

Craniamon smiled a bit. He knew that this was the most that he was going to get. "…Thanks, Dad," he replied. He extended his hand.

Mistymon looked down at the violet glove and took it. "Safe travels," Mistymon told him, shaking his hand once before letting go.

Craniamon nodded and turned around. Without another word, he walked out of the room.

Dynasmon gave a polite goodbye to the mayor and then followed Craniamon out. A smug grin was plastered on his draconic face.

Craniamon glanced over his shoulder. "And you can wipe that grin off your face..."

* * *

An hour passed by.

Dynasmon and Craniamon had left Caer Ygg and were now heading south, back towards Falconhead. They would stay there for the night and then head to the nearest Locomon station and continue back to the headquarters in the way they came.

The rain had lightened by this point, and they could see for quite a ways ahead of them. They strolled down a wet, beaten path, walking by a deep crater whose formation likely had a story behind it.

"That was a hell of a day," Dynasmon said aloud, walking at a relaxed pace with his claws resting behind his head.

"Stormy," Craniamon concurred, walking beside him.

"It worked out in the end though," Dynasmon noted, eyeing his comrade meaningfully. "I think public opinion of you just got a little better in Caer Ygg."

Craniamon shrugged. "For the most part," he responded.

Dynasmon grinned and rolled his eyes. "What do you have to complain about now?" he asked him.

Craniamon looked down at the tight bodysuit he wore under his plate armour. "My suit's soaked from the rain and it's chafing," he answered.

The dragon man Digimon let out a laugh.

"It's not funny," Craniamon muttered. "You'd better dry it for me when we get to Falconhead."

"I'll see what I can do," Dynasmon assured him, still grinning.

Craniamon shot him a look. "And don't you dare burn it."

"Wouldn't dare," the Royal Knight declared wryly. "It'd be more than my life's worth."

After rolling his eyes, Craniamon grew more serious. "…I've been thinking," he said soberly. "Do you think that dark rift appearing means that the situation with the Dark Area's barrier is getting worse?"

Dynasmon's grin faded. "…I don't know," he answered honestly. "Maybe it was just a fluke. We don't know for sure that it was new. Maybe it was always there and it just slowly got bigger."

"Maybe. Who knows?" Craniamon responded. "Either way, that still means it got worse."

"I guess so…" Dynasmon conceded. "But it's not like rifts are popping up all over the place. We would have noticed."

"We should still step up our efforts," the black digizoid-wearing knight said firmly. "We were lucky today. If we didn't show up, we could have had a demon Digimon invasion in Caer Ygg."

Dynasmon winced at the idea. "Yeah…" he softly agreed.

Craniamon momentarily glanced at Dynasmon before looking forwards again. "…I don't plan on losing my hometown anytime soon. You don't have to worry," he told him.

Dynasmon smiled a bit. "…I know I don't," he answered tenderly.

Craniamon closed his eyes. "Let's go home, Dynasmon."

The wyvern knight in question nodded and grinned.

With those words, the two Royal Knights continued their journey through the Wilds, heading back to bring news of what they found.


	14. Chapter 11 Part 1: Judgment of Miracles

(Author's Notes: Here's Chapter 11. I'm about three chapters ahead of this one now, and I've got more time now, so I'll be making faster progress, I think. I'll post Part 2 of this in a bit. Enjoy!)

**Chapter 11: The Judgment of Miracles (Part I)**

The twelve Royal Knights were seated around the table in the council room. Although the room was grey and formal, sunlight shone in through the stained glass window. The rays cast dim, coloured light across the floor and table.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode was there as well, standing next to Alphamon and Omegamon. He had returned from his meeting with the Dark Area overseers.

Magnamon sat in his seat, leaning forward on the table and frowning lightly. He glanced between Alphamon, Dynasmon and Craniamon.

"So…" Alphamon spoke, his brows furrowed and his tone was serious. "You're saying that, not only did you find a dark rift outside of Caer Ygg, but a group of five Phantomon escaped to the Digital World from the Dark Area?"

"Yeah," Dynasmon confirmed. "We deleted them all and I sealed up the rift the best we could, but we still need to send one of the special teams up to close it for good. We got the mayor's permission."

Craniamon nodded. "I don't think my father will deny our help after that," he explained.

RhodoKnightmon looked at him with surprise. "Your father?" he asked curiously.

"Never mind all that," Duftmon stated dismissively. "This is calamitous news. The Dark Area situation seems to be deteriorating more swiftly than we imagined."

"Let's not overstate things, Duftmon," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode responded, looking over at the tactician. "I spoke with Plutomon and Anubismon. While it's true that the barrier around the Dark Area isn't exactly stable at the moment, we're not about to be facing a massive prison break anytime soon."

Duftmon looked at him sceptically. "You don't think? What about those Phantomons, then?" he asked him.

"That was just a fluke," Imperialdramon assured him. "The Dark Area's external and internal barriers are strong enough to keep Digimon with large data sizes – Mega levels like the Seven Great Demon Lords, GrandDracmon, and so on – trapped inside."

"DarkKnightmon was able to escape," Magnamon pointed out.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode nodded. "That was only because Dorbickmon created the window of opportunity for him. Although Dorbickmon didn't seal up the Dark Area perfectly, he still did enough to keep the big players trapped inside."

Omegamon nodded but frowned. "But even so…"

"Yeah, we still have to fix this problem," Imperialdramon agreed. "I'm not trying to downplay the need to fix the Dark Area's security by any means, but we shouldn't think that we're on the verge of catastrophe either. We need to think about this with level-heads."

"You're right," Alphamon stated. "If we panic, we could end up making the wrong decisions."

"I'm not panicking," Duftmon insisted, sitting up straight in his seat and folding his arms. "However, I think that this issue needs to take top priority."

Magnamon shot him a look. "What about the Metal Empire? We can't just forget about them… They're an actual and present threat, not just a potential one like the Dark Area. They just attacked us, for Yggdrasil's sake."

"We haven't forgotten about them, Magna. Trust me," Alphamon assured him. "We just have to think of the smartest way to respond to them."

"That said, we can't neglect the Dark Area either," Dukemon mentioned.

"Did anything happen while we were gone?" Craniamon asked.

RhodoKnightmon shook his head. "Not particularly. There have been no further attacks or signs of hostile activity in our territory. The Metal Empire has also refused to accept our envoys."

"These past few weeks haven't exactly been a shining victory for diplomacy," UlforceVeedramon said with a half-grin.

"Unfortunately," Sleipmon spoke, frowning. "What do we do?"

"About the Dark Area or the Metal Empire?" Examon questioned.

"Let's focus on the Dark Area for this meeting," Alphamon said. "We don't want to get sidetracked."

Magnamon folded his arms. "Okay, so, the Dark Area…" he began, although a little reluctantly.

"How's that coalition coming?" Imperialdramon Paladin Mode asked them.

"Good," Alphamon responded. "King Spinomon assured us that the Mesozoic Kingdom would help us. Although they tend to be neutral on most issues, this is something that they can get behind without much fuss."

"The United Dramonic Coalition is in talks about our proposal, as well," Examon added. "The Four Great Dragons are discussing it, but they will probably agree."

"It would be good to get the Jungle Troopers on board. Thunderhead Rainforest is large and dense, and there's insect patrols constantly scouting around in there," Magnamon explained. "It would be hard for us to look for dark rifts without their help. They know the forest like the backs of their claws."

Omegamon nodded with agreement. "That makes sense. Perhaps one or two of us should go down there and speak to King HerakleKabuterimon," he suggested.

"A sensible idea," Alphamon agreed. "Are there any volunteers? RhodoKnightmon? What about you and Magnamon?"

"Oh, I suppose so," RhodoKnightmon agreed, although somewhat apathetically. "I guess I could buy some lovely herbs, mushrooms, and honey from the High Branch Market in Evergrowth."

Duftmon looked at him blandly. "That is not the point of the trip…" he deadpanned.

"I'd rather not, Alphamon," Magnamon replied, folding his arms and frowning.

Alphamon looked over at Magnamon with surprise. "Why not?" he asked him.

"I think it's a waste of time," he explained directly. "I'd rather stay here, if it's all the same to you."

The leader of the knights raised an eyebrow. "Well, sure… I won't force you to go…" he responded, a little taken aback by Magnamon's uncharacteristic bluntness.

RhodoKnightmon eyed Magnamon. "But I think I will bring him along anyways," he exclaimed.

"What?" Magnamon protested with irritation, eyeing the pink-armoured Royal Knight. "I want to stay here."

"I think you could use the distraction, don't you, Magna?" RhodoKnightmon said to him, looking at the golden Royal Knight directly. "The castle will be well looked after."

Magnamon sighed with reluctance. "Fine. I'll go…" he responded, although it seemed like he was dragging the words out of his throat.

"Good," Alphamon said. "But we need to start thinking long-term about how to solve the Dark Area stability problem." He turned to Imperialdramon Paladin Mode, who was standing beside him. "Did your talk with Anubismon and Plutomon produce any results, Imperialdramon?"

Imperialdramon folded his arms and shook his head. "We brainstormed a lot, but it seemed like there was an obstacle around every corner. At this point, we're open to ideas."

"This is above my pay grade," Gankoomon stated. "I don't know anything about how the Dark Area works, let alone how to fix that. I leave that to the nerds like Duftmon."

Duftmon shot him a glare. "Pardon?"

Sleipmon smiled sheepishly. "Don't worry, Gankoomon. You're not the only one. We usually leave the Dark Area stuff to Imperialdramon, Alphamon, Omegamon, and Duftmon."

"I don't think we have any fresh ideas, do we?" Alphamon said, looking around the table.

Silence answered his question.

Duftmon frowned. "Part of the idea behind forming this coalition was to bring together some of the sharpest minds," he stated. "I know of a place where we can do that."

"You do?" Dukemon asked him.

Duftmon folded his arms and nodded proudly. "The Xuanwumon University in Saversburg. My university," he explained. "It's where the brightest minds go to challenge themselves. Perhaps one of my mentors will have an idea."

"That's a good idea, Duftmon," Alphamon said. "Perhaps a few of us should travel up there. Is today alright?"

Duftmon nodded. "Very well. That suits me fine," he replied.

"Does anybody else want to come along?" the black-armoured Royal Knight asked.

"May I come?" Sleipmon politely asked. "I've always been curious to see the academy that Duftmon always talks about."

Alphamon nodded. "Of course."

"I think I'll tag along too," UlforceVeedramon stated. "I don't really feel like staying around the castle, so…"

Duftmon eyed them. "_Do_ try not to embarrass me…" he told them.

"I'll stay here at the castle. See how everything's going here," Imperialdramon explained.

Magnamon frowned. "Only Imperialdramon, Omegamon, Dukemon, Dynasmon, Craniamon, Examon, and Gankoomon will be staying at the castle? After that attack? Is that enough?" he asked aloud.

UlforceVeedramon looked at Magnamon with a grin. "Seven super powerful Megas is plenty, Magna," he assured him with a chuckle.

"It's more than enough," RhodoKnightmon agreed. "Now, we should get ready to leave shortly. It's a long travel down south to Thunderhead Rainforest, Magna."

Magnamon winced but nodded. "Alright…" he agreed tentatively.

"Our group will take the Locomon Rail north to Saversburg in a few hours," Alphamon stated. "We have a long trip too."

"I guess we're done here?" Imperialdramon Paladin Mode asked, idly flicking one of Alphamon's horn-like protrusions on his head.

Alphamon gave Imperialdramon a look and then stood up. "It seems so. I know you're getting impatient."

"Who, me?" he asked, grinning at Alphamon playfully.

"Yes, you," Alphamon responded, giving him a slight smile. "Are you this bad when you're meeting the Four Holy Beasts?"

"Huh? I'm _always_ well-behaved," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode insisted, striding around the table and heading to the door leading to the great hall.

Alphamon grinned and followed him. The rest of the Royal Knights rose to their feet and began flocking to the door.

As they walked into the great hall and began to disperse, RhodoKnightmon walked up beside Magnamon.

"You need to relax, Magna," RhodoKnightmon told him. "You've been sharp and on-edge for the past few days."

"I'm fine," Magnamon insisted dismissively.

"You might think so, but nobody else does," the pink Royal Knight told him.

Magnamon frowned and continued walking.

"Go and visit Metallife before we leave," RhodoKnightmon suggested. "I will meet you by the castle gates in about half of an hour."

The Knight of Miracles sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I'll do that…"

When they reached the octagonal foyer, the two Royal Knights broke off in opposite directions. RhodoKnightmon turned right and started heading up the stairs to the upper levels. Magnamon swerved to the left and began walking down the hallway.

After turning a corner at the end of the corridor, he walked down the adjacent hallway towards the computers room. He saw a light emanating from the room, which indicated to him that MetallifeKuwagamon was probably in there.

Upon reaching the doorframe, he was proved correct. MetallifeKuwagamon was sitting in a chair, typing on the large keyboard. There was a large cast over his right leg and various bandages were patched on other parts of his body. A pair of metal crutches were propped up against the desk nearby.

"Metallife?" Magnamon asked, walking inside the room. He gave a cursory glance to the computer screen before focusing on the wounded insect Digimon.

MetallifeKuwagamon rotated his swivel chair to look at the Royal Knight. "Hello, Magnamon," he greeted, adding a light tone to his words.

Magnamon frowned. "You should be resting," he advised him.

MetallifeKuwagamon shook his head gently. "This helps me relax," he responded. "Besides, there's loads that I need to do."

"Don't overwork yourself," Magnamon said. "There are other Digimon in the Technical Division who can cover for you."

The metal bug Digimon frowned and continued typing. "I need to do this, Magnamon…" he answered, his voice determined and serious.

"What?" the golden knight questioned, puzzled.

"It's my fault… The Metal Empire never would have attacked the castle if I wasn't being harboured here," MetallifeKuwagamon explained, his eyes narrowing grimly as he turned back to the monitor and continued typing. "I put everyone in danger."

Magnamon frowned and walked up to MetallifeKuwagamon, gently placing a blue hand on his shoulder. "Don't say that, Metallife. They were just looking for an excuse. This is all down to them, not you," he assured him.

MetallifeKuwagamon was silent as he continued typing.

"Nobody blames you for what happened, so you shouldn't either. We were attacked because Chaosdramon is a cold-blooded dictator who can't stand anybody opposing him," Magnamon told him. "You're an asset to the Order, Metallife. I don't want you thinking otherwise."

After a moment, MetallifeKuwagamon closed his eyes and smiled. "…Thank you, Magnamon. You cheered me up," he told him. "I suppose I was just demoralized because my fears came true…"

Magnamon smiled a bit. "We'll look out for you. It won't happen again," he promised him.

MetallifeKuwagamon looked over at him. "Thank you…" he said. "Anyway… What are your plans for today?"

"I was dragged into going on a diplomatic mission down to Thunderhead Rainforest," Magnamon explained.

"Ah, I see. Good luck," the insect man Digimon said to him. "Is TyrantKabuterimon still in charge or did HerakleKabuterimon win the vote? I'm a bit behind on world affairs…"

"HerakleKabuterimon was elected," Magnamon responded. "Anyway, will you be okay?"

"Hm? I'll be fine. Don't worry about me," MetallifeKuwagamon assured him.

Magnamon paused and nodded. "Okay… I'd better get ready," he said to him.

"Very well. Thanks for checking up on me," MetallifeKuwagamon replied.

"Goodbye. Get some rest," Magnamon advised him, turning around and walking out of the room. He walked back the way that he came, not noticing Sistermon Blanc standing a little ways behind him.

She had overheard his conversation with MetallifeKuwagamon and gazed at him as he walked away.

"_He's so kind and considerate_…" she thought to herself with a starry look in her grey eyes.

Sistermon Noir suddenly appeared behind her and leaned in with a grin. "Stop drooling, sis," she told her cheekily.

Sistermon Blanc tensed up and turned bright red. "I-I-I wasn't! N-Noir!" she complained.

Sistermon Blanc stormed off in a huff while Sistermon Noir laughed at her sister's embarrassment.

* * *

Many hours passed since RhodoKnightmon and Magnamon left the castle and began their travel. They travelled down through the southern states of the Free Area as they headed towards Thunderhead Rainforest.

They walked down a path in the southern-most Free Area state. Surrounding the two Royal Knights was a beautiful, emerald landscape that was rich with lush plant life. The open fields of grass were a bright, healthy green. There was also an amalgamation of thick, mossy trees, fan-like ferns, and patches of vibrant plants and colourful flowers decorating the fields.

The path they walked on led down a slope towards a long, wide, stone bridge. The bridge passed over a thick river full of rushing water. On the other side of the bridge, the path led into a thick forest – Thunderhead Rainforest. The river served as a natural border between the Free Area and the Jungle Troopers' territory.

Thunderhead Rainforest was a cross between a temperate and subtropical rainforest. The weather was typically warm in the region, but not swelteringly hot or faintly cold. The Thunderhead Rainforest and its neighbouring territories saw heavy rainfall but very rarely was there a risk of flooding. As a result, the soil was very fertile and the rainforest was incredibly verdant. This was obvious by how vibrant and healthy the forest looked. The plant life within the forest was extremely diverse and there were trees, plants, and flowers of many different shapes and colours. It was also one of the biggest forests on the whole continent and possibly the eastern continent as well.

The rainforest was home to the Jungle Troopers. They were predominantly insect Digimon, but some plant Digimon also lived among their society.

Magnamon and RhodoKnightmon walked over the arching bridge, leaving the Free Area and nearing the mouth of the Thunderhead Rainforest.

The gold Digizoid clad Royal Knight strode with a soft frown on his face.

RhodoKnightmon glanced over at him. "Problem, Magna?" he asked him.

"No, it's nothing," Magnamon responded. "Do you think they'll agree to help us? The Jungle Troopers are all for trading, but when it comes to alliances and coalitions, they generally shy away and remain neutral."

"We aren't looking for a military alliance with them. We just want their help securing their territory against dark rifts," RhodoKnightmon replied nonchalantly. "I can't see why they wouldn't agree. Even the Republic of Node agreed and their relationship with us is – shall we say – ambivalent."

"A war with the Metal Empire might be on the way," Magnamon explained. "Helping us could be seen as picking our side over theirs. They might not want to risk it."

RhodoKnightmon folded his arms as the two reached the other side of the bridge. "I am not sure how likely that is," he stated. "I think you're over thinking it."

"You think so…?" Magnamon asked, furrowing his brows behind his gold helmet.

RhodoKnightmon gazed at Magnamon. "You really ought to relax, Magnamon…" he advised him. "You've been on edge and irritable ever since the attack."

"Can you blame me?" Magnamon retorted, glancing at the slender, pink Royal Knight.

"No. I know MetallifeKuwagamon is a good friend of yours," RhodoKnightmon stated. "However, going on the warpath and getting frustrated when people disagree with you isn't helping anybody."

Magnamon folded his arms indignantly. However, after a few moments he sighed and bowed his head. "I know… I know I've been unreasonable lately. Sorry. I just hate seeing my friends get hurt."

"I understand that. None of us like what happened, and we don't plan on letting the Metal Empire get away with it," RhodoKnightmon explained. "However, it's better to be productive in events like this."

The golden Royal Knight rubbed the back of his head. "You're right… I shouldn't dwell on getting revenge on evil Digimon…" he agreed, frowning. "I'll just try to focus on the task at hand."

"Wonderful!" RhodoKnightmon exclaimed. "Now we can enjoy the beautiful scenery!"

Magnamon managed a small chuckle as the two entered the forest, continuing to follow the trodden dirt path which was built around the flora rather than over it.

As they walked through Thunderhead Forest, the two Royal Knights were surrounded by the rich green of broad leaves, some small, others massive. They were attached to the large branches stemming off from the thick, brown, occasionally mossy tree trunks. Both the thick canopies and the forest floor was coated with emerald plant life. Although green and brown dominated the rainforest, there were plenty of other colours as well. The leaves of certain trees were all sorts of colours – blue, red, yellow, pink, white, and the list goes on. This extended to the flowers and plants on forest floor as well. There were rainbow-coloured plants, climbing vines, fragrant herbs, bioluminescent moss, giant mushrooms, and colourful flowers, among a wealth of other things. The flora was diverse and exotic throughout the rainforest.

However, it wasn't thick overgrowth throughout – there were plenty of glades, streams, and cleared sites that allowed for a more open area. The rainforest itself wasn't particularly thick; the space between the trees was usually large enough for a Kabuterimon to be able to fly through. This was provided that they flew beneath some of the larger, thicker branches up near the canopies.

RhodoKnightmon walked down the wide path, admiring the scenery. "Isn't it gorgeous, Magna? What a wonderful place for a date!" he remarked.

"Yeah…" Magnamon said, looking around as well. After a moment, he suddenly blinked and twisted his head to look at RhodoKnightmon questioningly. "Hold on. What?"

"Generally speaking, of course," RhodoKnightmon coyly responded.

"R-Right…" the knight of Miracles mumbled uneasily, walking along as well. "I guess it is pretty nice."

"We didn't have any scenery like that back at my estate," RhodoKnightmon noted. "Just rolling fields and a pond."

"Yeah? At least you were near water. Brighthelm is totally landlocked," Magnamon responded, remembering his own home.

RhodoKnightmon grinned. "Oh yes. That was the basis for your swimming difficulties, wasn't it?" he asked, looking over at Magnamon with amusement.

Magnamon's cheeks tinted and he looked away, unamused. "Hey, I can swim better than most of you now," he reminded him pointedly.

"That's true. I remember seeing you train as hard as Craniamon in that pool. You really pushed yourself," the rose knight recalled.

"Well, I didn't want to be the only Royal Knight that couldn't swim," Magnamon murmured. "Especially not after that embarrassing situation…"

"Where you fell in the water and needed rescuing?" RhodoKnightmon asked as he plucked a flower from the base of a tree and took a sniff of its fragrant scent.

Magnamon winced and flushed at the memory."Yes. That," he responded. "Imagine if somebody saw that apart from you guys. I'd have been a laughing stock. Not to mention the Order's prestige would be tarnished. That's how I felt, anyways."

RhodoKnightmon put the flower back down and looked at Magnamon. "Did you really feel that way?" he asked curiously.

"Well, yeah," Magnamon answered as he walked down the path, deeper into the rainforest.

"You really need to relax, Magna," RhodoKnightmon told him. "We Royal Knights are prestigious and respected, yes, but we are still just Digimon when it comes down to it. We can't be 'on' all the time."

"I know, but we should act dignified in public," Magnamon debated. "We have a reputation and an image to uphold."

RhodoKnightmon folded his arms. "Oh my. Now you really are starting to sound like Craniamon and Duftmon," he hummed aloud. "I don't know if I accept that. As Royal Knights, we are respected because of our actions, not our appearance."

Magnamon looked at RhodoKnightmon incredulously. "Are you, RhodoKnightmon, honestly telling me that you don't take pride in your appearance?" he teased him knowingly.

"Yggdrasil, no!" the slender Royal Knight stated adamantly. "However, that's a different sort of appearance. I agree that it's important to hold oneself with at least some dignity. However, if you constantly worry about what people think of you, then you will never be able to accomplish what you want to accomplish. Am I wrong?"

Magnamon frowned to himself. "…No… I understand what you mean, Rhodo," he acknowledged. "I shouldn't take it so seriously. I guess it's still something that I need to improve on, to a degree."

"Is that why you're reacting so badly to the attack?" RhodoKnightmon wondered. "Because the Metal Empire had the gall to attack us in our own castle?"

"No…" Magnamon told him sincerely. "I guess it does annoy me a little, but it really is because they hurt members of the Order. I can't stand people who hurt my friends."

"You mustn't take it personally, Magna," RhodoKnightmon reasoned with him. "As far as the Metal Empire is concerned, we're simply an obstacle or interference. They don't look at us on an emotional level, and we mustn't act against them on an emotional level. When you bring emotions into a mission, you lose sight of the bigger picture and end up focusing on the immediate."

Magnamon furrowed his eyes. "I don't agree with that, RhodoKnightmon," he told him. "Emotions are important. They fuel desire and a thirst for justice but they also allow for empathy, which leads to restraint and understanding. If you close your heart off and act with only cold logic, that can also lead to a narrow vision of things. Morality could be compromised."

RhodoKnightmon tapped his cheek with a finger. "So, you're saying that being too detached is just as dangerous as being too emotional," he mused. "I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this. I believe that you're of Sleipmon or Dukemon's school of thought whereas I'm of Duftmon or Craniamon's."

"That's fine. It's important that we're able to disagree amicably," Magnamon said to him thoughtfully. "Otherwise, it could end up like DarkKnightmon and Alphamon again."

"How very true," he agreed as they both walked through the labyrinthine forest.

* * *

The two Royal Knights walked through the forest for another hour. The deeper they travelled into the rainforest, the more bug Digimon they saw buzzing around. Surrounding them was the soft fluttering and deep droning of wings as insects flew past and soared overhead.

They were nearing the outskirts of Evergrowth. Both Magnamon and RhodoKnightmon were able to see it ahead of them, through the colossus trees. The colossus trees, as the name suggested, towered around them. Their trunks were tens of meters wide and they reached high into the sky. While they weren't a fraction of the World Tree's size, they were still mighty and majestic in their own right.

The city of Evergrowth itself was a beautiful city. It was constructed around the thick base of the trees with many large, wooden buildings erected on the forest floor. It was one of the largest cities in Thunderhead Forest, second only to Under Forest.

However, there was a whole second level to Evergrowth; there were wide, sturdy platforms built on the boughs of the colossus trees, as well as around their trunks. These platforms were interconnected with bridges and walkways. The balconies of Evergrowth were an architectural wonder; they were made with an incredibly dense type of wood and were built against the side of the trees in such a way that they were structurally sound, even enough to support heavy bug Digimon. On top of these platforms were single storey buildings – things like stores, public buildings, the High Branch Market, and other mainly non-residential buildings. Around the edges of the city were also lookouts that surveyed both the forest floor below the canopies and the sky above the canopies. Also, for Digimon who weren't flight-worthy, there were wide, spiral stairs built around the trunks of certain trees that led up to the canopy level of Evergrowth. The city was completely harmonious with the nature around it.

The two Royal Knights walked into the city after being eyed by some Stingmon guards. There were plenty of insect Digimon walking and flying around the flattened, dirt streets. The wide, main street that they walked down led through the city and over the small tributary that ran by the southern edge of the city. There were several inns and shops on each side of the road to welcome travellers. While there were plenty of bug Digimon, there were also some plant Digimon mulling around.

As they entered the city, the two Royal Knights saw a silver insect Digimon with a radar dome on its back perched on the branch of a tree. It looked at them with interest.

"We sure saw a lot of those Searchmon on the way here," Magnamon commented, briefly eyeing the small bug Digimon.

"I suppose we have," RhodoKnightmon responded offhandedly. He looked around the area with interest. Evergrowth was one of those cities where you would have to crane your head up to get the whole picture. This was due to the sheer verticality of it.

Magnamon glanced over at RhodoKnightmon as they walked down the main road. "So, what do you want to do?" he asked him.

"Would you like to get some lunch at a restaurant?" RhodoKnightmon responded. "Then we should keep going to Under Forest in order to meet with HerakleKabuterimon."

"Didn't you want to stop by the market?" Magnamon questioned.

"We can do that on the way back from Under Forest. It's more efficient that way," the rose knight explained.

"Excuse me," a voice said from nearby. "Are you Royal Knights?"

Magnamon and RhodoKnightmon turned and saw a Honeybeemon who had been flying nearby looking at them. Magnamon stood up straighter and puffed his chest up. "Yes, we are," he stated.

"And did you say that you were heading to Under Forest to visit King HerakleKabuterimon?" the small, yellow Honeybeemon questioned.

"Indeed we did," RhodoKnightmon answered curiously.

The Honeybeemon smiled. "Then you're in luck! The king is here right now," he informed them. "I just saw him up at the Evergrowth Command Post."

"Oh, thank you very much," Magnamon said to him appreciatively. "Is that on the canopy level?"

"Yup. Just take those stairs over there and take the left bridge. It's near the edge of the city, so it's not very far from here," the small, round bug advised.

"We appreciate the help," RhodoKnightmon said, pulling out a rose and handing it to the Honeybeemon before walking past him.

"U-Um. Th-Thank you…" the Honeybeemon said in surprise, sniffing the flower.

"Thanks again," Magnamon told him before going after RhodoKnightmon.

A ways down the road was one of the giant colossus trees, which stretched into the sky from its place beside the road. It was one of the trees with stairs spiralling around it, allowing Digimon to travel up to the canopy level. The two Royal Knights decided to approach the tree and make their way up the stairs.

They ascended the stairs and admired both the architecture and the view as they went. It was several minutes until they reached the canopy level and the two Royal Knights emerged underneath a stylized, wooden arch that was in the shape of an insect's pincers.

The canopy level was just below the actual forest canopies, so the multitude of spacious platforms and bridges were mostly concealed by a veil of big, evergreen leaves overhead. The sturdy, wooden platforms had railings along most of their edges and there were numerous bridges connecting one to the other so that there was a network between the trees

Magnamon and RhodoKnightmon walked out onto the platform which had a few buildings and many Digimon walking around on it. They walked to the bridge on the left side of the platform and crossed it to another platform. They then made their way across another bridge to a larger one, which spanned the boughs of three separate colossus trees and seemed to be big enough for a small staging ground. It looked like it was a military headquarters judging from its appearance.

In the center of the platform was a giant, golden, four-armed beetle Digimon. He had an imposing appearance that was accentuated by his giant horns and mighty, clawed limbs. It was King HerakleKabuterimon, the new leader of the Jungle Troopers. He was surrounded by an entourage of royal bodyguards, although it looked like he would be able to take care of himself if the need arose. HerakleKabuterimon was talking to a DinoBeemon, who seemed to be in a position of rank judging by the dutiful way that he stood and his other body language.

Magnamon looked at RhodoKnightmon. "Maybe we should wait until they finish," he suggested.

"I suppose so. Now that we don't have to travel all the way down to Under Forest, we have plenty of time," RhodoKnightmon agreed.

However, one of the king's guards noticed the two Royal Knights and nodded over to them, prompting HerakleKabuterimon to look over his shoulder and elytra. He turned his head back, said a few things to the DinoBeemon, and then turned around fully to face the Royal Knights.

The Royal Knights exchanged glances and then began walking across the courtyard towards the insect monarch. As they approached, HerakleKabuterimon placed two of his four hands on his hips and watched as the comparatively smaller Digimon approached him. His eyeless face observed the two Royal Knights standing before him, a large grin growing in his mandibles.

"Now this is a surprise!" the booming voice of the giant beetle exclaimed as he looked down at the two Royal Knights.

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty," Magnamon greeted politely.

"You are looking well," RhodoKnightmon added.

"To you as well, Sir Magnamon and Sir RhodoKnightmon," HerakleKabuterimon responded, formally yet amicably. "I wasn't expecting to see two Royal Knights on my visit to Evergrowth!"

"We're sorry if this is inconvenient," Magnamon told him. "We were actually headed to Under Forest, but then we heard that you were here."

"Oh, I was just speaking with High Sentinel DinoBeemon, here, of our Forest Defence Forces. He's in charge of the Evergrowth sector of Thunderhead Rainforest. Apparently there's a problem," the king of the Jungle Troopers explained.

"Should we come back?" RhodoKnightmon questioned.

King HerakleKabuterimon shook his massive head. "No, no. It's fine. It's rude to keep guests waiting. Let's get right down to business," he stated with a smile in his insectoid maw.

Magnamon looked around uncertainly. "Erm… Right here?" he asked him.

"Yeah! Why not?" the monarch said. "This doesn't have to be overly formal, does it? Besides, I haven't prepared to receive guests and I can't think of a particularly suitable venue here in Evergrowth. This is fine, isn't it?"

Magnamon was sceptical of the idea. An informal chat didn't exactly suit the mission that they were on, and their information was rather sensitive. "Er… Well…"

"That's fine, Your Majesty," RhodoKnightmon spoke up.

The Knight of Miracles shot him a look. He was a bit annoyed that RhodoKnightmon undermined what he was about to say. "I suppose so… Though it's not information we want to make public," he added.

"Ah, I see," the king spoke. He turned and nodded at his bodyguards to leave them be. As the DinoBeemon began to go as well, HerakleKabuterimon stopped him. "You can stay, DinoBeemon."

The reptile-bug hybrid stopped and turned around, although a bit surprised. "Yes, sir."

HerakleKabuterimon smiled at Magnamon. "That reminds me. I knew your father, Sir Magnamon. He's a great Digimon. I'm sure you're just like him!" he exclaimed in a complimentary way. "Strong, noble."

Magnamon shuffled uneasily, rubbing the back of his head. "Thanks… Although I don't know how similar we are… We've had very different careers, after all."

"I suppose that's true. Now… what was it that you wanted to see me about?" HerakleKabuterimon asked the two Royal Knights.

"Well, we have come to ask for the Jungle Troopers' assistance in a very important matter," RhodoKnightmon begun.

Magnamon nodded. "The Dark Area has become increasingly unstable since DarkKnightmon's escape, and these dark rifts have been appearing all over the Digital World. They, themselves, are quite dangerous since they have the ability to corrupt data, but they're also emblematic of the weakening barrier of the Dark Area," he explained.

"Oh, yes. I have heard about that," HerakleKabuterimon explained, scratching his chin with his claws. "It's very troubling. One of our deep forest patrols came across one of these rifts a few months ago."

"Is that so?" RhodoKnightmon questioned. "So… You would be sympathetic to the idea of helping us locate and secure more of these rifts? We are forming a coalition to help do this across the Digital World. It's important that we seal the Dark Area and prevent dark data and other things from seeping out into this plane."

Magnamon nodded. "The Thunderhead Rainforest covers a lot of territory, and the Jungle Troopers know its terrain extremely well. That's why we're so eager for your help," he added. "It's important for the safety of the Digital World."

"Ah, that's a valid point indeed," HerakleKabuterimon hummed, thinking to himself. "I would be interested in having the Jungle Troopers help out with this…"

RhodoKnightmon frowned at his lingering words. "However…?"

HerakleKabuterimon smiled at him. "However, there's something getting in the way of our ability to help," the king said, his smile disappearing.

"What's that?" Magnamon asked him.

"We're facing a security crisis at the moment," HerakleKabuterimon informed them.

RhodoKnightmon folded his arms and tilted his head to the side. "What sort of security crisis?"

"There's a Digimon going around deleting Jungle Troopers in the rainforest," HerakleKabuterimon stated, his deep voice becoming grave.

Magnamon narrowed his eyes. "What?"

HerakleKabuterimon turned to DinoBeemon. "I'll let you take over, DinoBeemon," he spoke.

DinoBeemon nodded. "We confirmed that there's a Digimon going around killing other Digimon. As far as we can tell, the pattern's indiscriminate. It just seems to be random Digimon in the rainforest. Most recently, it was a squad of our soldiers who went to check out the disappearances. They were attacked and only one Okuwamon made it back alive to report what happened."

"That's terrible…" Magnamon said with a wince. "How many Digimon have been deleted?"

"As far as we know, about nine," DinoBeemon explained direly. "The Digimon is strong. He can easily face a Mega-level Digimon one-on-one. Apparently he's a Boltmon."

"And there's more," the insect king added.

"There's a strong chance that this Boltmon is one of the worst kinds of Digimon…" DinoBeemon stated. "We think that he's a data absorber…"

Magnamon's eyes widened. "You think he absorbs Digimons' data after he deletes them?"

"Despicable…" RhodoKnightmon said with a hiss.

"That's what the Okuwamon said he did," DinoBeemon explained, frowning. "It really is sick… When a Digimon's data is absorbed by another, their data can't pass into the Dark Area, so they can't be reborn at the Village of Beginnings."

"We checked with the Village of Beginnings to confirm that their digi-eggs haven't been reformatted," the bug monarch explained. "Needless to say, this needs to stopped before we can consider anything else. However, this Boltmon appears to be quite powerful. I'd rather not risk my forces…"

"Ah…" RhodoKnightmon said knowingly. "You want us to deal with this data-absorbing Boltmon."

"Well…" HerakleKabuterimon responded with a grin. "If you did, I would be more than willing to go along with any proposal you put forward."

"Naturally we will," Magnamon stated, folding his arms. "We Royal Knights can't overlook such an atrocious crime. We'll help out on that basis alone."

RhodoKnightmon nodded with agreement. "We will gladly rid you of this evil scum."

"We would be in your debt if you could do that," HerakleKabuterimon said to them. "But please be careful. They say that data absorbers grow stronger with the more data they consume."

"Thank you, King HerakleKabuterimon," Magnamon told him. "We will. Where do you think we can find the Boltmon?"

"Since the attacks started, we sent out many Searchmons to cover most of the rainforest," DinoBeemon explained. "The most recent sighting was about an hour ago in Tera Sector a few kilometers away. I could send a team of scouts to guide you if that's okay with the King."

"Of course," HerakleKabuterimon agreed. "Will you need reinforcements?"

"We should be fine," Magnamon insisted. "I guess we'll head out whenever the scouts are ready."

DinoBeemon nodded. "I'll get them to prepare."

RhodoKnightmon looked at Magnamon. "Why don't we get something to eat while we wait?"

Magnamon nodded. "I guess we could use the energy."

"I'll cover the bill!" HerakleKabuterimon stated amiably. "It's the least I can do. I know a great place to eat too. It has some of the best local cuisine!"

"Oooh? Do tell!" RhodoKnightmon chimed with interest, beginning to walk alongside the giant bug monarch.

Magnamon smiled a bit and began to follow them. He hadn't been expecting a fight when he first heard he was coming down to Thunderhead Rainforest, but it was his duty as a Royal Knight to stop this Boltmon before he could cause anymore damage.


	15. Chapter 11 Part 2: Judgment of Miracles

(Author's Notes: Here's Part 2. Enjoy! PS, the Boltmon is not to be confused with Bolgmon. xD I realised too late how similar their names are.)

**Chapter 11: The Judgment of Miracles (Part II)**

It wasn't long before the Royal Knights were on the move. RhodoKnightmon and Magnamon were led through the rainforest by a small squad of scouts from the Forest Defence Forces. Among them were a JewelBeemon, a Stingmon, and a Searchmon, who acted as their guides through the terrain.

They walked off-trail through some thick underbrush. Although the ground was dense with plants, flowers, vines, roots, and the like, the spacing between the trees was expansive, so there was plenty of room to move around. They were surrounded by a verdant green and an earthy brown.

A soft breeze blew through the forest that caused the leaves and plants to quiver. The sun began to wane towards the horizon. The slowly setting orb cast a blood-rose hue across the sky. To the travelling party, the sky was only just barely visible through the canopies.

The three scouts moved ahead of the two Royal Knights, checking out the terrain ahead of them. Every so often, the Searchmon would relay received signals from the RADAR on its back.

"Are you ready for this, Rhodo?" Magnamon asked the pink Royal Knight beside him.

"Very ready," RhodoKnightmon responded seriously.

Magnamon smiled a bit. "It's funny how you can be so carefree during some missions but completely focused and serious during others," he noted.

"We're going up against a data absorber. This _is_ serious," RhodoKnightmon answered plainly. "They're some of the most disgusting sort of Digimon."

Magnamon frowned and nodded. He looked up when he noticed the Stingmon beginning to slow down his pace to match theirs.

"We're almost at Tera Sector," the Stingmon scout explained to them. "Would it be alright if the both of you stay here while the three of us scout ahead to check it out? We'll be back in several minutes and we'll allow you to take over from there."

"That sounds fine," Magnamon replied, coming to a stop. "I suppose our armour does kind of stand out."

"But we look so fabulous," RhodoKnightmon insisted, folding his arms. "And Magna wears gold so well."

"Indeed. We'll be back soon," the Stingmon said, politely bowing his head before walking to meet with the other scouts. As soon as he did, they disappeared through the foliage of the rainforest.

Magnamon walked over to the base of a tree and leaned against the trunk. RhodoKnightmon eyed him and walked over.

"How are you feeling now?" RhodoKnightmon asked the dragon Digimon.

"I'm fine," Magnamon answered as he readjusted the golden spaulders over his shoulders. "What should we do about that Boltmon once we find him?"

"Simple. Exterminate him," RhodoKnightmon replied matter-of-factly.

Magnamon winced at the casual way RhodoKnightmon spoke about it. "…Just like that? Shouldn't we figure out what's going on?"

"I don't see the need. He's deleting and absorbing innocent Digimon; the situation seems quite black and white to me," RhodoKnightmon insisted.

"We don't know the whole situation," Magnamon told him. "Things are rarely black and white."

"Are you saying that King HerakleKabuterimon was lying to us?" RhodoKnightmon asked him, folding his arms. "I don't know why you're getting cold feet, Magna. We're dealing with a data absorber. You weren't willing to extend the same graciousness to the Metal Empire just a few hours ago, so what's different here?"

"Maybe I was wrong before," Magnamon said with a wince. "I was angry and I lost sight of my values – of the Royal Knights' values. Violence shouldn't be the first option we take…"

"I would say that violence is completely in line with the Royal Knights' values. What are we if not a military order?" RhodoKnightmon asked him rhetorically. "We act as a deterrent, and if Digimon still insist on evil actions, then we must have the resolve to delete them before they can cause harm to Digimon or the Digital World itself. Whether it be the Metal Empire or a data absorber, we must take action."

"The Royal Knights represent peace, not war. It's our creed to uphold peace throughout the Digital World, not smite every potential evildoer that we come across," Magnamon argued.

"And those evildoers will cause pain, strife, and war if we leave them unchecked," RhodoKnightmon coolly told him. "They are a threat to peace and stability.

Magnamon frowned. "There are still other ways to deal with them," he insisted.

RhodoKnightmon took one of his ribbons in his hands and fingered at the firm fabric. "So… you don't think that we should go to war with the Metal Empire even after they attacked us, killed two Order soldiers, and attempted to assassinate MetallifeKuwagamon?" he asked him pointedly, wanting Magnamon to put his money where his mouth was.

An uncertain grimace formed on Magnamon's face. "I… don't know anymore," he responded.

The rose knight frowned. "It's odd for somebody who's so concerned about the Royal Knights' appearance to falter in the face of evildoers."

Magnamon clenched his teeth a bit. "It's also odd for somebody who's so flippant about low key, peaceful missions to turn around and go into kill-mode as soon as evil Digimon become involved," he countered. "I don't like seeing this side of you. You go from being happy-go-lucky Rhodo to downright merciless."

RhodoKnightmon lowered his head, causing his helmet to darken against the setting sun. "That is simply who I am, Magnamon. I am not two different Digimon – just the one. I have strong views on justice. You just don't happen to agree with them," he explained. "And in this situation, I don't see why not. We are going up against a repeat data absorber who slaughtered several Digimon and prevented them from being reborn. Are you saying that somebody like that deserves mercy?"

"I never said that…" Magnamon answered grimly. "I just don't like how casual you are about it."

"I'm not casual about it. In fact, I take this very seriously. I just don't see the point in wringing our hands and trying to think of alternate solutions when we know what needs to be done," RhodoKnightmon explained with cool determination. "I don't see why you are making such a big deal about this Boltmon. Given how your father fought and defeated those data absorbing Diablomon, I would think that you would have a more negative view on them."

Magnamon glared up at RhodoKnightmon. "Don't do that, RhodoKnightmon…" he warned him.

The rose Royal Knight looked at Magnamon quizzically. "Don't do what, exactly?" he questioned.

The knight of miracles looked him in the face. "Please don't compare me to my father."

RhodoKnightmon rubbed his chin and tilted his head to indicate his confusion. "Why not? Your father is a hero, isn't he? He's one of the most well-known names of Brighthelm."

"And Digimon never fail to remind me of that…" Magnamon said, looking off to the side.

"I'm sorry. I don't see the issue here. Do you not like your father?" the slender knight asked him.

"That's not it. Of course I do," Magnamon replied with a frown.

"Then…?"

Magnamon sighed. "It wasn't easy growing up with a hero for a father… My dad became a continent-wide name after he almost single-handedly destroyed that bunch of Diablomon who were absorbing data and running rampant. I was pretty young at the time. But since then, I felt like I was living in his shadow. It didn't help that he went on to do more benevolent things. Of course I was proud of him, but I always felt like people were comparing me to him, as if asking, 'Now what are _you_ going to do?'. It was a lot of pressure…"

"Really? I never knew this, Magna…" RhodoKnightmon said, looking at him with interest.

The shorter knight nodded reflectively. "Well… It was mainly while I was growing up. I took it very seriously… I always trained really hard and honed my abilities because I thought I needed to live up to him. I eventually became an adventurer and I worked very hard at that too."

"Pardon me for saying so, but that doesn't sound very beneficial," RhodoKnightmon mused. "It sounded like that the one putting pressure on you was yourself – moreso than anybody else…"

Magnamon smiled a little and looked down. "You're right, Rhodo. It was…" he admitted. "My parents were always proud of me, and it was really me feeling like I needed to live up to Dad's image. My good friends – Rapidmon, Alphamon - helped me realize that I was the one putting pressure on myself. They helped me realize that I didn't want to just be seen in the context of being in comparison with my father. What I really wanted was to be my own person," he explained, remembering clearly.

RhodoKnightmon nodded quietly, allowing him to continue.

"I wanted to be viewed on my own merits," Magnamon stated. "I also wanted to view _myself_ on my own merits… Once I realized this… I felt free." He smiled at the memory. "The weight I had been carrying around was suddenly lifted and I was able to act how I wanted. What I wanted to do was to help change the world for the better."

RhodoKnightmon smiled. "Valiant, indeed…"

"It was during those years that I met the rest of the founding Royal Knights. I had only met Alphamon and OuRyuumon before that. I befriended Omegamon, Imperialdramon Paladin Mode, Dukemon, Grani, Dynasmon, and even DarkKnightmon…" Magnamon explained, still smiling. "When we founded the Order, I finally found my purpose. I knew that this was what I wanted to do."

"You certainly have passion when it comes to the Order," RhodoKnightmon observed in agreement.

Magnamon rubbed the back of his head. "I admit, I didn't change immediately… I still had a few insecurities going into the Order."

"Only going into the Order?" RhodoKnightmon asked him, folding his arms.

Magnamon smiled and flushed sheepishly. "…Okay, maybe I still have a few sore points. A bit," the knight of miracles admitted. "I've improved a lot though."

RhodoKnightmon smiled. "I don't doubt that."

The gold knight sat down at the base of the tree. "I think that most of the Royal Knights all had their own challenges that they needed to overcome either before or after the point that the Order was formed."

"I suppose that's true…" RhodoKnightmon agreed contemplatively. "Though it's nice to know why exactly you're so concerned about how the Royal Knights are perceived and why you take the Order so seriously. You care about the Order a lot and you want to be respected. Am I wrong?"

Magnamon shuffled a bit at the accurate analysis. "I suppose not… Though it's more the Order that I'm thinking about than myself," he insisted.

RhodoKnightmon smiled. "Oh, admit it. You like to be admired. That's why you're so ostentatious in public and strike those cool poses all the time," he teased him.

The Digimon in question tensed up and blushed. "I-I do not do that!" he protested adamantly. Magnamon then folded his arms and turned his head up indignantly. "Although, who doesn't like to be admired on some level?"

"See? You love putting out that image of 'the Royal Knight'," RhodoKnightmon exclaimed with a chuckle. "There's nothing wrong with it; I think it's cute."

Magnamon shot him an annoyed look. "First, could you be a little less patronising? Two, I really don't think that I do that. And three, I don't want to be told that I act too extravagant from you of all people," Magnamon fired back, although there was a playful levity in his words at this point. He smiled at the rose knight. "And anyways… I just take being a Royal Knight very seriously. Unlike a certain pink, ribbon-wearing Digimon I could speak of."

"Moi?" RhodoKnightmon asked, gesturing to himself with a finger. "Are you suggesting that I'm anything but committed to my duties?"

An incredulous laugh escaped Magnamon's mouth. "Come on, Rhodo! You're lazier than Dynasmon with a hangover at sunrise."

"Not all the time! I can be fully committed when I want to be. It just depends on my mood," RhodoKnightmon insisted, nodding.

"You're not helping the stereotype that aristocrats having fleeting interests," Magnamon joked.

"I hope you aren't suggesting that I only joined the Order out of boredom," RhodoKnightmon responded seriously, folding his arms.

The dragon's smile fractured a bit. "Well, no…" he sheepishly replied.

"I know that, when I joined the Order, I started off on the wrong foot," the rose knight explained. "I was used to a different way of doing things."

Magnamon raised his three-fingered hand and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, Rhodo. I didn't mean any offence…" he told him. "Why don't you tell me about it? I only know bits and pieces of your time before the Order, come to think about it."

Thumbing one of the ribbons that hung from his armour, RhodoKnightmon nodded. "I suppose that's only fair…"

After sitting back against the tree, Magnamon looked up at the slender Royal Knight. "You really were an aristocrat, right?" he asked him.

"Indeed," RhodoKnightmon confirmed. "I was born into an aristocratic family on a fancy estate. We had a large house, large grounds, servants, tutors, that sort of thing. It would be fair to say that my life was quite comfortable while growing up."

"No judgments here," Magnamon assured him. "Duftmon's of a similar upbringing, isn't he?"

RhodoKnightmon nodded. "I believe so. Then again, I didn't go to a university like he did, so I'm sure he finds me lacking," he joked. "Anyways, while growing up, there were no real challenges. It was easy to just laze around in luxury. It was really quite boring… I know I shouldn't complain about having a fortunate upbringing, but that was how I felt."

"Go on," Magnamon said curiously.

"Mm… Well, out of boredom, I started to find hobbies for myself. I got involved in cooking and I found that I really enjoyed that. It was relaxing somehow," RhodoKnightmon noted. "I also learned how to fight. That was my other passion."

Magnamon raised an eyebrow. "Did somebody teach you?" he asked him.

"One of my tutors taught me the basics but I worked out my own fighting style by myself," RhodoKnightmon replied.

"Same with me and my father," Magnamon noted.

With a nod, the rose knight continued. "Like you, I'm sure, I became a proficient fighter. However, it all still felt so self-indulgent. I felt like we were in our own world as the Digital World struggled on around us. I suppose I became fed up with the way things were, from a moral standpoint," he noted contemplatively. "Eventually, I decided to leave in order to travel and see if I could be of some use to the Digital World. I wanted to make a positive difference, somehow."

"How long was it until you caught our attention?" Magnamon asked him.

"Hmm. It took me about three years to become renowned as a capable warrior, and, a few years after that, I was approached by you all and invited to join the Order. I believe that was a couple years after that sordid business with DarkKnightmon?" RhodoKnightmon looked at Magnamon for clarification.

"That sounds right," the dragon man replied. He laughed a bit at the memory. "When you joined, there was definitely culture shock on both sides."

"I remember that clearly… Obviously none of you had ever met a Digimon so fabulous before," RhodoKnightmon recounted, folding his arms and nodding. "Although, joking aside, I have to admit it wasn't an easy transition. I remember frustrating more than several of you."

Magnamon retained his smile. "I can verify that. You were definitely a strange force that none of us five were used to at that point in our lives. Between your shameless flirting, your odd sense of humour, and your seeming lack of dedication, you were definitely an acquired taste," he playfully commented.

RhodoKnightmon nodded. "It was for me, as well. I took the Order for granted at first and assumed that it would act in accordance to my whims like almost everything else had, up to that point. I suppose I was a bit spoiled. I thought that I could just do missions when and if I pleased and thought that I could pick and choose. It was embarrassingly naïve and childish, thinking back on it," he explained, rubbing the back of his head ashamedly. "I remember that it took several missions and a few ardent talks with some of you that I realized that I had to change. I needed to be more responsible and take things more seriously now that I was a Royal Knight."

The golden Royal Knight grew a bit more serious. "I remember. Some of us were questioning whether it was a good idea opening up the Order to new Royal Knights," he recalled. "Although some of that was more to do with us, in that particular time. You were a blinding ray of light after we were engulfed in the darkness of the DarkKnightmon incident. At first, the light was harsh, flashy and intrusive, but we adjusted to it over time. We came around and appreciated you."

"Well, that's a relief to hear," RhodoKnightmon responded. "I know I can still be a bit idle at times, but I hope that otherwise I'm a benefit to the Order rather than a hindrance."

Magnamon gave him a reassuring grin. "You are. You're a skilled fighter, a wonderful cook, and a good friend. You're much different now than when you first joined. I think we all are, for that matter," he mused. "When you join the Order, you have to learn to think differently. You have to look past yourself. You come to rely on others and they rely on you."

RhodoKnightmon grinned. "What about Duftmon?"

The gold-armoured Royal Knight chuckled and stood to his feet. "I stand corrected. He's pretty much the same as he was when he first joined. I don't know how he's managed it."

"Duftmon is a very special case. Brilliant he may be, Duftmon has various personality traits that, when combined together, make it extremely hard for him to change," RhodoKnightmon said with a grin.

"I guess you're right," Magnamon said, stretching his arms out. "Still, it's not like the rest of us are perfect. We all still have ways in which we can better ourselves. I'm including myself in that."

"Indeed…" RhodoKnightmon agreed pensively.

A rustling in the plants nearby interrupted their thoughts. Both Royal Knights tensed up and readied themselves – Magnamon clenched his fists and RhodoKnightmon took an elongated sash in his left hand and strengthened it to make it become a blade.

The Stingmon scout emerged through the collection of broad plant fronds. Upon recognizing the Jungle Trooper scout, the two Royal Knights relaxed.

"We have achieved our scouting mission," the Stingmon explained to them. "We are finished investigating Tera Sector."

"What did you find?" Magnamon asked him.

"The way ahead is clear," the scout explained. "However, we came across the Boltmon's trail. It was fresh, so we sent Searchmon ahead. He came back a few minutes later with news that he spotted the Boltmon about a kilometer from here."

"That's good to know," RhodoKnightmon said with a nod.

"Our team will be returning to Evergrowth now, unless you want us to guide you the rest of the way," the Stingmon told them.

"We can handle it. Thank you," Magnamon assured him.

The Stingmon nodded and snapped his fingers, prompting the Searchmon and JewelBeemon to emerge through the verdant flora and begin to walk with him back the way that they came.

"He was last spotted in a bed of blood roses!" the Searchmon called over to the two knights as he flew off.

Magnamon looked at RhodoKnightmon. "What do you want to do here?" he asked him. "Split up? Or approach as a pair?"

"How do you feel about splitting up?" RhodoKnightmon asked him. "It's more risky, but if he sees one of us, the other can still get the drop on him."

"That sounds good," Magnamon agreed. "How about you take the direct route and I'll circle around from the air?"

"Agreed," the pink-armoured Royal Knight concurred, taking a tighter grip of his Pile Bunker and sash-blade.

Magnamon nodded. "I'll see you soon," he told him. With that, he lunged into the air and began flying through the tall canopy overhead as a golden blur.

RhodoKnightmon watched his comrade go off, prompting him to start swiftly moving through the rainforest too.

He dashed over the underbrush, through the spacious gaps between the colossus trees. He moved like a bolt of lightning across the tangled underbrush, leaping over roots and cutting through plants that got in his way. RhodoKnightmon sensed the emerald terrain around him, trying to see if he could notice the data-absorbing Boltmon anywhere.

So far, he didn't notice anything. The only thing he could see were the plants, dirt and grass covering the forest floor, the pillars of wood jutting up from the ground, and the occasional tinge of colourful flowers. The Royal Knight continued to run for several more minutes until he reached the landmark that the Searchmon had mentioned to them.

Ahead of him, surrounded by the atmospheric backdrop of green, brown, and shade, was the unmistakeable clearing in question. The clearing was covered in a wide bed of striking, crimson roses that stood out against the greens all around them. They were short and stood close to the ground, casting the colour of blood red across the glade. Rays of light pierced through the canopy overhead, casting a mystical glow over the area.

RhodoKnightmon slowed down as he approached the open clearing. He readied himself and looked around the spacious bed of flowers carefully. There was no Boltmon to be seen. In fact, the whole area was eerily quiet.

The Royal Knight cautiously stepped towards the field of roses. He looked beyond the clearing, into the other side of the forest, but he couldn't see any movement there either. He faintly wondered if the Boltmon had moved on.

Once the roses were at his feet, he looked down at them. RhodoKnightmon knelt down and plucked one from the ground by the stem, admiring its beauty and scent.

There was a rustling behind RhodoKnightmon. This immediately put his guard up. Indeed, he sensed a presence behind him. It was approaching fast.

The Royal Knight shot to his feet and spun around. Above him, was the rapidly falling, green form of a Boltmon. The hulking, humanoid Digimon had lunged from the canopies of the trees with his massive battle axe in his two hands. He descended on RhodoKnightmon - weapon over his head – with the clear intention of cleaving him in two. Upon being spotted, the Boltmon released a berserker roar.

RhodoKnightmon threw the rose at the Boltmon to free up his hand. The flower whipped through the air, its blood red petals trailing off, and grazed the side of the Boltmon's head with pinpoint precision. The flower's sharp brambles cut along the underside the Boltmon's uncovered jaw-line, drawing a small drop of blood from the cyborg.

However, this didn't deter the Boltmon in the slightest. RhodoKnightmon acted quickly, analyzing the situation. He saw that the Boltmon was massive – bigger and bulkier than the average Boltmon. In terms of physical strength, RhodoKnightmon had to assume that he was stronger than him. As a result, he didn't want to try to block against an opponent with that much strength and downwards momentum.

RhodoKnightmon leapt back through the air, landing gracefully among the roses further into the glade.

Meanwhile the Boltmon landed with a thunderous crash, crushing the flowers underfoot and embedding his massive axe in the ground where RhodoKnightmon had been standing. The Boltmon growled when he realized that he had missed and pulled his axe from the ground with a mighty heave, drawing dirt and flowers along with the thick slabs of metal.

As the Digimon recovered, RhodoKnightmon sized his opponent up. The humanoid Digimon had green skin and huge muscles, many of which had metal pieces lodged in them. He had broad legs and even broader arms. The cyborg also wore black pants, combat boots, and a mask that hid all except the silhouettes of his eyes. He was far larger than either RhodoKnightmon or Magnamon were.

The Boltmon raised his axe and released a savage laugh as he readied the weapon. "I'm going to break you in half!" he announced to RhodoKnightmon with a gleeful look in his eyes.

"You shouldn't underestimate a Royal Knight," RhodoKnightmon warned him, taking his sash blade in his left hand and raising his Pile Bunker in the other. "The consequences are very costly."

"Ooh, a Royal Knight!" the Boltmon exclaimed with a malicious smirk. "I can get so much powerful data out of one of you! I'll be unstoppable if I can absorb what's left of a Royal Knight!"

RhodoKnightmon sneered behind his helmet. "So it's true. You're the despicable Digimon who has been killing and absorbing Digimon…"

The Boltmon let out a deep, throaty, unhinged laugh. "Ahahah! That's me!" he announced, raising his Battle Tomahawk. "Now die! Bousou!" The Boltmon started tearing across the field of flowers surrounded by a battle aura of barbarism that crushed any rose that got in his way.

RhodoKnightmon's gaze hardened. "You are a savage that's beyond mercy," he spoke. He met the Boltmon's steamrolling charge with an assault of his own. He dashed towards the Boltmon, moving swiftly, gracefully and calculatingly. He seemed like he was meeting the roaring beast head-on. The Boltmon poised his axe over his shoulder and prepared to swing it down as RhodoKnightmon came into range.

However, just as they were about to collide, RhodoKnightmon darted to the Boltmon's left. He bypassed him and sliced the bladed edge of his ribbon along the Boltmon's side, out of the range of the Battle Tomahawk.

Boltmon hissed with pain and suddenly stopped his charge short. He used his momentum to spin around recklessly, giving a wild slash with the axe in his right hand. As he lost his balance from the sudden pivot, he slammed the axe into RhodoKnightmon's back. While the axe wasn't able to cut through the Royal Knight's armour, it was enough to throw him through the air and send him rolling across the crimson flowers below.

Both Digimon lay on their backs, but the quickly started to gather themselves. "Is that all?!" the Boltmon taunted, sitting up and inspecting the slim cut along his side. "A tiny cut?! Taking your data will be easier than I thought!" With seemingly boundless energy, Boltmon hopped to his feet and started tearing towards RhodoKnightmon with another guttural howl.

RhodoKnightmon was only just getting to a knee as this happened. The impact from the blow was heavy, and he could feel a throbbing in his back. He didn't have time to think as the cyborg was upon him already. The rose knight shot to his feet as the Boltmon closed in on him, slashing the giant battle axe vertically downwards. The Royal Knight raised his bladed sash horizontally over his head and placed his Pile Bunker against the upper part of the blade to brace for the attack.

The axe slammed against RhodoKnightmon's blade with immense pressure. It sent a shock down his arms and slender body. He felt his elbows and knees threaten to buckle under the immense power. However, he held firm against the attack and the axe successfully rebounded off of his blade.

Just as RhodoKnightmon began to lower his Pile Bunker to counterattack, he found that his hulk of an opponent managed to recover before him. The Boltmon released a rough grunt and slammed his boot square into RhodoKnightmon's chest. The Royal Knight was sent skidding across the flower beds and he had to dig his blade into the ground to keep himself standing.

RhodoKnightmon finally stopped himself and released a breath. He glared across at the Boltmon. "_He's stronger than I expected,_" RhodoKnightmon thought to himself. "_Could it be from all that data that he's absorbed? I wonder just how much he has deleted…_"

Boltmon tilted his head and released a hearty laugh. "I'm going to enjoy this! Tomahawk Steiner!" He whipped his arm forwards and released his axe from his hand, sending the weapon spinning towards the Royal Knight. RhodoKnightmon gracefully jumped over the axe, letting it pass by harmlessly towards him.

However, the axe began to circle back around like a boomerang, flying towards RhodoKnightmon's back. RhodoKnightmon glanced over his shoulder and saw it spiralling towards him. He quickly brought his blade up just in time to parry the weapon, causing it to go flying away.

Boltmon lunged into the air to catch the hilt of the axe. This had been what RhodoKnightmon was banking on. The rose knight jumped up to meet the Boltmon, who was reaching for his axe.

"Urgent Fear!"

Having swiftly closed the space between them, RhodoKnightmon drove his Pile Bunker towards the Boltmon. However, as he extended his arm, the Boltmon grabbed his axe, and, acting on quick reflexes, drove his arm down to counter him.

RhodoKnightmon's Pile Bunker released a pneumatic shockwave point-blank into the Boltmon's chest. At the same time, the Boltmon brought his axe down onto RhodoKnightmon in a flurry of sparks. The result was a mutual blow. The two Digimon were blasted away from one another.

The data-absorbing, humanoid Digimon was thrown into the massive trunk of a tree. He quickly dropped to the ground and landed on a knee, snarling as pieces of bark fell from his red hair. Meanwhile, RhodoKnightmon had been thrown to the ground by the immense force. He had been able to catch himself, but the attack was a heavy one. He looked down at his armour and saw a deep scuff etched vertically down his chest.

"You dare to…" he muttered incredulously, tightening his fists and glaring at the Boltmon. He sized up the humanoid cyborg. "_How can a brute like that have such quick reflexes? Could that be from the data he absorbed as well? He would stoop to such levels in order to gain combat prowess?"_

Despite having received a painful blow, the Boltmon stood up straight, dusted himself off, and laughed confidently. He leered across the field of roses at RhodoKnightmon and readied his Battle Tomahawk. "You're finished, Pinky!" he shouted over to him, a gleeful expression behind his mask.

"You think you can defeat me just because you absorbed a few Digimon? Don't be ridiculous. Such a heartless, artificial power like that will never be enough to defeat a pure and just Royal Knight," RhodoKnightmon told him firmly.

"Let's see if you can back that up with action!" the Boltmon yelled, throwing his arm forward and releasing his Battle Tomahawk once again. "Tomahawk Steiner!"

As the axe hurled through the air, its two blades sliced through the roses like they were toothpicks, mowing them down as the weapon wheeled towards RhodoKnightmon. The Royal Knight acted quickly, shooting into the air to avoid it. As the massive battleaxe swept through the flowers below him, RhodoKnightmon glanced over his shoulder to track the weapon's path, leery of it curving around and hitting him from behind.

The Boltmon used this momentary distraction to rocket towards RhodoKnightmon. "Bousou!" he shouted, once again being surrounded by an indomitable aura. He slammed his foot into the ground and propelled himself up to meet the knight in mid air. As the green blur caught his vision, RhodoKnightmon responded by stabbing his bladed sash forwards. The band pierced into the Boltmon's left shoulder muscle.

However, the data absorber did nothing more than wince, amazingly. Undeterred by the attack, the Boltmon swept his right arm down, bashing RhodoKnightmon out of the air with his enormous hand. As the rose knight impacted the ground painfully, the axe curved around and soared through the air back the way it came. Boltmon descended and caught the axe in a hand.

He fell to the ground and landed on his feet not far from RhodoKnightmon. The hulk of a Digimon grinned and began walking towards the downed Royal Knight. He raised the Battle Tomahawk over his head as he approached.

"At this rate, I'll be the strongest Digimon alive! Not even the Royal Knights will be able to stop me!" he proclaimed.

However, he abruptly stopped when he heard a strange noise behind him. It sounded like several people whistling, except the pitch was getting progressively higher. Boltmon glanced over his shoulders and his eyes widened to see eight missiles descend on him.

Before the missiles could land, RhodoKnightmon rolled to his feet and jumped out of the way to avoid the blast. The salvo of missiles exploded around Boltmon in flashes of gold, tearing up the bed of flowers around him and enveloping him in their blasts.

"I wouldn't be so sure," a voice said.

Magnamon hovered in the air, his legs together and his arms folded so that he struck a cool pose. The missile ports on top of the plates on his shoulders and hips smoked from the missiles they released. The turbines on the undersides helped to cool them down before the ports closed and caused the plating to become flat again.

The knight of Miracles surveyed the damage he caused and tried to see if he destroyed the Boltmon. The explosions left a multitude of craters that veiled the area with smoke. At first he didn't see any movement. Then, the giant battleaxe burst through the cloud of smoke towards Magnamon.

Magnamon sneered at the fast approaching axe and quickly raised his arms up to block the blow with his arm guards. The special gold chrome digizoid that Magnamon wore over his body boasted strong defence, so he was easily able to deflect the double-bladed weapon. Despite this, the force of the blow pushed Magnamon back through the air.

While unharmed, Magnamon was impressed by the strength of the throw. He narrowed his eyes when he saw the shadowed silhouette of the Boltmon within the shroud of smoke. The Boltmon emerged from the smoke and the Battle Tomahawk embedded itself in the ground nearby.

He looked up at Magnamon with a glare. "Oh, so there's two of you…" he snarled. His scowl soon morphed into a twisted grin. "Oh well! More first class data for me!"

Magnamon lowered his gaze. "How can you do something so horrible? Not only are you killing Digimon, but you're depriving them of a chance to be reborn. Do you realize what you're doing?" he asked him.

"Spare me the lecture. I really don't care! All I care about is getting stronger! I don't care about anybody else!" the Boltmon fired back.

RhodoKnightmon jumped over to beneath where Magnamon was hovering. "Don't waste your time trying to reason with him, Magnamon. He's vile scum," he told him. "We need to eliminate him."

Magnamon frowned but nodded. "You must be stopped. By holy prerogative, the Royal Knights will bring you to justice," he told the Boltmon.

"Try me, squirt!" the Boltmon taunted him as he ripped his axe from the ground.

The gold knight's eye began to twitch angrily. "Very well…" he replied, trying to rein in his anger.

"Don't underestimate him," RhodoKnightmon told Magnamon in a lowered voice. "He's faster than he looks. I think his power has been enhanced by the data he's absorbed."

Magnamon nodded. "I could feel his strength when he threw that axe. We should make sure that he isn't able to use that strength."

The Boltmon arched his back and rolled his neck, popping his bones. "It's rude to talk behind someone's back!" he taunted, taking a better grip of his Battle Tomahawk and preparing to charge. "I think I'll butt in!"

With those words, he took off in a running sprint towards the Royal Knights, wielding his giant axe over his head.

Magnamon narrowed his eyes. He turned his head towards RhodoKnightmon as his golden armour, shimmering in the light that poured down from the gap in the trees, began to glow with a radiant, gold hue. "Rhodo, break off. Try to flank him while I keep him busy. Don't let him land a blow."

"I will try. The same goes for you," RhodoKnightmon responded, dashing off to the side as the Boltmon grew closer.

"Plasma Shoot!" Magnamon called out, unleashing a multitude of golden beam blasts from his armour. The blasts converged on the Boltmon faster than he could respond, tearing up the ground around him and bombarding his hulking form.

His skin was grazed and the blasts threw him off balance, but he quickly recovered and brought his giant axe down in front of him to block the salvo of golden plasma. When the attack ended, he swept his arm out to disperse the remaining plasma energy with an energized roar. "Was that it?! Tomahawk Steiner!" The Boltmon released his axe with a mighty heave, sending it barreling towards Magnamon.

A sneer formed on Magnamon's face when he saw the velocity of the axe. He wasn't sure that he could dodge it in time. He clenched his fists and arched his back, creating a blinding glow from his armour. "Light Aura Barrier!" he called out amidst the gleam.

The Battle Tomahawk hurled into Magnamon, but was stopped short of hitting him by the golden effulgence radiating from his body. The barrier repelled the axe and sent it hurling back towards Boltmon.

The green humanoid Digimon snarled and caught the axe deftly. He looked up to see the light beginning to fade around Magnamon's body as soon as the attack was deflected. "That won't work twice! Bousou!" he shouted before propelling himself into the air towards Magnamon.

He surged towards Magnamon with an aura of raw ferocity. As the partially mechanical barbarian closed the gap between himself and the Royal Knight, he brought his axe wielding fists over his head and swung them down onto Magnamon.

Acting quickly, Magnamon raised his arms up and crossed them over his head to block the attack. The fists and axe crashed down on his arms mightily. Although he was able to shield himself from the brunt of the blow, the sheer weight of the attack sent him flying towards the ground.

The golden Royal Knight managed to right himself in the air and hit the ground with his feet first. This allowed him to bend his legs on impact and activate the turbines under the winged plates of his armour. He extended his legs and propelled himself into the air at staggering speeds, flying back towards the Boltmon. Magnamon coiled his fist back, which began to be enveloped in a subtle golden aura.

"Magnum Punch!" he shouted. He threw his arm forward and drilled his fist into the Boltmon's gut in a high-pressure uppercut. Just as the green barbarian began to lurch forwards from the painful impact, Magnamon suddenly used his forward momentum to spin around.

"Magnum Kick!" he followed up, whirling around and delivering an aura-fueled back kick. His glowing, golden boot collided with the Boltmon's neck and collarbone. The force of the impact sent the Boltmon shooting through the air and towards the ground. He accidentally released his Battle Tomahawk in the process.

Before he could impact the ground, however, Boltmon saw a flash of pink appear in his vision. That pink soon turned to red when RhodoKnightmon drove his knee into his masked face, stopping his descent immediately.

Just as the Boltmon began to fall to the ground, RhodoKnightmon's ribbons extended from his body. "Spiral Masquerade!" The bladed bands began to move almost faster than the eye could see, leaving only yellow blurs as they sliced all over the Boltmon's body. The sashes struck him from all angles, opening up a multitude of cuts and shooting out sparks whenever they struck the metal bits embedded in the Boltmon. The Boltmon released a roar of pain as the ribbons sliced his skin and muscles as he crashed to the ground.

Suddenly, RhodoKnightmon stopped the attack and grabbed hold of one of the ribbons like a sword. The rose Royal Knight poised his arm and prepared to stab the sword through the Boltmon's chest. RhodoKnightmon observed the Boltmon with a cold leer before thrusting the sash forwards.

The Boltmon abruptly got to his knees as the sword drove towards him. With a roar, he grabbed the bladed ribbon with his hand, gripping tightly. Even as blood gushed out of his green palm, the Boltmon held firm and managed to stop the sword from plunging into his body.

RhodoKnightmon was surprised at his act of tenacity and defiance. He tried to pull his sash away from the Boltmon's grip.

Magnamon frowned and began to fly down to help him.

All of the glee that the Boltmon had while fighting them was now gone. He glared at RhodoKnightmon with pure rage. "No more playing around…" the Boltmon said, realizing that he had been taking them too lightly. "Now, you both die."

RhodoKnightmon sneered. He was about to drive his Pile Bunker into the Boltmon's hand so that he would release him, but the hulking brute acted first. Boltmon threw his tree trunk of an arm toward RhodoKnightmon. His giant fist connected with RhodoKnightmon's face, and, at the same time, he released RhodoKnightmon's sash, allowing the Royal Knight to go flying across the ground, strewn with the felled blood roses.

"Rhodo!" Magnamon called out urgently, shooting down towards the Boltmon. "Magnum Punch!"

The Boltmon growled and lunged into the air to meet Magnamon's charge. The balled up his giant fist and threw his punch just as Magnamon did the same. Unfortunately for the Royal Knight, Boltmon had greater reach. The hand larger than Magnamon's head slammed into the dragon's masked face. The punch contained enough power to completely stop his flight and send the Royal Knight flying through the sky.

Magnamon winced at the pain in his face. He tried to regain his senses and performed a backwards somersault in the air. This helped him to right himself and he stopped himself in the air so that he just hovered. A drop of blood trickled out from beneath his golden helmet and crawled down his white neck. He narrowed his eyes and wiped the blood away with his hand.

Boltmon released a laugh at this. "Royal Knights can bleed just like anybody else!" he announced, more to himself than his two opponents. "I'll take down both of you!"

As RhodoKnightmon began to pull himself to his feet, Magnamon decided that it was best for him to stick to ranged attacks. The missile ports on the top sides of his shoulder and hip guards snapped open once again. "Plasma Shoot!" he spoke fiercely.

Eight, golden missiles steamed from Magnamon's armour and converged towards the Boltmon foe. The Boltmon hissed as he saw the ordnance amass in the air in front of him. "Tomahawk Steiner!" he roared, sweeping his arm forwards and releasing his battleaxe.

The axe spiralled forwards in the direction of the oncoming missiles. The Battle Tomahawk collided with the missiles with enough force to slice through them. The first two missiles detonated upon impact with the axe, creating a chain explosion with the missiles behind them as they got caught up in the initial blast. As the air was blasted with string of golden explosions, the Battle Tomahawk's velocity was accelerated by the concussion of the blasts.

Magnamon's eyes widened as the axe flew towards him faster than he could prepare for. The bladed weapon struck him in the shoulder and the upper body; fortunately for him it hit only armour and not his scales. However, the impact was strong enough to send him flying back through the air.

By this point, RhodoKnightmon was up and sneering at the Boltmon's exposed back. "Enough of this," he muttered, dashing towards their enemy. He extended two of his sashes from his armour and made them wrap around the Boltmon's wrists, pulling his arms back to restrain him.

The Boltmon sneered and looked over his shoulders, trying to pull his arms free.

"Magnamon!" RhodoKnightmon called out.

Magnamon, who was clutching his sore shoulder, saw what RhodoKnightmon was doing and nodded. "Got it! It's time to end this!" Magnamon exclaimed, causing his gold chrome digizoid armour to glow again. "Plasma Shoot!"

Golden plasma burst surged from Magnamon's armour like a machine gun. The salvo of beam blasts showered down on the Boltmon, tearing up what was left of the floral landscape directly around him. The Digimon released a roar as he was pelted with burning, holy power.

Deciding that it was best to be safe, Magnamon decided to follow up with the other variation of his Plasma Shoot move. He released four missiles from his spaulders, which descended into the smoke and dust and created an explosion that rocked the forest around them.

RhodoKnightmon released his bands and braced himself as a wave of heat washed over him. When the explosion subsided, he looked ahead of him to where the Boltmon had been standing. The smoke was beginning to clear and there was a shallow crater in the middle of the clearing from the blast.

He suddenly sneered when he still sensed a Digimon in there. Inwardly, he was surprised that the Digimon was still standing.

Suddenly, the Boltmon burst through the smoke, his form beaten and bloodied. "Bousou!" the Boltmon roared. He tore towards RhodoKnightmon with one hand wielding his battleaxe and the other balled up as a fist. Ripping across the ground, Boltmon swung his axe down.

RhodoKnightmon dodged to the side, causing the blade to embed itself into the earth. Instead of trying to attack with his weapon again, the Boltmon followed up with a bare knuckle punch from his fist. However, this time, RhodoKnightmon was prepared.

"Urgent Fear!" RhodoKnightmon spoke, thrusting his right arm forwards. The Pile Bunker over his arm collided with the Boltmon's fist and burst with a high-pressure shockwave. The blast tore through the Boltmon's left fist, annihilating its data.

The Boltmon released an unrestrained yell of agony. He staggered back from the blow. However, in a pure berserker fury, He reached out with his remaining hand and grabbed RhodoKnightmon by the face. With a mighty heave, he threw RhodoKnightmon through the air towards Magnamon.

Magnamon's eyes widened and he flew back to catch RhodoKnightmon, but the force of the knight's collision nearly knocked him out of the air. However, he managed to hold himself aloft and he gripped RhodoKnightmon's form. "Are you okay?" he asked him.

RhodoKnightmon winced but nodded. "Rm. Yes. Thank you."

Before he could think about jumping down, the two Royal Knights saw the Boltmon lunge towards them with his axe in hand.

"GIVE ME YOUR DATA, BASTARDS!" he roared, swiping his axe wildly and recklessly as he jumped towards them.

"Let's put a stop to this," Magnamon said to RhodoKnightmon, frowning deeply.

RhodoKnightmon nodded. "Throw me, Magna," he told him.

Magnamon looked at him with some surprise, but he agreed, understanding what RhodoKnightmon was going for. He took hold of RhodoKnightmon's wrist with his two hands and started swinging him around strongly. After a few rotations, he had picked up enough momentum to release RhodoKnightmon. He let go of the Royal Knight and sent RhodoKnightmon flying straight at their oncoming attacker.

As Boltmon readied to strike him down with his axe, RhodoKnightmon extended his sashes and grabbed hold of the Boltmon's shoulders. When he did this, the Royal Knight suddenly pulled to increase his speed and use the point to pivot himself in the air. He raised his body and flipped over the Boltmon, just narrowly dodging his axe. Once he was upside down and behind the Boltmon, he pressed his Pile Bunker against the Boltmon's back and released its energy.

The blast sent the Boltmon careening towards Magnamon, who was ready for him. Magnamon began to suddenly compress the space around him. As the area warped inwards, his body shone brightly with a brilliant golden glimmer. "Shining Gold Solar Storm!" Magnamon shouted.

His form exploded with an incandescent burst of golden energy. It was like a scaled-down version of his Extreme Jihad attack, but one that wasn't so destructive and spent less energy to use. A gold beam blast surged out and engulfed the Boltmon who was thrown right into the explosion.

The Boltmon was enveloped in its folds and was sent crashing to the ground. He impacted the forest floor and lay there, unmoving.

The golden detonation began to fade with Magnamon floating at its epicenter. The gleam that lit up the surrounding forest weakened and things finally seemed to calm down.

RhodoKnightmon landed on the ground and turned around to see if the Boltmon was taken out of action finally. He didn't seem to be able to move.

Magnamon relaxed at the sight and flew over to RhodoKnightmon. He landed beside the Royal Knight and looked over at the collapsed Boltmon. "I think that's it…" he stated, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Not just yet…" RhodoKnightmon told him. He began to walk over to the Boltmon, clutching one of his sashes in his left hand like a sword.

The knight of Miracles realized what he meant and winced. He realized that it was probably for the best, given the Boltmon's dangerousness and brutality, but it still didn't sit entirely well with him. He considered asking RhodoKnightmon to let them hand him over to the Jungle Troopers for punishment. While Magnamon wasn't as pacifistic as Sleipmon, he still preferred not to kill if he could help it. He realized that it often couldn't be helped in the heat of battle, but he didn't feel great about finishing off an already defeated opponent.

However, RhodoKnightmon seemed to have less qualms about it. The rose knight approached the body of the Boltmon and prepared his Pile Bunker. RhodoKnightmon stared down at the Boltmon pensively.

After a few moments, he glanced over his shoulder at Magnamon. He saw that the dragon Royal Knight was looking away from the scene with a soft grimace. RhodoKnightmon tried to ignore the expression, and he turned back to the Boltmon. He pulled his arm back, ready to strike.

However, his resolve faltered. He clenched his fists and turned around fully to look at Magnamon. He gazed at his comrade, prompting the gold knight's attention. "Would you rather I didn't?" he asked him. "I'm sure the Jungle Troopers could dole out a fitting punishment."

Magnamon winced and rubbed the back of his head. Just as he was about to respond, he saw movement behind RhodoKnightmon.

"Sucker!" the Boltmon cried out, bolting to his feet and holding the axe over his head. He prepared to bring it down onto RhodoKnightmon.

"Rhodo!" Magnamon called out. His gaze and resolve hardened, and he caused the missile ports on the surfaces of his shoulder and hip guards to shoot open. "Plasma Shoot!"

Eight missiles ejected from his armour and soared towards the Boltmon, hissing and smoking as they flew.

At the same time, RhodoKnightmon whirled around to face the Boltmon with lightning-fast reflexes. "Urgent Fear!" As he spun, he wheeled his arm around and drove the Pile Bunker straight into the Boltmon's chest. The Pile Bunker burst with a high pressure shockwave at its tip. The blast tore through the Boltmon's body and out his back.

RhodoKnightmon then jumped backwards into the air as the missiles descended on the Boltmon. He landed beside Magnamon and watched as all eight missiles struck Boltmon directly. They detonated and obliterated the Digimon in a devastating, golden explosion.

The two Royal Knights watched as the blast washed outwards and then settled. The smoke and dust faded and they watched keenly to see if he was finally defeated. To their relief, they saw that he had been deleted, and a mass of data particles could be seen blending in with the smoke.

Magnamon sighed. "Let's hope that he's reborn as a better Digimon…" he said.

"He has no right to be, considering how he deprived others of that chance," RhodoKnightmon spoke, folding his arms.

A frown formed on Magnamon's face. "Maybe now that all the data is free, perhaps they might form into Digieggs as well?" he suggested, although he sounded like he was trying to be optimistic.

RhodoKnightmon shrugged and placed his hands on his hips. "At any rate… we're done here. How are you?"

"I'll be fine. Just bruised and a bit swollen," Magnamon responded. "And you?"

"Same with me," RhodoKnightmon said. He looked around at the glade of roses that they had been fighting in. It had been devastated by the battle. There were felled flowers and craters all over. "It's a shame that such a beautiful place has been tarnished so much…"

"Yeah… but the Jungle Troopers will fix it," Magnamon stated confidently.

RhodoKnightmon nodded. "Shall we head back to Evergrowth now? There is still the business of speaking to King HerakleKabuterimon."

"Yeah," Magnamon agreed, beginning to walk towards the side of the clearing that they came from. "Let's go."

RhodoKnightmon strode beside him, and they made their way back to the forest city.

* * *

The two Royal Knights arrived in Evergrowth to cheering applause. They walked through the streets surrounded by praise and celebration. A few insects even showered them with flowers. Apparently King HerakleKabuterimon had announced that he had enlisted the Royal Knights to get rid of the Boltmon for them, which had been a popular decision on his part.

Magnamon and RhodoKnightmon made their way up a large walkway that spiralled around a colossus tree. They went to the same place that they had met the insect monarch before: the grounds of the military headquarters. As they walked along the canopy platform towards the bridge that led to the larger platform where the headquarters was located, RhodoKnightmon looked at Magnamon. He noticed that Magnamon had a large grin on his face.

"Honestly, you're as bad as Sleipmon," RhodoKnightmon said with a smile, sniffing one of the flowers that had been showered onto them. "You both love the attention and the admiration, don't you?"

"It's nice to be appreciated," Magnamon responded with a grinning shrug. "Don't act like you don't like it."

"I suppose it's nice," RhodoKnightmon answered as they began to cross the sturdy bridge. "Although I much prefer the satisfaction of knowing that we completed the job."

Magnamon smiled and reached the end of the bridge. "To each their own."

On the opposite side of the spacious platform, the two Royal Knights saw King HerakleKabuterimon walking out of the large building, which was constructed over a particularly strong branch. The monarch beamed when he saw the two Royal Knights walking over to meet him. This prompted him to fly towards them, his large wings fluttering deeply as he went.

"Hahahah!" King HerakleKabuterimon laughed heartily. "You two look like you did it! Did you?"

Magnamon grinned and rubbed the back of his head. "We did. You don't have to worry about it anymore," he explained to him.

"Hah! I knew you two could do it! Ah, Sir Magnamon, you really are your father's son!" he exclaimed with a broad, relieved grin.

There was a twitch at the corner of Magnamon's mouth. However, he closed his eyes and relaxed himself. He knew that the King didn't mean it in a bad way, and he knew that he shouldn't react so badly to the comparison. It was a compliment after all. "…Thank you, Your Majesty," Magnamon responded, opening his eyes again and smiling at him.

RhodoKnightmon grinned and looked at the giant, gold beetle Digimon. "We confirmed that your source was correct and that Boltmon was the data absorber. He was acting alone."

"Good. I'm glad that you handled this. We've already lost too many good Digimon because of him," HerakleKabuterimon said seriously. However, he soon perked up again. "Now to hold up my end of the bargain! Thunderhead Rainforest is now safe once again. Therefore, the Jungle Troopers are free to help you search out those dark rifts. We too believe that we can't let them go unchecked. I don't want any such corruption in my rainforest."

RhodoKnightmon smiled. "Do you mean it?" he asked him. "That's good news."

"Of course!" King HerakleKabuterimon exclaimed jovially. "I will contact all of my commanders and call a meeting at my palace in Under Forest. I'll tell them the plan."

"Thank you for your cooperation, Your Majesty," Magnamon politely said. "It's much appreciated."

"This is all you ask, correct?" the monarch questioned.

Magnamon nodded. "That's all."

"Then that's fine. Is there anything in particular that you need us to do?" HerakleKabuterimon followed up.

"We will send Digimon from our Order down to Under Forest to instruct your commanders on the proper protocol for dealing with these dark rifts. They are very dangerous, so this is a safety precaution more than anything else," RhodoKnightmon explained.

"Otherwise, we'll just have to keep in close, working communication. We would like to know of all developments and discoveries so that we can react accordingly," Magnamon added.

The king nodded with agreement. "Of course. I think we have ourselves a deal." For emphasis, he reached out both of his right arms in order to shake Magnamon and RhodoKnightmon's hands simultaneously.

"Wonderful," RhodoKnightmon spoke, shaking his hand back.

"Thank you," Magnamon told him, smiling.

HerakleKabuterimon grinned and retracted his arms. "Now, is there anything I can do for you dashing knights?" he asked them.

Magnamon and RhodoKnightmon exchanged glances. "We're alright, thanks," Magnamon responded.

"We will likely head to High Branch Market now and then make our way back to Splendour's Reach and Castle Albion before it gets too dark," RhodoKnightmon explained.

"Are you sure? You both look a bit roughed up," the insect monarch noted.

"We'll be fine," Magnamon insisted. "This is nothing."

The large bug chuckled. "In that case, allow me to cover your trip to our famous market. It's entirely on me!" he stated.

"That's very kind of you, but we can't let you do that," Magnamon said with a sheepish smile. "You already paid for our meal earlier."

"Well, if you're offering…" RhodoKnightmon said, much more willing to accept the gesture.

"Rhodo!" Magnamon complained. "We'll pay."

"Now, now, it's my duty as your host!" HerakleKabuterimon insisted with a grin. "You wouldn't deny a king a chance to impress his guests, would you?"

Magnamon stalled reluctantly. However, after a few moments, he released a small sigh and smiled. "Alright… Thank you. …Although, you're going to regret it once RhodoKnightmon starts shopping for ingredients."

"Oh, don't listen to him," RhodoKnightmon spoke, folding his arms.

King HerakleKabuterimon chuckled. "I'll take my chances," he maintained. He began to walk past them across the broad platform. "Now, follow me. I know you're in a hurry, so I'll show you the fastest way to the market."

The Royal Knights followed the large insect king, lingering behind him as he marched ahead.

"Don't go overboard, RhodoKnightmon," Magnamon told him light-heartedly, rubbing his sore shoulder as they walked.

"Me? Go overboard?" RhodoKnightmon innocently asked, pointing at himself. "I simply want to try out the best regional ingredients. The best part about travelling is trying out the local foods."

Magnamon smiled. "And soon we'll be buying them in bulk to have them shipped to the headquarters," he stated.

"Well, if I want to make enough portions for our large scale meals…" RhodoKnightmon reasoned. "Oh, but don't worry. I won't take too long."

"I'm more worried about you taking advantage of the king's generosity," Magnamon teased.

"Don't worry your cute little head, Magna," RhodoKnightmon told him.

"My head is not cute," Magnamon responded, although half-grinning. "But fine. I'll be watching your purchases, though."

RhodoKnightmon looked at him. "Would you be more receptive if I said I was planning to make you your favourite dish?" he tempted him.

Magnamon's eyes widened and he nearly stopped in his tracks. "K-Kuri Kinton?" he asked eagerly. He had to stop himself from licking his lips at the thought of the delicious, gold-hued, mashed sweet potato and candied chestnut treat. "But… it's not the Golden New Year Festival yet…"

"Do I need an excuse to cook a certain dish?" RhodoKnightmon countered, winking behind his pink helmet.

Magnamon folded his arms and closed his eyes. "W-Well… maybe just once… I mean, if you were going to make it anyways," he conceded while trying to maintain his dignity. "I'm sure people would appreciate it…"

RhodoKnightmon chuckled. "You really are cute when you're trying to maintain appearances."

Magnamon shot him an annoyed look. "I don't know what you're talking about…" he stated firmly. "Anyways, we should catch up to the king and get this over with. It's getting dark."

"Very well," RhodoKnightmon said with a grin. "I assume you'll be a gentlemon and help me carry things back to the castle?"

"Within reason," Magnamon reminded him, picking up his pace to catch up with the giant bug ahead of them. "How do you think Alphamon's group is fairing at Saversburg University?"

"Likely being bored to death by lectures," RhodoKnightmon responded with a shrug.

Magnamon raised an eyebrow. "I don't think they're going to the academy to be taught," he explained. "They're going to talk with the Digimon in charge."

"I meant Duftmon's lectures," RhodoKnightmon joked.

The knight of Miracles laughed softly.

The two Royal Knights made their way to the market to buy several different sorts of foods and ingredients. It wasn't long after that that they headed home in the emerging night. They travelled with a sense of relaxation compared to when they first arrived. Magnamon felt more at ease and less fixated on revenge now that he was able to put things into perspective.

Despite his injuries, he walked lighter than before. However, he knew that the Royal Knights still had many challenges that they needed to face. He prepared himself to face these obstacles, not with brimming anger, but the sense of optimism and chivalry that he was known for.

Having completed their mission, the two Royal Knights continued their return to their headquarters, walking under the starry sky.


	16. Chapter 12 Part 1: On War

(Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay! I was so busy writing new chapters that I put off proofreading this one. The good news is that I'm a good way ahead now.

By the way, from this chapter on, I'll be using the Japanese level system of Child, Adult, Perfect, and Ultimate, as opposed to Rookie, Champion, Perfect, and Ultimate. I think I personally prefer the dub names better, but I'm using Japanese names for most Digimon, so I want to be consistent. I think I said this before, but I also plan to go back into A Dragon in Shining Armour and Holy War at some point to change most (with a few exceptions) dub names into the original Japanese ones. That'll take some time, so I'm not sure when I'll get to that though.

Anyways here's the first part of Chapter 12. Both Chapter 12 and 13 are pretty long, and even their component parts are regular chapter length. The chapters generally get shorter after that though. Anyway, read, review, and enjoy!)

**Chapter 12: On War (Part I)**

"Attention all passengers, we will soon be arriving at the Saversburg Rail Station. Please remain seated and enjoy the view until I come to a full and complete stop," the deep, soothing voice of a Locomon said.

Alphamon, Duftmon, UlforceVeedramon, and Sleipmon sat in one of the several train cars hitched to the Locomon. Alphamon and UlforceVeedramon sat beside one another. Behind them, Duftmon was sitting beside Sleipmon, who was in his Tyilinmon form so that he wouldn't be in the way of the other Digimon in the train car.

His Perfect-level body was that of a quadrupedal, mythical beast. He had a majestic set of white wings, and a long, flowing, gold tail. His long, equine legs donned light, brown pants along with black ankle leggings and boots that covered his hooves. Tyilinmon sat with his legs resting on the soft, green seat, and we wore over his body a set of green and teal armour. A soft smile rested on his beast like face, around which he had a fluffy, white and orange mane.

The Royal Knights shared the passenger car with several other Digimon, many of whom often looked over at them with interest.

Duftmon busied himself by quietly reading a book while Alphamon, UlforceVeedramon and Tyilinmon talked with one another.

"It's hard to get used to how big Saversburg is," Tyilinmon said, looking out the window at the large city ahead of them. He looked over at Alphamon. "It's about as large as New Terminal, isn't it?"

"Roughly," Alphamon responded. "It's possibly a bit bigger now."

UlforceVeedramon grinned and looked over the back of their seats. "What's it like coming back to your home city, Duftmon?" he asked him.

"I am reading," was Duftmon's uninterested response, not even looking up from his book.

The white and azure dragon man chuckled and turned to Tyilinmon. "Your hometown of Ocean Cove is a ways north from Saversburg, right, Tyilin-chan?" he asked with a curious smile.

Tyilinmon flushed with embarrassment at the cutesy name. "Just call me 'Sleipmon' like you usually do, Ulforce," he told him. "And it's a few hours by hoof; I wouldn't have time to go there."

"That's too bad," UlforceVeedramon said. "What about those ancient ruins you used to guard? Are they still there?"

Tyilinmon ducked his head. "Um… Yes?" he offered sheepishly. "I guess I'd like to check on them sometime soon…"

The dragon man nodded. He leaned back against his broad wings and thought to himself. "How long's it been since you visited home?" he wondered.

"I last went during the Month of Vajramon of last year, for the Winter Festival," Tyilinmon explained, smiling a little. "Come to think of it, I was hoping that I might be able to show you all around Ocean Cove sometime. It's a beautiful city."

"Won't we freeze our butts off?" UlforceVeedramon asked him jokingly.

"It's only cold in the winter months," Tyilinmon assured him.

UlforceVeedramon gave the qilin a grin over the back of his seat. "Says the guy who has a thick layer of fur and frequently creates blizzards," he pointed out teasingly. "I'm not so lucky."

"I've been to Ocean Cove a couple times and it is quite nice," Alphamon explained to UlforceVeedramon. "I wouldn't mind doing that once we find the time, Sleipmon."

Tyilinmon smiled wider at this and nodded. "I don't think Examon's been there," he mused, thinking to himself with excitement at the prospect.

"I haven't either," UlforceVeedramon said. "But I'd go if it makes you happy, Tyilin-chan." He winked at Tyilinmon.

Tyilinmon shot him a look of annoyed embarrassment. "'Sleipmon'," he insisted. He sighed and jumped down from his seat to stand in the aisle between the rows of seats. "Well, we're almost there and I promised a few Digimon some autographs, so…" The chimera-like beast began to glow and, within the faint light, he grew back into his larger, six-legged Sleipmon form.

Sleipmon arched his back and stretched his arms before looking around the passenger car. "Who did I promise autographs to again?" he asked, pulling out a charcoal pencil that he often had handy.

As Digimon clamoured to get their autographs, UlforceVeedramon chuckled and turned his attention to Duftmon. "So, you really have no feelings about visiting Saversburg or the academy again?" he asked him.

"Not in particular," Duftmon responded, flipping a page of his book. "I don't have any real sentimental attachment towards either."

"I find that hard to believe given how much you mention it," UlforceVeedramon pointed out, grinning at the amount of times Duftmon held his intellectualism over their heads.

Duftmon glanced up at the dragon knight with his green eyes. "I take pride in my education. I was able to improve my abilities there. That is all, really," he explained. "I don't have much opinion on visiting there; we're only going in order to help further our goals."

"It's weird hearing that after the way Sleipmon spoke with such reverence for his hometown," the azure Royal Knight mused. He smirked at Duftmon. "You two are really nothing alike."

"I would have thought that was obvious from the instant you met us," Duftmon dryly responded.

"True…" UlforceVeedramon agreed. "Sleipmon's nice and you're…"

Alphamon gave UlforceVeedramon a disapproving look. "Ulforce…"

"Hey, it's not like he doesn't know that he's mean," UlforceVeedramon defended.

"Hmph," Duftmon breathed, closing the book and placing it in the storage pouch under the window as the Locomon decelerated.

They arrived in the large, thriving city of Saversburg. The city itself was vast and populated by numerous different Digimon. The landscape around the city was characterized by rolling, bright green, grasslands and modest hills.

The most striking feature outside of the city itself was the three waterfalls that fell straight from the sky. They were located on the outskirts of the city and the bases of the three waterfalls formed streams that eventually came together into a large river that curved around the north edge of the city. The river flowed into a large lake that further split into two branching streams that went around opposite sides of a hill. The sky waterfalls had a slight funnel shape and they were beautiful to behold as they plunged all the way from the sky to the ground. The washed down in a cascade of water and mist that seemed to produce a constant rainbow.

Apart from this, Saversburg was a very modern city. It was newer than New Terminal but it developed quickly. It had technology almost similar to Facture's but it wasn't quite so advanced, rigid, uniform, or industrial. It was home to all sorts of different Digimon, being the cosmopolitan place that it was.

The Locomon chugged gently into the city, releasing a low hoot of steam to announce his arrival. They passed by numerous buildings as they made their way to the rail station.

Duftmon glanced up and looked out the window as they pulled into the station.

"Attention all passengers, we have arrived in the independent city of Saversburg," Locomon spoke to his passengers as a final puff of steam was released. "Thank you for taking Locomon Rail. I sincerely hope that you enjoy your stay."

Sleipmon finished up his autographs and then moved to the side to allow the other Digimon in the passenger car to leave before the Royal Knights did. The four knights waited for a minute, and then the metal carriage was empty, they stood up and headed for the door.

"So, Duftmon," UlforceVeedramon said with a smile. He stood to his feet and stretched his legs before looking at the brown Royal Knight. "Are you going to show us your big, fancy estate?"

"No," Duftmon replied succinctly, readjusting the red sash around his waist and beginning to head towards the door.

"Come on," the cobalt dragon man urged him. "You're the aristocratic class! Make a good impression and spoil us with food!"

"I'd rather not," Duftmon spoke, walking off the Locomon and into the busy station.

Sleipmon smiled and walked beside Alphamon. "Do you think the intellectuals at the academy will be able to help us?" he asked Alphamon.

"I sure hope so," Alphamon responded. "I would rather that we didn't waste a trip." He frowned as they followed Duftmon and UlforceVeedramon into the station. "And if they aren't able to think of a solution, we may be in trouble…"

Sleipmon nodded. "I'm sure they will be able to," he assured him optimistically. He trotted off the locomotive and made his way onto the platform on his six hooves. He then followed the three Royal Knights out of the station and into a wide road, allowing Duftmon to lead the way to the Xuanwumon University.

* * *

After about twenty minutes of walking, Duftmon led the Royal Knights up to the university on the outskirts of the city.

Being one of the foremost academies on the continent, the university was massive. It took up nearly a kilometer of land including the grounds. The academy was a single, expansive building with many different branches and wings. It had a classical design complete with white, stone arches and colonnades.

However, the academy gardens were far more expansive than the building itself. They were more beautiful as well. The gardens were green and decorated with all sorts of different flowers. There were paths leading every which way, and there was plenty of space for scholars to wander. Throughout the gardens were many stone benches and even a few small, semi-circular amphitheatres for open-air lectures. There were also many statues and sculptures placed throughout the gardens, created by some of the finest craftsmons.

The four Royal Knights walked through the front gardens as they made their way to the building's entrance, passing by a large statue of the mysterious founder of the school – a Baalmon who apparently knew Xuanwumon well. They walked over a footbridge that passed over a Digimon-made stream, which trickled tranquilly through the gardens before flowing north into the river.

"It's beautiful here," Sleipmon said, looking around happily. "It's so peaceful."

Alphamon nodded and admired the pleasant scenery as well. "Yet, we just left the bustling Saversburg a few minutes ago. It's like walking into a different world."

"A world isolated from the world around it," Duftmon spoke to himself, walking forward on the path.

"Pardon?" Alphamon asked, looking ahead at the tactician.

"Nothing, Alphamon," Duftmon responded, just focusing on the building ahead of him.

Sleipmon increased his canter a bit to walk up beside Duftmon. "I guess you must have some friends here, right, Duftmon?" he asked him.

"I have some colleagues who still work here," Duftmon answered. "I often read their publications and write counterarguments and responses to their works."

UlforceVeedramon leaned over and whispered to Alphamon. "I'm starting to think that they might not be happy to see him," he joked.

"We'll see," Alphamon responded as they began to walk up the marble step and go through the stone arcade that led to the building's entrance.

The group of four Royal Knights walked inside the building and found themselves in a highly ornate lobby. The marble floor glistened with reflected light – it looked like it had been recently cleaned. The interior architecture was patterned and decorative to give the lobby an attractive appearance. On the opposite side of the lobby, there was a front desk where a Lilymon receptionist was seated and looking at a small monitor.

On each wall there was a large, open gap that led to large halls. These passages led to different parts of the academy. Like the lobby, the spacious passages were adorned with marble flooring as well.

"Do you know where the academy head is?" UlforceVeedramon asked Duftmon.

Duftmon nodded. "Unless they moved things around, it should be ahead. On the other side of the peristyle," he explained.

UlforceVeedramon blinked. "The what?"

Duftmon looked at him blandly. "The inner courtyard," he explained slowly so that UlforceVeedramon would understand.

"Then just say that," he responded with a grin. "We didn't all go here."

The tactician rolled his eyes and started to walk across the lobby to the hall opposite to the entrance.

"I should clear it with the receptionist first," Alphamon stated, walking over to the Lilymon behind the desk.

Sleipmon smiled and walked up to Duftmon and UlforceVeedramon, who were making their way to the hallway. "It sure is nice. This place must have some rich benefactors."

"I suppose it does," Duftmon stated. "Monarchs, nobles, wealthy merchants, guilds, patrons of the arts and sciences, and Digimon who want highly skilled Digimon working for them… They all contribute. Sometimes Digimon who previously attended here do so as well."

"That explains why it looks like a palace," UlforceVeedramon noted.

Alphamon caught up with the three knights as they walked down the wide hall. "She said that we could meet with the academy head now," he informed them.

Duftmon nodded as they continued through the passage. "Let's head straight there, then. The sooner we detail our request the sooner—don't touch that, UlforceVeedramon—the sooner they can begin to gather a group to devise a solution to the Dark Area problem."

UlforceVeedramon innocently removed a hand from near one of the statues that they were passing. "And how are they going to do that? Have a conference where they brainstorm ideas? Each come up with an idea ahead of time and then debate them?" he challenged. "Getting a lot of brilliant Digimon together to solve a problem… either way, I predict a lot of debating and not a lot of action."

Duftmon shot him a look. "The entire point of this exercise is to _get them_ to debate. If we can get them to propose ideas and then challenge them, then that should lead to the most successful solution to our problem," he explained.

"Or it'll lead to an endless argument between Digimon who think they're right and are too proud to think otherwise," UlforceVeedramon suggested with a grin.

"That's a bit cynical, Ulforce," Sleipmon said to him.

"There's going to be ego involved," UlforceVeedramon insisted. "And I don't want to end up wasting time that we might not have. We need to fix the barrier. I don't want us to sit on our hands for too long."

Alphamon frowned. "I'd like to think that they'll be able to put ego aside when they realise what's at stake," he mused as they approached the end of the hallway. "And if Imperialdramon, Anubismon, and Plutomon can't think of a decisive way to fix the barrier, then we have to rely on these exceptionally-clever Digimon."

"And if they can't think of a decisive way either?" UlforceVeedramon asked him.

"Then we'll just have to go with the least terrible option and hope for the best," Alphamon said, walking through a doorway and stepping out into the sunlight.

The Royal Knights stepped out into a courtyard in the middle of the academy. It was open-air to allow sunlight to shine down from above. In the center, there was a small garden with benches and a fountain. It was surrounded by the academy building on all sides, and around the perimeter was a covered colonnade.

Following Duftmon's lead, the Royal Knights walked around the garden and proceeded to the other side, walking inside the building once again. They reached the door on the other side and walked in, finding themselves in a T-shaped intersection of halls.

"It is right ahead," Duftmon told the others, beginning to walk ahead, towards the hallway directly in front of them.

However, something caught the corner of his eye, causing him to suddenly stop and turn his head. His eyes widened ever-so-slightly when he saw a familiar form heading towards them.

"Duftmon?" Alphamon asked, wondering why he stopped. He, along with Sleipmon and UlforceVeedramon, turned to see what he was looking at.

Walking up the passage to their left was a bipedal Digimon. He had a humanoid form that looked like a dark samurai. The Digimon was clad in black plate armour that had gold trimming and a red flame design which crept up the metal plating. He wore the armour over most of his upper body, his shoulders, his boots, and his gauntlets. He also wore a facemask and a sturdy helmet – a kabuto – which contained a similarly intimidating design. On the forehead of the helmet was a golden crest which consisted of a long, pointed spike, and two, flame-like, ornamental plates that jutted out along the sides of his helmet. The armour covered his face so that all that could be seen of him were his pensive, monochrome, yellow eyes.

The warrior Digimon had unarmoured points along his biceps and abdomen, which were covered by a tight, white fabric. They were the same colour as his loose-fitting pants that covered his legs. Additionally, around his waist was a burgundy cloth with a fuzzy, crimson trimming, buckled together by a shimmering, emerald orb, backed against a red, flame-like buckle. Beneath this fabric flowed a second cloth – it was long, dark blue, and thinner than the burgundy one.

The more striking feature of the Digimon was the thick, metal shaft that jutted from his back. Connected to the hunk of metal was a pair of cannons, one on each side. They were shoulder-mounted cannons, but they seemed to be turned back, pointing at the floor behind him, to indicate that they were in a resting position. The other thing connected to the Digimon's back was the long, black cape that hung from his shoulders. The cape had a deep, red interior that coordinated with the crimson colouring all over his body.

The cape flowed behind him with every echoing step. Light from the windows of the courtyard caused his armour to shimmer as he unwittingly walked towards Duftmon and the others. He didn't initially notice them, as he was so focused on the book that he was reading in his hand. However, as he grew closer, he became aware of the Digimon in front of him.

The Tactimon looked up from his books and stopped in his tracks when he spotted Duftmon.

Duftmon stared at the Digimon who was half a head taller than he was. "Tactimon…" he acknowledged.

"D-Duftmon…" Tactimon responded, taken off guard by seeing Duftmon.

UlforceVeedramon looked between Duftmon and Tactimon curiously. "You two know each other?" he asked.

"I suppose you must be a friend of Duftmon's?" Alphamon asked, looking at Tactimon.

Tactimon closed the book in his hand and rubbed the back of his neck with the other. "Something like that, I suppose you could say…" he noncommittally answered.

"Not exactly," Duftmon responded, folding his arms and looking away. "We are colleagues, Alphamon. It is important to be accurate."

Tactimon rolled his eyes. "I see that you haven't changed much, Duftmon," he observed. "Not that I expected you to."

Duftmon's green eyes darted over to meet with Tactimon's gold ones. "What is your reasoning?" he asked him.

"You're still as impersonal as ever. I'm willing to bet that that's not the only thing about you that's stayed the same," Tactimon stated. "You have always been resistant to change."

"I wonder just how much you have changed yourself, Tactimon," Duftmon countered challengingly, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Alphamon, Sleipmon, and UlforceVeedramon looked between each other uncomfortably. They could sense an atmosphere of tension between the two tacticians.

Tactimon turned away from Duftmon and looked at his three companions. "I'm sorry. Where are my manners? My name is Tactimon, leading specialist in military studies and the commander of Saversburg's army," he greeted formally, extending his hand. "You must be Alphamon, UlforceVeedramon, and Sleipmon of the Royal Knights."

"Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you, Tactimon," Alphamon responded, shaking his hand briefly before letting go and allowing the other two to shake it as well. "So, you're a fellow tactician?"

"Indeed I am," Tactimon stated as he finished shaking Sleipmon's hand. "Duftmon and I were students together before we both became scholars. We had many of the same mentors and we debated quite regularly. We've known each other for quite some time."

"Is that so? " Sleipmon mused, briefly looking over at Duftmon. "I could tell that you two know each other quite well, but… you never mentioned him, Duftmon."

"That's because Duftmon is Duftmon," Tactimon responded with an ironic smile.

"I would thank you not to speak for me, Tactimon," Duftmon told him, shooting him a sideways leer.

"My apologies," Tactimon spoke, folding his arms behind his back. "May I ask what it is you're all doing here?"

"We've come here to speak with the academy head," Alphamon responded.

Tactimon looked at them inquisitively. "The academy head?" the demon man Digimon asked. "If there is some sort of information that you need, perhaps I could help."

"We need to speak to the academy head in order to get their authority," the Lord of the Empty Seat explained.

"Her authority?" Tactimon inquired curiously.

Duftmon rolled his eyes. "Oh, you had might as well tell him, Alphamon. He is going to be involved in the process anyways," he explained. "It is better to tell him now so that he has some time to let it to sink it."

Tactimon arched an eyebrow, ignoring the insult. "I am?" he inquired.

Duftmon nodded. "While you are lacking in many areas, you do have some talents that could be useful to us," he told him, folding his arms.

The black-armoured tactician stared at Duftmon blandly. "It's unlike you to be so complimentary," he deadpanned. "I will take it, however."

"A compliment mixed with an insult is the best you can hope for," UlforceVeedramon said with a laugh.

Alphamon smiled. "Come, Tactimon. Why don't you show us to the academy head's office and we'll tell you the details on the way?"

Tactimon nodded and walked ahead, turning the corner to the left and leading them down the hall that they had been facing when they entered. "Right this way, Royal Knights…"

* * *

Unbeknownst to the Royal Knights, there was activity at the western edge of Saversburg's territory, just over fifty kilometers away from the city itself. There was a river there called the Champion River – a tributary that flows into the Rust River – that served as a natural border between Saversburg's territory, the Dual Chess Monarchies, and the Mamemon Kingdom.

Marching up the Saversburg-side of the Champion River was a large group of the Metal Empire's D-Brigade soldiers. There were about fifty of them: roughly forty ground troops with a contingent of ten aerial Digimon. They were mostly Child and Adult level, but there was also a handful of Perfect Digimon and a few Ultimates as well. Characteristic for the D-Brigade, they advanced in disciplined formation. However, the aerial Digimon flew in a staggered configuration so as to strategically cover the advancing force, as well as to scout.

While the team followed the river, they didn't march too close, so that the mechanized Digimon among them didn't have to navigate the soft, muddy terrain. Instead, they travelled on a semi-used path that went along the base of a long hill.

Leading the team from the front were two Digimon who set the pace for the march: Commanders Raijinmon and Suijinmon.

Raijinmon raised his metal hand to block the sunlight from his vision as he looked up at the two Megadramon and Gigadramon scouts ahead of them.

Beside him, Suijinmon trudged forwards on his heavy limbs, his feet thumping against grassy dirt beneath him. His eyes turned towards his golden companion pensively. "Raijinmon…" he said levelly to the Thunderclap Commander. "You didn't need to accompany me on this mission. Shouldn't you be busy with your own preparations?"

"This is an advance team, Suijinmon," Raijinmon responded succinctly to the large, red quadruped. "There are still weeks before we begin the actual invasion. I have plenty of time."

Suijinmon frowned thoughtfully. "But still. You should use this time for better purposes. I can handle things here," he advised.

"I have to be sure. A lot depends on our capture of the bridge spanning this river," Raijinmon explained, gesturing to the rushing river nearby. "It connects the Mamemon Kingdom to Saversburg. If we capture, it, we can prevent the Mamemon from getting supplies or reinforcements should Saversburg decide to sympathise with them."

"You don't have to tell me of its strategic importance," Suijinmon responded with a hint of indignation, as if he had been insulted. "Do you not trust me with the capture of a simple, unguarded bridge?"

"Of course I do," Raijinmon assured him, placing his hand on Suijinmon's shoulder, in between the mounted cannons. "I just like to oversee things personally."

"You mean you want to take joint credit for the success," Suijinmon mumbled, looking away.

Raijinmon looked at his fellow commander. "Would you like me to go?" he asked him kindly.

Suijinmon sighed. "No, stay. I don't mind," he answered, feeling a bit guilty. He tilted his head to the side, as if to try to look behind him. "Do they look like they need a rest?" he asked, gesturing to the troops behind him.

Due to the four batteries mounted on his shoulders, Raijinmon was forced to turn around completely in order to see behind him. He walked backwards for a few moments as he observed the troops before pivoting his body around again. "They look fine for now."

"Good," the Waterfall Commander answered stoically. "I don't want to push them too hard."

Raijinmon chuckled a little as he strode beside his bulkier comrade. "Suijinmon, they would follow you into the Fields of Fire if you asked them to."

Suijinmon frowned. "I wouldn't ask them to do that. That would be foolish," he responded.

"It was an expression. I mean they're loyal to you," Raijinmon explained, rolling his eyes.

Still plodding alongside Raijinmon, Suijinmon nodded. "All D-Brigade soldiers are loyal," he reasoned.

"To varying degrees… Do you think my soldiers are as loyal to me as yours are to you?" Raijinmon asked him

Suijinmon nodded again. "I like to think so," he answered. "You're a good leader, Raijinmon. Have more faith in yourself."

Raijinmon shook his head. "That isn't the issue. I may be a good leader, but I'm too professional. You're more like a friend to your soldiers. You know many of them individually and you're always concerned about their wellbeing."

"Of course," Suijinmon answered. "The military is like any other machine in Facture; it needs to be looked after and maintained down to the smallest cog. A happy military is an effective military."

"And that's what makes you a good Commander," Raijinmon told him. However, the gold cyborg walked closer to Suijinmon and leaned in. "Just… make sure that Chaosdramon thinks they're more loyal to him than they are to you… You know what he's like when he's threatened."

Suijinmon blinked with surprise at these seemingly unexpected words. "Of course! There is absolutely no doubt in my mind as to who they should be loyal to! I would never do anything to undermine Emperor Chaosdramon's authority!" he whispered back fiercely. "Where did that come from, Raijinmon?"

"It's just advice. I know how fiercely loyal you are," Raijinmon responded, trying to placate him. "I think the Emperor does too. It's just something worth bearing in mind."

"Then perhaps you should tell Fujinmon instead of me," Suijinmon told him with a huff. "He is the one always making strange, subversive comments."

"He isn't that bad," Raijinmon said with a grin.

Suijinmon frowned deeply. "I am just worried he will make Emperor Chaosdramon distrust him," he explained, a trace of concern in his deep, calm voice. "I would hate for Fujinmon to come under suspicion."

"Fujinmon isn't stupid," Raijinmon assured him. "He knows the proper way for a Storm Commander to act."

The bulky, crimson cyborg Digimon nodded. "This is not appropriate travelling conversation. Let's talk about the matter at hand," the Waterfall Commander spoke.

"Very well…" Raijinmon said with a smile. "We are in Saversburg's territory. What happens if their military shows up?"

"Hopefully, it won't come to that and we will be on the Mamemon Kingdom's side of the bridge by then," Suijinmon responded.

"If it does come to that?" Raijinmon asked, still with a touch of levity to his voice. "Since I'm just a tagalong right now, I'll defer to your orders."

"Then we will say that we got lost during a training exercise," Suijinmon answered. "If diplomatic efforts fail and we're met with enough resistance, then we will respond with force."

Raijinmon nodded and folded his arms. "Then let's hope it won't come to that."

"Indeed. We don't need to make an enemy out of Saversburg. We just need to covertly pass through their territory," Suijinmon agreed. He glanced up and he saw one of his aerial soldiers, a Megadramon, returning from scouting. He raised one of his long, heavy Accel Arms to command the advance force to stop.

The serpentine dragon flew down and stopped in front of Suijinmon and Raijinmon, saluting them both. "Commander," he greeted.

"Megadramon, how do things look up ahead?" Suijinmon asked him, saluting in response.

"It looks clear, Commander," the Megadramon explained. "Not a Digimon in sight. The bridge should be another twenty five or so kilometers from here."

Suijinmon nodded. "We can reach it in a few hours. Good work, Megadramon," he told the scout. "Please take your place back in formation."

The Megadramon smiled and nodded. "Yes, Commander," he complied willingly, saluting and then turning around to retake his place at the vanguard of the advance force.

"Things are running smoothly so far," Raijinmon observed, beginning to walk again.

Suijinmon nodded and started to plod along as well. "Yes… For now, at least."

* * *

Tactimon led the Royal Knights to the end of the spacious, marble hallway, where a large set of opened doors stood. Above the pair of doors was a plaque which had digi-letters engraved in it. It read, "Mistress Babamon – Academy Head of the Xuanwumon University of Saversburg."

"Here it is," Tactimon told the group of four as he led them inside. Within the doors was a small waiting area with a few seats for guests to sit in while they waited to be greeted. However, there was a door on the opposite side of the room which was wide open. A pair of voices could be heard talking from inside.

Alphamon raised an eyebrow and looked towards the door. "That's strange. The receptionist said that she was available to see us now," he said.

"Maybe it's just somebody from the academy," Sleipmon suggested.

Duftmon nodded. "Most likely. We can just make ourselves known and wait, if need be," he stated.

Tactimon looked at the Royal Knights. "Before we go in, I take it that Duftmon has warned you all?" he asked them.

Alphamon frowned. "Warned us?" he inquired. "About what?"

UlforceVeedramon glanced at Sleipmon. "I don't like the sound of this…" he muttered. He looked over his shoulder and wing to Duftmon. "What haven't you told us?"

"I don't recall missing anything particularly important…" Duftmon responded, folding his arms and furrowing his brows in thought at what he could have missed.

Tactimon rolled his eyes. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you missed this issue, Duftmon. Well, I guess you'll see," he stated, walking towards the door. "She can be rather a handful."

Alphamon nodded and walked beside the black-armoured tactician. The other three Royal Knights followed them.

Tactimon entered the office first. Inside, there was a large desk standing in front of a big, glass window that allowed light to flood into the room. There were beautiful pictures on the wall that were crafted by artists that learned their craft in the academy. The items on the desk were fairly standard. There was paper, quills, ink, notebooks, ledger books, and other such things.

Sitting behind the desk, on seat that could be pneumatically adjusted up and down for height, was a short, elderly Digimon in nice, traditional finery. The Babamon stood on the comfortable chair, holding a broom in one hand. She faced a much taller Digimon, who she was chatting amicably with.

The Digimon that she was talking to was none other than Gaioumon, the sitting advisor to the Council of Seven.

Alphamon raised an eyebrow when he saw Gaioumon there. He hadn't been anticipating seeing him here. "Gaioumon?" he asked.

Both Babamon and Gaioumon turned upon noticing the five Digimon begin to make their way into the office.

"Ah, Alphamon," Gaioumon greeted with a polite bow. It was as if he was not surprised at all to see the Royal Knights there. "It's been some time, Tactimon, Duftmon."

"I suppose it has, Gaioumon. I wasn't expecting you," Tactimon responded briefly, before turning to look at the academy head. "Mistress Babamon? Are we interrupting?"

Babamon looked over with extreme interest. "Not at all, Tacti!" she exclaimed, sizing up each of the four Royal Knights with a sultry grin. "My, what's this…? Four dashing men to go along with this one?" she asked, gesturing to Gaioumon with the end of her broom. "What a lucky girl I am."

"R-Rather…" Gaioumon mumbled, glancing off to the side in an uncharacteristic bout of sheepishness.

Alphamon, Sleipmon, and UlforceVeedramon exchanged looks of uncertainty. "Erm, thank you for seeing us, Mistress Babamon," Alphamon politely greeted.

"Not at all!" she energetically spoke. "It's a pity I don't get to see more of you all…" she suggestively added.

Duftmon stepped forwards, either unperturbed or unaware of the flirting. "Mistress Babamon?" he greeted, walking in front of the larger knights in order to make himself known.

"Ah~! Duftmon!" Babamon declared, turning to face him. "I recognize that rippling, blond hair and those mesmerizing green eyes anywhere! It's been a long time since you've last visited. Ah, you're one of our greatest success stories, going off to join the prestigious Royal Knights."

Tactimon gave Duftmon a sideways look, studying his response.

"I am inclined to agree," Duftmon responded. "Anyways, we've come to speak with you." He looked over at Gaioumon with curiosity. "What is Gaioumon doing here?"

"I did attend here too," Gaioumon answered in a level tone. "I had heard that you were coming here, so in light of our recent alliance, the Council thought that it would be a good idea for me to come and represent the Council of Seven."

"Indeed!" Babamon agreed. "This attractive, young samurai was telling me all about the potential crisis with the Dark Area!"

"Has he?" Alphamon asked, looking at Gaioumon. "Thank you, Gaioumon."

Gaioumon gave a small, calm smile and nodded. "Of course. I hope I haven't inadvertently stepped on your toes by starting without you," he diplomatically told him.

Before Duftmon could say anything, Alphamon spoke up. "Not at all. We appreciate the help of an articulate Digimon like yourself."

"It isn't as though we need it," Duftmon muttered under his breath.

Both Sleipmon and Tactimon had heard the comment, and they looked at the tactician knight disapprovingly.

Gaioumon either didn't hear or was unaffected. "I'm glad to hear that, Alphamon," the white-haired dragon man politely responded. "I have just been telling Mistress Babamon about the nature of the Dark Area problem."

Babamon nodded and tapped the blunt end of her broom against the floor. "He has! Gaioumon has told me all about the weakened Dark Area barrier and the dark rifts that have been appearing here and there," she told them.

"I was simply laying the groundwork for your proposal," Gaioumon informed the Royal Knights. "We were just getting there."

Tactimon folded his arms. "Ah, yes. That," he said, thinking to himself.

Duftmon looked over at Tactimon. "You are aware of the state of the Dark Area?" he asked the dark-armoured tactician.

"I have heard about the fractures in the barrier appearing in various places around the Digital World, yes," Tactimon explained. "It started around the time that DarkKnightmon incident began."

"I see you have done your homework," Duftmon mused, closing his eyes. "To be expected of you."

"Of course. I need to compete with you, after all," Tactimon explained, glancing at the leopard knight.

Sleipmon looked between the two Digimon curiously, wondering what their relationship was.

"Hm. Anyway… The subject at hand?" Duftmon put forward, wanting to get back on track.

"Ah yes! Well, you strapping knights had better fill me in! Ahahah!" the academy head laughed to herself. She then looked specifically at UlforceVeedramon. "Why don't you come a little closer, dearie?"

UlforceVeedramon gulped and reluctantly did so, making his way over to stand rigidly between Gaioumon and Tactimon. Sleipmon stifled a smile.

Alphamon looked over at Duftmon. "Would you like to explain it, Duftmon?" he asked the leopard knight, since it was his university.

Duftmon glanced at Alphamon. "Hm? Oh, no. Go ahead, Alphamon. You are the leader, after all," he responded.

"Very well. Mistress Babamon, we were hoping that you would be able to help us with this problem," Alphamon told her. "We would be extremely grateful for your bountiful assistance. I have no doubt that a wise and qualified lady such as yourself would be tremendous asset to our cause."

"Oh my, Alphamon," Babamon said, blushing and fanning herself with her broom. "The stories of your gentlemonly charm are true. Such a polite and dashing Digimon. Of course I would love to help! With what, exactly?"

"We want to use this academy to bring together some of the foremost minds of the Digital World. The purpose is to come up with a solution to the deterioration of the Dark Area's barrier," Alphamon explained. "The logic behind it is that a handful of brilliant minds together in an environment such as this should be able to more efficiently find a solution. Those like Duftmon, Tactimon, and Gaioumon, here, for example."

"Ah, I see. That makes sense," the academy head mused, nodding her head. "Focused brainstorming sessions."

Duftmon folded his arms. "Actually, I am going to have to forgo the conference," he informed them. "I am very busy and my skills are better served dealing with practical issues. My duty as a Royal Knight comes before anything else, and I fear my talents would be wasted taking part in this."

"What?!" Tactimon asked incredulously, staring at the Royal Knight. "You aren't serious…"

Gaioumon eyed him as well. "'Wasted'? That doesn't exactly inspire confidence with regards to the eventual effectiveness of this idea. _Is_ this a waste of time?"

"Duftmon, I really was assuming that you would be there," Alphamon said to him diplomatically. "It's important for the Royal Knights to have somebody at the table."

"Imperialdramon Paladin Mode will be there. Surely you trust him to represent our interests," Duftmon answered. He then turned his gaze over to Gaioumon. "And my personal lack of interest in participating has nothing to do with my opinion that this is an important thing to do. I believe that it will be effective. Debating the structure and the possible ways to restore the Dark Area's barrier is simply something that I don't have time to deal with."

Sleipmon frowned. "Duftmon, that's kind of unreasonable. If you can't be bothered to help, then why should anybody else be bothered to either?" he asked him.

Duftmon shot Sleipmon a look. "Have you forgotten our current diplomatic situation with regards to the Metal Empire?" he asked him. "Do you honestly believe that nothing will come of that? The Order will need me around."

"I know, but… I'm sure we can manage," Sleipmon insisted.

Gaioumon raised an eyebrow. "So, I take it relations with the Metal Empire are deteriorating further," he observed.

Tactimon shook his head and folded his arms. "That sounds like a convenient excuse," he stated pointedly. "You just don't want to take part, do you?"

Duftmon leered at Tactimon. "Pardon?" he challenged.

The black armoured tactician returned his gaze. "The real reason is that you think that you're too good to debate with the rest of us. You look down your nose at everybody but yourself. You always have, Duftmon," he said firmly, leering at Duftmon. "But the truth is that you don't have an answer to this Dark Area problem, do you?"

Duftmon didn't respond. He merely narrowed his eyes and glared straight into Tactimon's.

"Alright, alright! That's enough, boys," Babamon stated, prodding them both with her broom. She looked at the other Royal Knights. "They always used to get like this - arguing over everything! Their debates could become quite impassioned!"

"Duftmon has that effect on people, eh, Tactimon?" UlforceVeedramon teased him with a grin.

Tactimon merely folded his arms and glanced away noncommittally.

"We're sorry about this, Mistress Babamon," Alphamon apologized. "We really do have every confidence in the idea."

The academy head nodded. "I know. I still fully intend to go along with it," she assured him. The elderly Digimon then looked at Duftmon. "And we will be fine without you, Duftmon. Don't worry about it."

Duftmon nodded. "Very well. Perhaps somebody from the academy can record each session so that we can be kept up to date." He glanced at Gaioumon. "That can extend to the Council of Seven, as well."

"Not a bad idea," Gaioumon responded.

Alphamon placed his hands on his hips. "So, how should we set this up?" he asked aloud.

"Oh, you can leave all of that to me, Alphamon!" Mistress Babamon exclaimed, extending her broom and tickling Alphamon's chin with the brush end of it. "I'll find all of the Digimon that you need and arrange everything. I'm the academy head for a reason, you know! Ahahahaaaaah!"

Initially stunned, Alphamon felt a bead of sweat drip down the back of his head but he managed a smile anyways. "Then I'll leave it in your capable hands…" he told her. "However, please keep in mind that this isn't information that we want to become common knowledge. We don't want to risk somebody taking advantage of the situation for their own personal gain."

"Of course. I'm very discreet," Babamon told him, eyeing him with another sultry grin. "Very discreet indeed…"

Alphamon's eye twitched. He wasn't sure what she meant by that, but he wasn't keen on finding out. "Thank you..."

The elderly Digimon nodded and began tapping her broom on the floor. "Now, is there anything else?" she asked them.

"I don't believe so," Alphamon responded.

"In that case, I'll start getting to work," she stated. "With any luck, I should be done by tonight!"

Alphamon nodded. "Please let us know how it goes. We will probably stay around for about five hours before catching Locomon again. You can send us correspondence to our castle and we will pay for the delivery."

"The same goes for me," Gaioumon told her.

"Oh! Generous as well as handsome! What nice, young, male Digimon you both are," Babamon stated, smiling broadly. "Well, ta-ta then! Don't be strangers now!"

Alphamon smiled. "We will keep in touch," he responded, feeling the pressure to not stay too long.

"Thank you," Sleipmon told her as well.

"Okay. Bye now. It was nice seeing you again Duftmon, Gaioumon," she said to them, waving with her broom.

"Indeed. Good day," Duftmon answered, nodding and turning around so that he could head out the door. He didn't make any sort of acknowledgment of Tactimon as he passed him.

Alphamon, Sleipmon, and UlforceVeedramon all walked after him, followed by Tactimon and Gaioumon. Babamon extended her broom and gave UlforceVeedramon a gentle pat on his rear. "Gah!" he exclaimed, arching his back. UlforceVeedramon then looked over his shoulder and smiled with extreme awkwardness. "Bye, Mistress Babamon…" he responded with an awkward wave.

As all of the Digimon walked out of the room and entered the broad, marble, academy corridor, the group suddenly grew silent. A tense atmosphere hung over the group of six. It was mostly due to the friction that emerged between Duftmon and Tactimon.

Tactimon, sensing this, increased his stride and walked up beside Duftmon, who marched at the front of the group. "Duftmon," he spoke, trying to be diplomatic.

"What?" Duftmon replied bitterly.

"I apologise for losing my temper in there," Tactimon said to him, looking over at the fellow tactician.

"As if I care about that," Duftmon answered, his voice growing aloof.

Tactimon inhaled a calming breath and he tried not to be irritated by Duftmon's words. "Very well…" he muttered. "I suppose there is more to your reasoning beyond your own self-opinion. You are a practical Digimon. You like to put theory into practice," he reasoned.

Duftmon rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Tactimon, for illuminating me about myself. I had no idea," he sarcastically replied.

The black-armoured demon man shot him an annoyed leer. "Given your total lack of self-awareness, that wouldn't surprise me in the least," Tactimon retaliated, unable to reign in his annoyance any longer.

"That's enough, you two…" Alphamon told them with an exasperated sigh.

Gaioumon folded his arms and closed his eyes. "I will miss this repartee should Duftmon be absent from these meetings," he mused aloud. He opened an eye. "Joking aside, Alphamon is correct; this isn't an appropriate temperament for a tactician. You are both riled too easily. A tactician needs to maintain a cool head at all times."

"I don't need a lecture from you, Gaioumon," Duftmon sourly told the dragon samurai. "When was the last time you actually commanded troops on a battlefield?"

Gaioumon simply ignored the comment. Sleipmon, however, gave Duftmon a disapproving, sideways leer.

Tactimon took the opposite approach. "You're right, Gaioumon. I shouldn't let his comments get to me. He just seems to bring out the worst in me," he explained, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and index finger.

Duftmon glared at Tactimon. "Oh, so it's my fault, is it?" he asked him. "Take some responsibility for your actions."

Tactimon matched his glare. "That's reaching a level of self-obliviousness that is remarkable even by your standards," he said to the brown armoured Royal Knight. "I don't want to hear that from you of all Digimon."

"So much for not letting him get to you," UlforceVeedramon said with a laugh, hoping to cut the tension.

The demon man Digimon flushed behind his helmet. "You see what I mean? I can't help myself sometimes. Once you start speaking, Duftmon, you have a way of saying things that gets under my skin," he stated. "You don't even realise it either."

"Is that the only reason?" Duftmon asked him, looking him in the eyes. "It has nothing to do with jealousy?"

"Duftmon!" Sleipmon chastised him. The beast knight was having an increasing amount of trouble stomaching Duftmon's rudeness.

This time, Tactimon didn't rise to it. "Not in the slightest," he answered in a calm, sincere voice. "I am satisfied with myself and my successes. Furthermore, I am happy for you that you are with the Royal Knights. When you decided to leave the academy, perhaps I was frustrated at the time, but I can't begrudge you for seizing an opportunity. I know that being with the Royal Knights is the opportunity that you wanted."

Duftmon was silent in response.

Sleipmon frowned. He didn't know this about Duftmon. In fact, he didn't know very much about Duftmon at all; the tactician rarely talked about himself outside of the role of a tactician and Royal Knight. "Why was that?" he wondered.

Tactimon glanced briefly at the cavalier Digimon before he looked over at Duftmon, addressing him directly. "You were frustrated going over hypothetical battle scenarios here at the academy. You told me that you wanted to make a difference to the world with your talents." He looked Duftmon in the eyes. "…I believe that you have."

Duftmon didn't respond. He was taken aback with shock, although he didn't make it obvious.

Tactimon looked forward once again. "There is no denying that you are very talented. You are more than a worthy sparring partner in the battle of wits," he said, thinking back to their time together in the academy. "…Though, talented you may be, you aren't as talented as you believe yourself to be." Without malice, Tactimon eyed Duftmon. "That arrogance blinds you from being a truly exceptional Digimon. You make yourself unwilling to change."

The leopard knight was quiet for a few, thoughtful moments. However he soon looked at Tactimon blandly before giving Alphamon the same gaze. "Have you two been comparing notes?" he dismissively questioned. "I feel like I have heard them before."

"Tactimon makes fair points," Alphamon admitted. "Although I wouldn't have put them quite so bluntly…"

"It isn't just your arrogance, however," Tactimon continued, not stopping there. "It's your aloofness and callousness…"

Duftmon leered at him with a cold stare. "What?"

Tactimon levelled his gaze with Duftmon's. "…I mean your disregard for other Digimon. You don't care about them…" he told him.

UlforceVeedramon rubbed the back of his neck. He thought it was funny initially, but now he was getting uncomfortable at the tension and personal comments between the two Digimon. "Oh, he isn't that bad…" he suggested half-heartedly. Now, he just wanted to move onto another topic.

Sleipmon frowned. He felt a little guilty about it, but he found himself agreeing with Tactimon. He often thought that Duftmon merely tolerated other Digimon at best, and viewed them with contempt at worst. Duftmon never really socialized with them on a personal level; he only associated with them on a professional level. To Sleipmon, it felt like Duftmon constructed a walled tower around himself. He wasn't entirely convinced that Duftmon knew anything personal about him or the other Royal Knights. Sleipmon certainly didn't know much about Duftmon, and he had definitely made an effort to ask him since he became a Royal Knight.

The leopard Royal Knight narrowed his green eyes at Tactimon. "…Are you bringing my integrity into question? What exactly do you think I became a Royal Knight for?" he asked sharply.

"You wanted to put your martial theories into practice, didn't you?" Tactimon questioned him. "You have said yourself that the only way a strategist can truly be worth anything is if their strategies are actually implemented."

"I'm not sure that that's fair, Tactimon," Alphamon reasoned. "If that was all he wanted, there are other ways he could have done it that were easier than becoming a Royal Knight. He could have sold himself out as a freelance tactician if all he wanted to do was test his strategies. There is more to Duftmon than just that. You _did_ admit that he wanted to change the world."

Duftmon scoffed. "I can handle him myself, Alphamon," he insisted before turning back to Tactimon. "I don't know how _you_ have the gall to talk down to me, Tactimon."

"It's because you are my friend, Duftmon," Tactimon responded, coming to a stop so that he could turn and face Duftmon fully. "I like you, but there are things about you that I don't respect."

"Touching, but that doesn't give you the right to condescend to me," Duftmon answered coolly, stopping and facing him as well.

Sleipmon, UlforceVeedramon, Alphamon, and Gaioumon came to a stop behind them.

"'If I don't speak to you like this, than who will?'" Tactimon asked him pointedly. "That was something that you said to me when we first met here at the academy. I always remembered it because it made me look beyond my own ego. You weren't afraid to speak your mind and criticise something that you saw was flawed. …I respected that."

Duftmon narrowed his eyes. "Are you implying that I am flawed?"

Tactimon let out a single chuckle. "We all are, in some way. There is no such thing as a perfect Digimon," he explained. "You _are_ flawed, Duftmon. The sooner you recognise that, the sooner you can try to overcome those flaws. When you are able to do that, then you can begin to surmount perfection as a Digimon."

"Tch! What a foolish idea, Tactimon," Duftmon scoffed. He folded his arms. "And what exactly are my flaws?! I am arrogant, callous… Anything else?"

"Well…" Sleipmon mumbled to himself, considering speaking up.

Tactimon nodded, accepting his challenge. "Your military tactics…" he began. "They are too ambitious." He looked over at the three other Royal Knights. "I'm not trying to be rude, but I'm sometimes surprised that you all go along with some of them."

At this, Duftmon's aloof exterior began to falter. He glowered at Tactimon. "You… insult my tactics…?" he questioned acerbically.

The demon man tactician locked eyes with Duftmon. "You never have been good at taking criticism, although you can dish it out just fine…" he told him ironically. "I have studied your tactics, Duftmon. Many of your strategic manoeuvres are too risky. They aren't reckless – they are well thought-out, but they're high-risk, high-reward. They are often too dangerous for the Digimon involved. …It's because you see Digimon as chess pieces. Your tactics are too impersonal, too cerebral. Real battle is not a strategy board game like the ones that we used to play together. The pieces are real Digimon, and you are responsible for them when you devise your strategy. You have to take them into account if you are to succeed."

"What romantic nonsense have you been reading, Tactimon?" Duftmon asked him with a scrutinizing leer. "The primary objective of the tactician is to defeat the enemy and secure victory; maximize the losses of the enemy while minimizing the losses of one's own troops. I have been consistently successful in that regard. I don't know how you can say that I don't value my forces with that in mind; it is not as if I am sending them into blind, uncoordinated assaults."

Sleipmon's violet eyes lingered on the ground. "He's right…" he spoke up.

Duftmon glanced briefly over his shoulder at Sleipmon. "Thank you. See, Tactimon? If even he thinks so—"

"I meant Tactimon's right…" Sleipmon clarified, although there was some remorse in his deep voice. "I'm sorry, Duftmon, but I agree with him…"

Duftmon turned around, his growing, brimming anger shifting from Tactimon to Sleipmon. He glared at the equine Royal Knight. "Pardon me? You what?"

Alphamon and UlforceVeedramon were also surprised, not at his stance, but at the fact that he spoke up about it. Tactimon and Gaioumon observed him with interest.

Sleipmon frowned. "I think he has a few good points… I feel like you don't take Digimon into account. It's all about cold logic, military tactics, and securing victory," he explained. "You're a wonderful tactician, but there's so much more to it than just that."

"I'm sorry, but what would you know about what it means to be a tactician?" Duftmon countered acrimoniously.

The centaur Digimon winced. "Not nearly as much as you do…" he admitted. "But I do know what it means to be a Royal Knight. It's important to have a meaningful relationship with your forces and your friends. You can't just distance yourself from them all the time and then direct them in battle." Sleipmon rubbed the back of his head remorsefully. "I hate saying this, but sometimes it feels like you view us more as tools than you do as friends."

Duftmon looked away from the red digizoid-armoured Royal Knight. "Tell me, Sleipmon, what is the use in having friends?" he asked him rhetorically. "I have been perfectly fine without them throughout my life; I didn't need them growing up and I don't need them now."

"Duftmon…" Sleipmon said with a sad gaze.

Tactimon shook his head. "Is that really what you think? Have you learned nothing, even after all this time?" he asked his fellow tactician with a sigh.

"That wasn't an answer," Duftmon pointed out. "What would I gain from having friends? Would they make me better at my job? You all go on and on about friendship and how important it is, but what are its actual benefits?" Duftmon closed his eyes. "It's overrated. It provides a conflict of interest in battle. Digimon are often distracted trying to help their friends, so much that they take their attention away from the objectives of the mission." He turned and looked at Alphamon. "I have seen friendship cause divisions in the ranks… You and Omegamon, for example. DarkKnightmon took advantage of that."

"Duftmon isn't incorrect," Gaioumon spoke, closing his eyes with thought. "Relationships cause barriers."

Alphamon winced. "Perhaps, but there are so many benefits. And disadvantages are so greatly outweighed by the advantages," he countered.

"Such as?" Duftmon asked.

"Having people you can trust with your life is a reassuring feeling," Alphamon explained. "To be able to share your good and bad experiences with other Digimon… I can't explain how great the emotional significance of that is."

"It really is a wonderful feeling," Sleipmon agreed. "It bolsters team unity and effectiveness, and it's great knowing that you are able to depend on somebody."

Duftmon shook his head. "For emotional, romantic Digimon such as yourselves, perhaps. I, however, couldn't care less. It does nothing for me. I don't need those types of relationships," he explained. "I am a Royal Knight and we work together effectively enough. That's all that is necessary."

"You don't know what you're missing…" Sleipmon told him disappointedly.

"Eh, he's anti-social," UlforceVeedramon said with a shrug. "If he feels like he doesn't need it, then I guess he doesn't. We can't really force him to feel otherwise."

Sleipmon frowned. "But it affects us!" he protested. "If he feels that removed from not just the enemy, but our own forces and fellow Royal Knights, then his tactics will reflect that. If he doesn't care about the lives of Digimon, then what right does he have to put their lives in his hands?"

"Sleipmon…" Alphamon spoke, both surprised at his determination and trying to dissuade him.

"I'm sorry, Alphamon, but I've been feeling this way for awhile," Sleipmon informed him, although still looking at Duftmon. "It can't just be about eliminating the enemy. It _shouldn't_ even be about eliminating the 'enemy'! They're Digimon too. They aren't necessarily bad. They have lives outside just being our opponents. And talking about destroying enough of them in order to achieve victory is a dangerous way to think."

Duftmon rolled his eyes. "Here we go… Are you still trying to force your misguided beliefs onto others, Sleipmon?" he asked him. "Who is arrogant now?"

"That's not what I'm trying to do!" Sleipmon insisted.

"Isn't it?" Duftmon countered. "You typically never miss an opportunity to tell us how we shouldn't be deleting Digimon and how we're wrong for doing so." He placed his hands on his sash-clad hips. "We are a military order whose duty it is to uphold network security. That involves deleting evil Digimon who threaten peace and security. You may not be the smartest Digimon around, but you should at least understand that; we need to spill a foe's data when necessary. If you are too much of a pacifist to be able to handle that, then what are you doing as a Royal Knight?"

Sleipmon narrowed his eyes. "I-I know all that!" he retaliated. "I'm not unwilling to fight. I just don't think that we should take the lives of Digimon as lightly as you do!" The six-legged knight looked down at the marble floor beneath them. "To be honest, Duftmon… I don't know if you can be trusted with keeping our best interests in mind."

"…You are a naïve fool, Sleipmon," Duftmon told him matter-of-factly. He turned away from him. "I don't know how you managed to keep those precious ruins of yours safe from raiders after all that time without tripping over your own self-righteousness. Now, if all of you are finished with your denunciations of me, I am finished here."

"You should listen to your friend, Duftmon," Tactimon advised him, folding his arms and staring at him disapprovingly. "Don't just discard advice that you disagree with. We simply want to help."

Duftmon gave Tactimon a look of defiance. "I thought I made myself clear before. He is not my friend," he emphatically answered. "And neither are you."

Without another word, Duftmon spun around and broke off from the group. He walked down the hallway and took a right turn, seeming to know where he was going.

Sleipmon grimaced and trotted forwards, away from the group as well. He didn't say anything else to the remaining four Digimon. In contrast to Duftmon, he walked back the way that they came.

This left only Alphamon, UlforceVeedramon, Tactimon, and Gaioumon in the hallway.

"Very dramatic," Gaioumon noted. His arms were folded and he had calm, only mildly-interested expression on his face. "Are these kinds of arguments common, Alphamon?"

"Er, no…" Alphamon responded, watching as the two Royal Knights headed in separate directions. "I'm going to go after Sleipmon."

"What about Duftmon?" Tactimon asked him.

Alphamon shook his head. "He needs time to cool down. He's probably going to distract himself in the library," the Lord of the Empty Seat explained, well-familiarized with Duftmon's habits.

Tactimon sighed and nodded. "You are probably right… It seems that you are better at dealing with him than I am, Alphamon," he noted.

Alphamon smiled a little. "Not always…" he admitted. "Don't feel bad, Tactimon. He can test the patience of anybody." He sheepishly scratched his cheek with a finger. "But… Duftmon isn't a bad Digimon. He's just… awkward."

"Yes… That is what's so frustrating about him," Tactimon responded, a pensive look in his gold eyes.

The black armoured Royal Knight observed the tactician briefly. "At any rate, I won't be long," he told them.

Alphamon strode down the hallway after Sleipmon, even though the beast knight was already a long way ahead of him.

UlforceVeedramon watched as he left and rubbed the back of his neck, still very uncomfortable. "Uh…" he put forward, looking at Tactimon and Gaioumon. "Do you two want to show me around? …Or something?"

Both Tactimon and Gaioumon turned to look at him wordlessly.

He began to regret his attempt to relax when he realized that both of the Digimon that he was talking to were smart, quiet types. He doubted that the conversation would be great.

"…Maybe I'll just go stretch my wings."

* * *

Alphamon walked into the lobby of the academy, his metal boots echoing against the marble with every step. He had seen Sleipmon walk this way. He assumed that the horse knight went out to the gardens – he often went to the castle gardens for strolls while back at the castle.

The Lord of the Empty Seat opened the doors and walked outside. He made his way down the stairs and onto the garden path. Indeed, it wasn't long until he saw the distinctive red body of Sleipmon standing near a bench. He faced a bed of blue flowers that grew on the edge of the stream that flowed through the gardens.

Sleipmon sadly gazed upon the flowers. His shoulders sunk and his expression was that of regret and dejection.

Seeing this, Alphamon made his way over. He didn't announce himself; he just walked up beside Sleipmon and stood beside him quietly.

Sensing the black knight beside him, Sleipmon grimaced. "…I'm sorry, Alphamon," he apologised. "That was unprofessional and childish of me."

Alphamon raised his hand and placed it on Sleipmon's shoulder. "It may not have been the best time to speak up, but I can't fault you for having a big heart, Sleipmon," he reassured him.

"Still… I shouldn't have said those things to Duftmon…" the cavalier said with a sigh, raising his hand and rubbing his face. "I don't know what came over me."

Rubbing his shoulder, Alphamon took a step forwards and looked at Sleipmon. "You have always had strong feelings when it comes to deletion," observed Alphamon.

"Too strong, maybe…" Sleipmon mumbled, lowering his hand and looking down with a grimace. "I can't seem to keep my mouth shut. I know that what I'm saying must sound naïve and unreasonable, but…"

Alphamon looked up at him with a warm gaze. "But…?" he wondered.

"I just can't accept the view that some of the Royal Knights have. Duftmon… Rhodo… Examon… others…" Sleipmon sighed. "I can't kill so easily… It pains me to see them take lives so lightly. I keep thinking that I can change their opinion, but… I guess I really am arrogant, thinking like that."

Alphamon smiled a little. "You're a kind, gentle Digimon, Sleipmon… I think it's admirable that you want to preserve life as much as possible," he said to him tenderly. "However, you know that we can't always have that luxury…"

Sleipmon sighed and nodded. "I know…" he admitted, although he sounded reluctant to do so. "It's not just the fact that I don't want to kill Digimon though…"

Raising an eyebrow, Alphamon observed him curiously. "Go on…"

"I don't need to tell you all of this, but when a Digimon is deleted, they're reborn at the Village of Beginnings. However, they aren't reborn as the same Digimon - not really… Their memories are wiped, and they take on whole new personalities, characteristics, and sometimes even evolution lines. They're essentially a new Digimon…" Sleipmon explained. "That's why we can't use the rationalization of 'Digimon are reborn, so it doesn't matter if they're deleted.' You know that deleting Digimon isn't many steps off from the Digimon having their data absorbed for good…"

Alphamon's gaze softened. "In some ways, yes... I understand what you're saying, Sleipmon, but it's not necessarily that extreme. Of course you're right; nobody should regard the life of another lightly… However, sometimes it's necessary to kill in order to protect those you care about."

Sleipmon grimaced at his words. "Maybe… But I still prefer to incapacitate opponents instead of deleting them… even if it makes things harder for me," he mumbled, folding his arms against his chest. "I realise it also makes things difficult for some of you…"

"It's not as if I can't sympathise, Sleipmon," Alphamon said to him, moving his hand from Sleipmon's shoulder down to his back. He gave a wistful smile. "…To be honest… I've been thinking that way for almost the past year - since DarkKnightmon's attacks…" he admitted.

Alphamon looked out at the beautiful scenery before them. There was a reconciled-yet-wistful look in his crimson eyes. "It kept going through my mind… Did I _have_ to kill him in that battle? Was there another way that I could have stopped him?"

Sleipmon looked over at Alphamon with sad eyes. "Alphamon…" he murmured sympathetically.

Alphamon shook his head. "I didn't want to have to delete him, Sleipmon… I blamed myself for so long. 'You shouldn't have been so hasty.' 'You could have just wounded him.' 'You should have tried harder to talk him down.' 'You shouldn't have let DarkKnightmon turn against the Order in the first place.' 'You should have seen the signs.'…" Alphamon trailed off as his tongue lingered on his words. "I blamed myself, but that was self-destructive... I now know that there was no other way, as much as I wish that there had been."

"You don't think there was?" Sleipmon asked him. He then winced a little. "Sorry, I'm not doubting you. I just…"

Alphamon smiled. "Maybe there was… a long time ago," he answered longingly. He then turned the conflicted smile towards Sleipmon. "When I use the Alpha inForce, it's as if I can transcend the time around me; some Digimon describe me as being able to repeat a fight's past as it happens. However… I can't go back in time, Sleipmon… I can't mend the rift that grew between me and DarkKnightmon, as much as I wish I could..."

The black knight sighed. "But, by the time he returned, he was so determined… He had years and years worth of plans from his time in the Dark Area. He had a clear goal that he wanted to achieve. He wouldn't be stopped." Alphamon turned his head forward again. "Perhaps I'm rationalizing. Usually, telling yourself that you had no other choice is a coping mechanism to deal with the guilt. However, somehow it's more painful for me… knowing that there was nothing else that I could have done to stop him. It's a sad and hopeless feeling, knowing that the only option was to kill him – that things had to come to that..."

Sleipmon closed his eyes and balled up his fists tightly. "…It is, isn't it…?" he said softly. There was pain in his voice.

The leader of the Royal Knights turned towards his friend. "Sleipmon…?" he questioned him, observing the pained features on his face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you… I was just trying to make the point that sometimes it can't be helped, no matter how much we might hope otherwise. Sometimes we have to, in order to protect."

The holy beast shook his head, causing his violet hair to flow in the gentle breeze. "No, it's not that…" he told him. He opened his eyes, although they still winced with regret. "The trouble is… I understand what you mean all too well…"

"How so?" Alphamon asked.

"It was a long time ago… long before you approached me about joining the Order," Sleipmon explained. There was a nostalgic and melancholic echo to his voice. "It happened back when I was guarding the Arcane Ruins… Guarding those ruins was my sworn duty. It was an extremely important responsibility. Those ruins are said to contain the crucial program data written by Yggdrasil that has to do with the creation of Digimon. It's a sacred responsibility passed down from one guardian to another. I was chosen and raised to become the new guardian of those ruins. I became the apprentice of the previous guardian, Cherubimon. He became my mentor and taught me a lot…"

Sleipmon glanced up at the sky, eyeing a large, fluffy cloud that floated over head freely. "However, the new religion that he adopted with the Heavenly Choir prompted him to take a new path. He no longer believed that the Arcane Ruins held the vital data pertaining to the creation of Digimon, and that it was, instead, the Kernel that held this information. I could see him drifting towards the Celestial religion. The Religion of Light… I don't blame him now, but, at first, I admit I was surprised, confused and angry. I felt a little betrayed…" Sleipmon smiled a bit at his memories. "…However, Cherubimon sat me down and explained to me his point of view. Although we disagreed with each other's views and ideals, we understood each other. He let me take over the guardianship of the ruins early and we parted on good terms. Once I took over from him, I guarded those ruins up until you came to me with an invitation to join the Royal Knights."

Alphamon nodded. "I recall…" he mused. "I seem to remember that you defended those ruins time and time again without having to delete a single Digimon. I think that was part of the reason why I was so impressed with your skills."

Sleipmon's facial features shaded over as he bowed his head. "You aren't entirely right, Alphamon…" he corrected heavily.

The head of the Royal Knights turned to fully face Sleipmon. "What do you mean…?" he wondered with a concerned frown.

The centaur knight raised a hand and rubbed his face. "When I first took over from Cherubimon, there was a lot of pressure… Or, at least, I put a lot pressure onto myself. I was alone and I had this great responsibility to uphold. I wanted to make sure that I did a good job."

Alphamon pensively nodded. "Naturally..."

Sleipmon sighed. "Well, after Cherubimon left and I filled his role of guardian, I guess some Digimon saw it as an opportunity. They probably thought that now that Cherubimon was gone, his apprentice would be a pushover. They wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to attack the ruins," he explained. "There were myths of vast amount of treasures inside the ruins. However, some intelligent, well-informed Digimon knew the stories of the ruins' true value: that primal data from the Old Era." Sleipmon lowered his hand and let his arm rest against his side.

The black paladin narrowed his eyes. "So, an ambitious Digimon attacked you for the data…" he deduced.

Sleipmon nodded. "The ruins are deep below many meters of ice, but the glacier isn't impenetrable. If I were to be taken down or captured, any raiders would have free reign to dig down to the ruins, depending on their resources and capabilities," he explained. "It was only a month and a half after I took control of the guardianship… The Digimon who wanted to get to the ruins was a Vamdemon. He seemed intelligent; he brought with him a bunch of hired mercenaries. There were about ten Perfect-level Digimon and two Ultimate-levels. I managed to get to the ruins in time for them to attack."

"…What happened?" Alphamon asked him forebodingly.

The corners of Sleipmon's mouth twitched upwards into a sad, bitter smile. "…I deleted six of them," he recounted. "The Vamdemon, the Breakdramon, the Vikemon, the Minotaurmon, the Volcdramon, and… the Triceramon."

Alphamon winced slightly. "…Oh…" he said empathetically. He thought that it would be something like that. "You always remember your first deletion…"

"Six, in my case," Sleipmon spoke, his tone still heavy and obviously guilt-ridden. "At first, it wasn't so bad, to be completely honest… They had attacked me. I was acting in self-defence and my adrenaline was running high. Once the Vamdemon and half of the team was gone, the rest retreated and never came back. I felt a little sick afterwards and I was uneasy about what I had done, but that wasn't what really struck me…"

Alphamon nodded, silently allowing him to tell his story at his own pace.

Sleipmon closed his eyes again. "It wasn't until two weeks later… I was in Ocean Cove. I was at the market, I think. I don't remember what I was doing, but I remember seeing a Monochromon there. He was asking every Digimon in the market if they had seen a Triceramon around the city. It struck me as odd - that a dinosaur Digimon would be in a northern area like Ocean Cove. That Monochromon looked so worried…" he spoke softly.

Alphamon noticed Sleipmon's closed eyelids shut tighter.

"Finally, he came up to me and asked me, 'Have you seen my big brother here? He's a Triceramon.' So… I asked for the Triceramon's description. He told me that he was bigger than average and he had a big scar going up the left side of his frill. …It began to dawn on me. I asked him what his brother was doing in a place like this. The Monochromon told me that he had come up here for a job. He said that they didn't have a lot of money, so his brother had to take on mercenary work in order to support them. The Triceramon came up here with a team of mercenaries for a job… The Monochromon tried to ask his teammates what happened, but nobody told him anything." Sleipmon released a shake breath. "…That was when I knew…"

A grimace formed on Alphamon's face at Sleipmon's painful account. "The Triceramon…"

Sleipmon nodded. "I deleted him… Right then, I realized that I killed that Monochromon's brother… I had to tell him. …I told him that his brother was gone." Sleipmon balled up his fists tightly. "It didn't sink in immediately… It took him several moments before he broke down in front of me. He cried… so much… I didn't know what to do… I felt so guilty… I got him to an inn and tried to get him to rest, but… I could tell how devastated he was."

Sleipmon opened his eyes, which were moist and brimming with tears. "Alphamon… I deleted a Digimon who just wanted to take care of the people he loved… I can never take that pain away… I can never give that Monochromon his big brother back."

Alphamon gripped Sleipmon's shoulder comfortingly. "They attacked you, Sleipmon. You had to defend yourself," he reasoned.

Sleipmon gave him a sorrowful smile. "Yes… but I didn't have to delete them," he replied. "How many other Digimon are just like that Triceramon? Even our enemies have family, friends, loved ones… If we forget about that, then are we causing more pain than we are good? Is that what we should be doing as Royal Knights?" Sleipmon sighed and looked away. "…That was the moment that I resolved to never inflict that kind of pain ever again. I trained hard… I wanted to make sure that I had the skills to just incapacitate my opponents. I've been accused of being naïve, self-righteous, irresponsible, selfish… Maybe some of those things are true… I just know that I never want to hurt another Digimon like I hurt that Monochromon."

Alphamon sighed and gently rubbed his friend's shoulder. "…I'm sorry, Sleipmon. I had no idea," he said to him guiltily.

The large Royal Knight shook his head and raised a hand to wipe his eyes. "Thanks, Alphamon. You shouldn't be; it's not a story I like to tell often. I just… wanted you to understand why I act this way…" he said to him in a demure yet warm voice.

"I definitely understand… It's a very noble stance to take. I don't want to delete Digimon either," Alphamon told him tenderly. "However… we both know that that's easier said than done. As Royal Knights, we face strong opponents and extreme situations where we don't always get the chance to pick and choose what we want to do. While I can promise that I'll never ask you to delete a Digimon, you have to be prepared for the situation where you may not have a choice. It may be your life or the life of a fellow Royal Knight or Order soldier at stake. You're a good Digimon with a big heart, Sleipmon. But you need to be prepared in a situation where you might have to make a hard decision."

Sleipmon smiled softly – it was a more genuine smile this time. "Yes… I know. You're right, Alphamon. I might not always have that luxury to be able to choose."

"I hope that situation never arises," Alphamon said to him gently. He removed his hand and gave Sleipmon a quick, comforting hug, which Sleipmon graciously returned. Alphamon pulled away and looked at Sleipmon with a smile. "You're a wonderful Digimon, Sleipmon. Never forget that."

Sleipmon gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Alphamon… For listening…"

"That's what I'm here for," the black knight assured him.

The equine Royal Knight suddenly turned his attention away from Alphamon and looked into the sky behind him. "What's that?" he asked.

Alphamon raised an eyebrow and turned around to follow Sleipmon's gaze. They saw the gryphon-like form of a Holsmon flying through the sky. He seemed to be descending towards the academy from the direction of the city. "He sure is in a hurry…" he noted, watching as the Holsmon noticed them and changed direction.

"I think he's coming towards us," Sleipmon added as the Holsmon swooped down and glided over the academy gates.

The two Royal Knights watched as the red gryphon flew over and landed gently on the path beside them. He looked up at the two with a pressing expression. "Excuse me! Have either of you seen Commander Tactimon?! It's urgent!"

"He's inside with our friends. Can I ask what's wrong?" Alphamon inquired.

"One of my scouts just spotted a large group of D-Brigade soldiers on the western border of our territory. They're moving north east along the Champion River, separating our territory from the Mamemon Kingdom's. I don't know what their objective is," he explained hurriedly. "Please take me to the Commander."

Alphamon and Sleipmon's gazes hardened at his words. "The D-Brigade is here?" Sleipmon enquired.

"Come with us," Alphamon ordered, running back inside the academy. Sleipmon dashed after him with the Holsmon scout in tow.


	17. Chapter 12 Part 2: On War

(Author's Notes: Here it is, the second part of Chapter 12. Long chapter is long. Make sure to get snacks and stuff first. R&amp;R and enjoy!)

**Chapter 12: On War (Part II)**

To the west of Saversburg, five figures raced across the grassy plains. Alphamon, Sleipmon, Duftmon, UlforceVeedramon, and Gaioumon made their way westwards to investigate this reported D-Brigade presence. The group ran down a hill and traversed onto more level terrain from that point on.

They headed towards the western border of the free city's territory, where the Metal Empire troops had been spotted. The Champion River made up that border. The river originated from another massive sky waterfall, which sent water flooding from seemingly nowhere. Even though it was kilometers away, it was big enough that they five Digimon were still able to see it.

Sleipmon led the group in a gallop, followed by UlforceVeedramon right behind him, with the other three trailing not far behind.

"So…" UlforceVeedramon asked between breaths as he jogged at a swift pace. "Why aren't we flying again? That would be faster."

Duftmon, who ran with his rapier hilted in his red waist sash, looked ahead at UlforceVeedramon. "The D-Brigade are said to be travelling up along the river. The terrain there is such that they would be able to see us approach from the air, but the hills and riverbank provide a sufficient barrier to keep them noticing us approaching from the ground," he explained.

"What are they doing here?" UlforceVeedramon asked. "They aren't thinking of attacking Saversburg, are they?"

"Highly unlikely. The most likely want to secure the bridge over the Champion River that connects Saversburg to the Mamemon Kingdom," Duftmon explained.

"I can agree with that logic," Gaioumon concurred as he jogged between Alphamon and Duftmon. "That's a strategic crossing if they plan on invading the Mamemon Kingdom."

"Okay…" UlforceVeedramon responded. He then looked over his shoulder at Gaioumon. "And what are you doing here again?" He grinned. "No offence. It's just weird to have the Council of Seven's advisor going scouting with us. It won't look good if things get messy."

"I am merely an observer," Gaioumon assured him calmly. "I won't do anything to put the Council in a compromised position."

"So, if they attack us?" UlforceVeedramon followed up, still jogging across the soft, bright grass.

"I will stay out of a potential fight for as long as it is possible. I'm sure you don't need an unknown quantity like me disturbing your cohesive tactics," the dragon samurai stated diplomatically.

"That's very thoughtful of you," Duftmon answered, gracefully dashing along. "However, we will survey the situation before we decide whether or not to attack."

Alphamon nodded. "We shouldn't rush into it. This might be better solved with words."

"They _did_ attack us, remember," UlforceVeedramon pointed out. "I'm guessing that they think the time for words is over. If they really are manoeuvring to attack the Mamemons, telling them off won't stop that."

"I'm not closing off the possibility of a fight," Alphamon assured him. "Still, we're just scouting their forces, and we don't want to drag Saversburg into this. Perhaps we should wait for Tactimon and his army to arrive. The Saversburg military should be large enough to scare them off."

"If the D-Brigade is stubborn, they might still fight with Tactimon's troops. It might be less costly for us to make the first move," UlforceVeedramon countered.

"He has a point," Duftmon concurred. "It might be a good idea to act first."

Gaioumon raised an eyebrow. "You would make the first move? A risky move against a force as disciplined as the D-Brigade."

"On the contrary, it would be a surprise attack," Duftmon argued. "Provided they're still moving along the river, we should have the terrain advantage."

"Let's wait until we get there," Alphamon stated. "We can decide the best plan of action then." The black Royal Knight then looked ahead at Sleipmon, who had been quiet for most of the journey. "What are your thoughts, Sleipmon?"

Sleipmon looked over his shoulder. "Oh, uh… I'd like to avoid a fight if possible. …But if that's the only way we can protect the Mamemon Kingdom, then we should engage them, I guess," he answered, his voice sounding sheepish.

"Alright…" Alphamon replied uncertainly. He was a bit worried that he was feeling guilty about earlier.

Sleipmon's eyes turned to Duftmon. "Uh… Hey, Duftmon? Can we talk for a minute?" the centaur knight asked him.

Duftmon eyed him. "…Very well," he answered, although his voice and demeanour was still frosty towards Sleipmon.

The purple-haired cavalier slowed his gait so that he could match pace with Duftmon. He ran beside him at a light canter, his six hooves rhythmically pounding the grass as he went. "Uh… I'm sorry about getting upset at you earlier. My feelings just took over," he apologized, rubbing the back of his neck.

"So you should be," Duftmon responded, closing his eyes. "Royal Knights are supposed to have a united front in public. You undermined me in front of Tactimon and Gaioumon."

"Says the guy who undermines everybody," UlforceVeedramon muttered to Alphamon.

"I'm sorry," Sleipmon said with a sigh. "I really do trust you and your tactics."

"Good," Duftmon responded. "Because we may have to use them soon. I expect you won't have any problems following them?"

Sleipmon shook his head. "Of course not," he replied compliantly.

Duftmon nodded. "Then that's all that matters," he spoke, willing to put the personal matter aside in the name of their professional duties.

UlforceVeedramon smirked and looked over at the pair. "Now that you two are besties again, how much longer until we get there?"

"We will be there in about twenty minutes," Duftmon replied, rolling his green eyes. "Be patient, UlforceVeedramon."

"It's beyond those hills, isn't it?" Alphamon asked, gesturing towards elevated terrain in the distance.

Duftmon nodded. "Yes. Keep an eye out for D-Brigade scouts as we draw near," he advised.

"Okay, Duftmon," Sleipmon said, speeding up to take his place at the front of the group.

Alphamon observed him quietly. He worried that Sleipmon was trying to be too conciliatory. He had a tendency to do that after getting into disagreements. Sleipmon didn't like hard feelings.

Nevertheless, the group of five continued running for another twenty or so minutes. They finally stopped when they reached the base of a thirty foot hill.

The grassy mound had a slight incline leading up to the apex. The hill's crest continued on for five hundred meters, dipping and rising at points. It acted as a natural wall that one had to scale in order to get to the other side. Coming from the other side of the hill was the sound of rushing water. It was the tempestuous Champion River flowing downstream towards the southwest. Mixed in with the noise of sloshing liquid were voices. The tones were hushed, so that it was hard to hear them against the louder sound of the river.

"We've arrived," Duftmon said quietly. He hunched down and made his way up towards the top of the hill. As he approached the apex, he got down on his knees and elbows and poked his head over the crest of the hill to see what was on the other side.

On the opposing part of the hill was a steeper incline than the one he had scaled. It dropped down about fifteen meters at an almost forty five degree angle. Leading from the base of the incline to the edge of the river was flat ground, which spanned about fifteen meters wide.

The Champion River was a broad river with extremely strong currents due to its source, the heavy-flowing sky waterfall. It's impossible for most terrestrial Digimon to cross it without the use of a bridge, and it's extremely difficult for even aquatic Digimon to navigate its fierce currents.

Most interesting to Duftmon was what was between the river and the hill. Beneath the slope, on the flat grassland, was the D-Brigade force of fifty or more soldiers. They didn't appear to be marching. Instead, they were sitting around and setting up a makeshift camp. The majority of the soldiers were resting and eating field rations. They didn't seem to be setting up a defensive perimeter, which led Duftmon to deduce that they were only staying for likely half an hour at the most.

The tactician ducked his head down and gestured with his index fingers to the others for them to come and join him.

Alphamon was the first one up the hill, followed by UlforceVeedramon and Gaioumon. Sleipmon was the last one to make his way up the concealed side of the hill. He walked slowly and softly so that his heavy hoofsteps didn't create too much noise. The five stealthily glanced over the top of the hill and observed the scene below.

"They appear to be resting," Gaioumon observed in a whisper.

UlforceVeedramon's crimson eyes narrowed and scanned the encampment. "There's around fifty of them… Seven Ultimate level Digimon." He raised an eyebrow. "Including Raijinmon and Suijinmon."

"The Thunderclap and Waterfall Commanders?" Gaioumon asked, intrigued.

"What?" Alphamon asked, looking across the D-Brigade's ranks. He could see Suijinmon walking among his soldiers, making conversation with some of them.

Meanwhile, Raijinmon stood at the edge of the temporary camp, his hands folded behind his back, gazing up the river towards their destination. The bridge was in eyeshot. Suijinmon had sent the aerial scouts to sortie ahead and make sure the bridge was clear before they closed in on it.

Sleipmon frowned. "If both Commanders are here…"

"Then that means this really is an important operation," Alphamon concluded. He looked at Duftmon. "It seems you're right about their objectives; they want to capture that bridge."

Duftmon nodded. "It's the only logical conclusion, based on their movements, size, and composition," he explained.

"The first step towards invasion, it seems," Gaioumon added. "The invasion of the Mamemon Kingdom… and perhaps a gateway to Saversburg?"

UlforceVeedramon looked at the other Royal Knights. "If that bridge is so important, then we need to stop them."

Sleipmon turned his head to look at the cobalt dragon knight. "You think we should attack them?" he asked, a little sceptically.

"It may have to come to that," Alphamon answered pensively. "Ideally… I'd like to give them the chance to turn back peacefully."

"That would rather ruin any chance we have of ambushing them," Duftmon disagreed with a sideways leer.

"You want us to attack unsuspecting Digimon while they're eating?" Sleipmon incredulously asked. "But… We couldn't do that."

Alphamon frowned in thought. "There isn't much honour in that…" he agreed. "Plus, it would be a declaration of war."

"They declared war when they attacked our headquarters," Duftmon argued. "Sometimes practicality must trump doing the honourable thing."

"We only have circumstantial evidence for that, however likely it might be," Alphamon said with a sigh. "And is it worth compromising our values?"

"They are trespassing on Saversburg's territory with an armed force," Duftmon insisted. "How much more evidence do you need that they are aggressive?"

"Even so… This needs to be done cleanly. Wars aren't just won on the battlefield," Alphamon said firmly.

Gaioumon closed his eyes and nodded. "Alphamon does have a point there."

Duftmon turned his head up and away. "…Very well. I will just have to devise some tactics that account for this complexity." He gave a narrow, judgmental gaze in Gaioumon's direction. "Will you still be excusing yourself from these events?"

"I will watch from up here, if you don't mind," Gaioumon answered. "It should be fascinating to see your tactics in action."

Duftmon lowered his head from the apex of the hill. "Alphamon, if you are going to be making diplomatic overtures, approach from the north. Put yourself in between them and the bridge. You should be enough of a deterrent. If things go wrong, send us a signal and Sleipmon, UlforceVeedramon and I will race down the hill and flank them. They'll be pressed against the river and they'll be thrown into disarray."

"We will see how Suijinmon reacts," Gaioumon stated. "He was an impressive tactician in the Pirate Wars, if I remember correctly."

"He isn't up against rabble this time," Duftmon confidently asserted.

The Royal Knights continued to discuss their strategy. They were unaware of the finer details of what was happening down below.

* * *

"Alright, finish up. We're heading out in five minutes," Suijinmon told one of his subordinate officers, a MetalGarurumon. After turning away from the cyborg wolf, he trudged up to Raijinmon.

Raijinmon stood calmly at the right side of the field, glancing out of the corner of his eye towards the hill to his right. He looked forwards once Suijinmon stepped up next to him.

"They will be finished soon," the red cyborg assured him. "I know you are eager to get moving."

"Why do you say that?" Raijinmon asked him.

"Your posture is approximately 15% more rigid than normal," Suijinmon observed, his eyes gazing over at the golden-beige, humanoid cyborg. "Something is bothering you."

"You know me too well…" Raijinmon answered, reflexively lowering his shoulders. "Don't look…"

"…Don't look at what?" Suijinmon inquired for clarification, perplexed.

Raijinmon closed his eyes. "We have company…" he explained matter-of-factly.

Suijinmon was still for a moment. "…Where?" he asked calmly.

"The crest of the hills," Raijinmon answered, opening up an eye.

"Is it the Saversburg Army?" Suijinmon questioned him.

Raijinmon frowned in response. "…I'm afraid not… It's the Royal Knights…" he explained.

Suijinmon narrowed his eyes. "How…?" he inquired. "…How many of them?"

"I don't know. Perhaps they stationed themselves in Saversburg to be able to react faster." The Thunderclap Commander unclasped his hands and let his arms hang at his sides. "And there are four or five, from what I can tell. It's hard to tell if there are any more from this angle."

Suijinmon's large Accel Arms gripped the ground, the thick, metal claws digging into the earth gently. "…This is bad. They have the high ground and we're pressed up against the river. I knew I should have sent some of the scouts eastward instead of all to the bridge."

"We should speak with the Royal Knights," Raijinmon suggested, turning and looking at his comrade. "It looks bad, but if we stick to our story, we might be able to convince them that we got lost."

Suijinmon sent him a controlled look of incredulity. "Negotiate with the enemy, Raijinmon? Lord Chaosdramon would never allow it," he stated calmly yet firmly. "They are in league with the Mamemons against us. They've come here to attack us. This is a battlefield, not a negotiation room."

"It doesn't have to be," Raijinmon responded to the red Waterfall Commander. "It's as you said, we're at a disadvantage here. We don't know their battle strength. We need to be smart here."

"I _am_ being smart, Raijinmon," Suijinmon stated emphatically. "It's the best strategic and tactical move. We can't fail here. We need to start as we mean to continue. More importantly… we need that bridge. It's the Mamemons' lifeline. We must complete our objective."

Raijinmon frowned, only semi-convinced by his logic. "Yes, but…"

"These are my soldiers, Raijinmon," Suijinmon said firmly, although in his low, gentle drone. "You said that you would defer to me on this mission, did you not?"

Raijinmon locked eyes with Suijinmon. "Retreat is a better option than failure."

"Then we won't fail," Suijinmon insisted, looking at Raijinmon carefully. "We will have to fight the Royal Knights sooner or later, Raijinmon. It's an unavoidable fact of this campaign. Do not let your will falter."

The Thunderclap Commander winced and looked forwards. "That isn't what this is about… I have no trouble fighting the Royal Knights. It's the practicality of engaging that I'm worried about," he responded. However, he sighed, the breath echoing against metal. "Very well. You are in full command here, Suijinmon. What do you want to do?"

Suijinmon closed his eyes and thought. "…Simple. When the terrain is unfavourable in battle, alter the landscape," he begun. He opened his eyes again and raised a heavy arm, signalling to his Darkdramon junior officer to come over.

The cyborg dragon man walked over and saluted. "Yes, Commanders?" he asked.

Suijinmon moved his four legs and two Accel Arms so that he could look at the Darkdramon. "Darkdramon, I need you to remain calm and act natural," he started. "We are about to be attacked from the hills to the east."

The Darkdramon's eyes narrowed and he struggled not to instinctively look. "We are?"

"Yes," Suijinmon responded. "I need you to prepare the troops, but in a way that doesn't arouse either panic or suspicion; we need to make the first move before the Royal Knights do."

"The Royal Knights?" the Darkdramon asked him, shocked.

"Not all of them, we believe," Suijinmon responded. "Strengthen our flanks and don't let them box us in. I will take care of the center."

"Yes, Commander," the Darkdramon obeyed, saluting and then turning around to start informing his junior officers of the situation.

"Are you positive about this, Suijinmon?" Raijinmon asked in a hushed voice, looking up at his comrade.

Suijinmon gazed at him, signalling his answer.

A soft chuckle escaped Raijinmon. "Very well…" he responded, folding his Blitz Arms across his chest. "Then I'm with you 100%."

"Thank you, Raijinmon," Suijinmon answered with a tinge of warmth in the cold abyss of his voice.

"I have always wanted to test my abilities against the Royal Knights," Raijinmon mused. "Let's do our best to crush them."

"For the Metal Empire," Suijinmon agreed. He then turned towards his subordinate, who was walking away. "One more thing, Darkdramon," the Waterfall Commander called out to him.

The Darkdramon stopped and turned around to face the massive, crimson cyborg. "Yes, sir?"

Suijinmon levelled an intense gaze with him, as the series of tubes protruding from his shoulders began to pump energy into his shoulder-mounted Mugen Cannons.

"Tell everyone to get behind me."

* * *

The four Royal Knights continued to crouch behind the crest of the hill as they finalized their plan. Gaioumon sat nearby, listening in.

"Does everybody remember their roles, should it come to that?" Duftmon asked.

Sleipmon, UlforceVeedramon, and Alphamon nodded. "I'll go now," Alphamon said in a hushed voice. "Before we're spotted."

"Good luck, Alphamon," Sleipmon told him.

"Don't forget that signal," UlforceVeedramon added, fidgeting with the configuration of his V-Bracelets.

"I won't," Alphamon assured him. He made his way down the east side of the hill before he stood up straight, so that he wouldn't be seen when he did so.

He began to walk along the hill northwards – the plan was for him to head north towards the bridge and then circle around to approach the D-Brigade camp from the north side. This would put him in between the D-Brigade and the bridge. Alphamon was a powerful and imposing Digimon, so it would be hard to try and pass him if they wanted to get to the bridge. Meanwhile, Sleipmon, Duftmon, and UlforceVeedramon would be strategically placed on the hillside overlooking the camp and the river. They would flank the D-Brigade if they needed to.

Alphamon started to walk along the hill. He made it only four steps before he suddenly stopped, as if an aura of foreboding suddenly washed over him. "…Do you sense that?" he asked the four, narrowing his eyes and looking over his shoulder at them.

Gaioumon instinctively reached for his Kikurin swords that were embedded in the nearby ground. "Yes…" he said in a near-hiss. He stood to his feet as well.

"So do I," Sleipmon said, walking up to the crest of the hill with a curious yet unsettled frown on his face.

UlforceVeedramon and Duftmon stood and poked their heads over the crest of the hill to see what was happening on the other side. They saw the D-Brigade beginning to move and organize themselves. At first, they assumed that they were just getting ready to start marching again. It was soon painfully clear to them that they were organizing into defensive formations.

Standing at the near edge of the D-Brigade camp was Commander Suijinmon. The bulky, quadrupedal cyborg was staring straight up at the Royal Knights. The four cannons on his shoulders were brimming with energy and they were aimed straight at the part of the hill where they were located.

"Mugen Cannon," Suijinmon rumbled.

Four, massive, energy beams tore from the cannon muzzles and surged towards the Royal Knights. UlforceVeedramon's and Duftmon's eyes widened when they saw the incoming blasts.

"Incoming! Scatter!" UlforceVeedramon urgently yelled to the others. He roughly grabbed Duftmon by the arm and began sprinting to the left as the light of the beam lit up the hill. Narrowing his eyes, Gaioumon followed their example and dashed after UlforceVeedramon and Duftmon as fast as he could.

"Alphamon!" Sleipmon called out to the black knight, galloping at full speed to the right, where Alphamon was.

Alphamon sneered and began running as well, well aware of the incoming beams due to their intensifying roar. Sleipmon quickly surpassed the bipedal black knight, but he offered his hand and pulled Alphamon onto his back.

The beams tore through the hill and emerged out the other side, vaporizing anything in their way. The hillside detonated in a billowing explosion of power and dirt.

The Royal Knights and Gaioumon just barely managed to avoid being caught up in the beam blast, though they were nearly knocked off their feet by the concussive wall of energy and heat that followed the attack. Dirt and grass rained down on them, and the two halves of the Royal Knight scouting force found themselves suddenly separated by a giant, U-shaped ravine where the beams had hit. The gap was a mess of collapsing dirt, scorched grass, and smoking ash.

When the lingering streams of energy finally subsided, the Royal Knights and Gaioumon stopped and turned around to observe the damage with shock.

"It seems we have been discovered," Gaioumon noted dryly.

Duftmon sneered at the fact that his plan had been compromised. He suddenly took on the glow of evolution. "Mode Change! Duftmon: Leopard Mode!" he called out. The tactician emerged on four legs in his more agile, feline form. "Alphamon! Take Sleipmon and charge them from the right! Ulforce, we'll attack from the left! Gaioumon, it would be in your best interest to help!"

"I will see if that's true," the dragon samurai calmly responded noncommittally.

"Let's go, Sleipmon!" Alphamon called out, still sitting on Sleipmon's back as both sides prepared to engage the other. "Let's keep them suppressed as we get into position!"

"Right!" Sleipmon agreed, galloping as he scaled the top of the hill. Upon crossing the apex, he began to gallop diagonally down the hill.

As soon as he and Alphamon went over the top, Duftmon: Leopard Mode and UlforceVeedramon did as well. Duftmon leapt nimbly down the opposite face of the hill while UlforceVeedramon flapped his wings and flew in front of him, gliding down the incline at great speeds.

Suijinmon watched as this happened. He glanced through the giant gap he created in the hill. "No reinforcements…" he murmured before turning his attention to the advancing Royal Knights. "It is as I thought: they are attacking in pincer formation. Hold those flanks and lay down a heavy base of fire! Ranged soldiers, fire!"

Raijinmon stood next to his large, crimson comrade, silently eyeing the four Royal Knights as they made themselves known. "I suppose there's no avoiding it now," he noted. He turned his yellow eyes to Suijinmon. "Shall I take the left and you the right?"

"Yes," Suijinmon said deeply as the sounds of gunshots popping, cannons erupting, and missiles howling began to fill the air. He took a few steps forwards and turned his body so that his cannons angled towards UlforceVeedramon and Duftmon as they zipped down the hill. "Make sure the center here is secure. We need to divide them if we are to turn the battle against them. They will likely try to close in on us and break our lines."

"I will do my best," Raijinmon responded, calmly stepping forwards in the opposite direction towards where Sleipmon and Alphamon were approaching from.

Suijinmon silently followed Duftmon and UlforceVeedramon with his eyes. As he did, plasma energy coursed into the barrels of his four shoulder cannons until their interiors glowed with the light of destruction. "Mugen Cannon," he spoke.

He unleashed a rushing stream of devastation from his cannons; a torrent fiercer than the river before them could ever hope to be.

The beams tore through the air towards the two knights. UlforceVeedramon looked out of the corner of his eye towards the sudden, surging, yellow light. "Shit!" he uttered as the beam fast approached them. "Behind me, Duftmon! Tense Great Shield!" He brought up his left V-Bracelet, from which a pair of small beams emerged. The beams pulsed and brought up a dome-like barrier of transparent, interconnected triangles around him.

The beams slammed into the barrier, raging against it mightily. UlforceVeedramon let out a grunt of effort as he tried to hold against the blast, but his lack of footing caused him to falter against the extreme power of the attack. He was thrown back into Duftmon, both of whom were forced against the ground by the beams' sheer strength. The hilly ground outside of the shield was crushed and obliterated. Despite this, the Tense Great Shield managed to withstand the attack, the beams straining and ultimately parting around it. As the beams faded, the omni-directional barrier smoked and flickered. This left the two Royal Knights surrounded by a smouldering, ring-shaped crater.

UlforceVeedramon winced and sat up, his wings pressing against Duftmon's side. "Jeez… Remind me never to do that again…" he muttered, slowly getting to his feet and retracting the barrier to allow it to regenerate. "That big, red guy packs a hell of a punch…"

"Simply dodge, next time," Duftmon advised him semi-irritably, standing up on his four legs and leaping into action again.

"You're welcome," UlforceVeedramon said with a grin.

However, the smile disappeared when the D-Brigade began to target him again, punctuated by bullets and shells landing in the surrounding crater. The dragon knights narrowed his eyes and flapped his wings, shooting up into the air at incredible speeds, leaving only a blue afterimage. He turned at a sharp angle and began moving in an erratic zigzag pattern towards the rows of D-Brigade forces, which were starting to have trouble aiming at him.

A Megadramon soldier sneered as he tried to aim his hand cannons at the sapphire blur. "Genocide Attack!" he called out, unleashing a barrage of organic missiles bearing arms and teeth. The missiles homed in towards UlforceVeedramon, but he was much too fast, so they passed by him and exploded into the hill. "He's too fast, Captain! I can't even track him! Should-!"

UlforceVeedramon suddenly appeared in front of the Megadramon, speeding past him and slashing his Ulforce Sabre across his chest. The Megadramon roared with pain as he burst into data. UlforceVeedramon, now in the midst of the D-Brigade's ranks, stopped in the air and looked down at the land-bound Digimon. "Shining V Force!" he called out.

A V-shaped beam streaked from the crest on his body armour. The ray surged down at an angle, slamming into the ranks of the D-Brigade below. The beam vaporized a handful of Commandramon and Sealsdramon, who had spun around to attack him. Soon, the entire line turned to fire on him, moving to fill the gaps left by their deleted comrades.

The bullets that the Commandramons fired at him were like weak paintballs against his Ultimate level body. However, UlforceVeedramon began to grow a bit concerned when a Tankdramon wheeled around and aimed his dual Blast Gatlings at him; he knew those would hurt if they hit.

"Blast—"

"Wolkenkratzer!" Duftmon: Leopard Mode called out as he agilely lunged from one spot on the riverbank to another in order to avoid the munitions that kicked up dirt all around him. His eyes flashed and a huge, twenty-foot pillar of bedrock suddenly burst from the ground below the Tankdramon. The rock was drenched in river water and earth, but it shot up right under the Tankdramon's tread, flipping the cyborg off of his treads and helplessly onto his back where he would be unable to fire.

"Thanks, Duftmon!" UlforceVeedramon called out to him.

"Hmph. Try to stay focused," Duftmon chastised him.

UlforceVeedramon grinned and swept down through the D-Brigade's ranks, slicing his Ulforce Sabre through any D-Brigade soldier in his path. Three Sealsdramons collapsed in his wake before he shot up vertically into the air to engage a Cyberdramon.

The purple Cyberdramon lunged his spear towards UlforceVeedramon. The cobalt dragon knight swerved to the side instinctively and closed in to drive his fist into his helmet. When the Cyberdramon was thrown back from the blow, UlforceVeedramon used the opening to drive his glowing Ulforce Sabre through the Cyberdramon's chest.

"Blockade!" Duftmon called out as he ran. He sped across the ground and cut along the front of the D-Brigades lines, slashing his neck and shoulder spikes along their chests, hands, and weapons. After having weakened the row of Digimon, he darted to the side as he neared the river.

"Wolkenkratzer!" Duftmon followed up as he began to circle around again, ignoring a shell that whizzed by his head and exploded some distance behind him. He made another pillar of stone erupt from the ground in the middle of the D-Brigade's lines. The rocky obelisk sent a few Commandramon flying into the air and fractured the formation of the D-Brigade's right flank.

Duftmon stopped and looked into the air at UlforceVeedramon, who sent another shimmering ray from his chest into the D-Brigade's ranks. "UlforceVeedramon!" he called out to him. "Focus on deleting the officers! Ignore the rabble! Their ranks will crumble once the command structure is fractured!"

Suijinmon, watching the situation on the right flank unfold, began to seethe with cold rage. "You call my soldiers rabble?" his voice asked quietly, narrowing his eyes. He began to walk towards the right flank, clenching the metal claws of his Accel Arms. "HiAndromon! Get your soldiers organized! Regroup near the center of the battlefield!" he ordered.

"Yes, Commander!" the HiAndromon responded. "Alpha Platoon, manoeuvre towards that gap! Beta Platoon, covering fire!"

"And please don't get in my way," Suijinmon told them, narrowing his eyes as he looked up at UlforceVeedramon, who was kicking a Gigadramon away. "Mugen Cannon."

UlforceVeedramon spun around in time to see Suijinmon's upper shoulder cannons fire two beams at him, one after the other. He sneered and flapped his wings powerfully, speeding out of the first beam's path. However, Suijinmon managed to follow his movements and fire a second beam in the direction he was headed.

The blue Royal Knight saw the second beam closing in on him and just barely managed to shoot downwards in time to pass under it. The beam shot overhead and careened into the sky. UlforceVeedramon landed on the ground and raised his beam blade. He knew that he was no longer dealing with small fry, but a very capable opponent.

A Sealsdramon took the opportunity to appear behind UlforceVeedramon and try to plunge a combat knife in his back, but UlforceVeedramon spun around drove his knuckles across the commando's snout.

When UlforceVeedramon turned around again, he was shocked to see how quickly Suijinmon moved. The giant, crimson Digimon swept his left Accel Arm towards him and slammed the massive, metal fist across UlforceVeedramon's face and upper body. UlforceVeedramon winced at the painful connection and was sent skidding across the grass on his winged back.

A MetalGarurumon X-Antibody, who commanded the support group of this D-Brigade contingent, turned his attention to UlforceVeedramon who landed nearby. He pivoted and aimed the linear beam cannon mounted on his right shoulder directly at UlforceVeedramon. The mecha wolf then fired a powerful, green laser at the Royal Knight.

UlforceVeedramon, aware of the danger around him, swiftly brought up the V-Bracelet that didn't contain an extended sword. "Tense Great Shield!" he said, projecting a barrier around himself. This deflected the beam into the nearby river, casting a steamy spray of water upon impact.

He kept the barrier up as he stood to his feet so that he wouldn't be attacked in a compromised position. He suddenly retracted the barrier into his V-Bracelet and puffed out his chest, on which the V crest on his armour began to glow. "Shining V Force!"

A glimmering, golden ray pulsed from his chest and blasted into the MetalGarurumon X. Although the mechanical wolf officer's chrome digizoid plating protected against the beam, the force of the blast knocked him onto his back with a heavy crash. UlforceVeedramon utilized the opportunity to fly into the air over the rushing river in order to put some space in between him and the D-Brigade. He observed the battlefield and thought about where he should attack from.

He noticed that Suijinmon was no longer focused on him. Instead, he made his way towards the southern, downstream end of the river, where Duftmon and the two pillar of rock were.

Duftmon came to a stop on the grass and watched as the D-Brigade's right flank began to move up towards the massive cleft in the hill. The tactician frowned at seeing the forces move towards the center of the battlefield, which would ultimately cause Alphamon and Sleipmon to be separated from UlforceVeedramon and himself. That would be bad. He realized that the gap that Suijinmon had created in the hillside also gave the D-Brigade an escape route, which allowed them greater room to manoeuvre.

"You think that you can outmanoeuvre us?" Duftmon asked with a scowl, darting across the battlefield. With feline agility, he jumped around the explosions directed at him and leapt up the hillside that they had come down from.

Once Duftmon reached the edge of the hillside that overlooked the smouldering gap, he stopped and swept his tail out. "Eroberung!" he called out, unleashing several glowing energy globes from the ball on his tail. Eight of these golden spheres drifted down into the ravine, mining the chasm of dirt and effectively blocking the D-Brigade from moving through. "It won't be so easy to outflank us now."

"We won't be defeated," Suijinmon responded calmly. He continued to move towards the pillars of rock to the south that had blocked the D-Brigade's path. "Detonate those mines! I will secure the south of the battlefield." He raised his left arm up. Once lifted into the air, the mighty, mechanical arm began to crackle with energy. "Accel Arm!"

He brought the massive arm down, driving the mechanical fist into the ground. The sheer impact with the grass created a crater in the earth almost immediately. The ground before the hand then erupted from the shockwave beneath. The grass and dirt was ripped up in a subterranean blast that shot forwards towards the left rock pillar. When the shockwave reached the six-meter stone obelisk, it shot up the rocky crag and shattered it into millions of fragments.

Suijinmon then turned his attention towards the remaining pillar. He coiled back his right Accel Arm and threw a colossal punch straight into the base of the column. The strength of the punch was great enough to break clean through the pillar and cause it to collapse like a falling tree. Before the towering crag could hit the ground, Suijinmon reached out his enormous arms and caught it, lifting the rock off the ground.

Demonstrating his strength by hoisting the earthy column up, Suijinmon then glanced at Duftmon. He twisted his metallic body and swung the giant piece of rock, hurling it towards Duftmon.

UlforceVeedramon's eyes widened when he saw the column of rock fly through the air towards Duftmon. "Duftmon!" he tried to call out over the sounds of battle.

Duftmon: Leopard Mode was momentarily distracted by watching a Tankdramon attempt to shoot at his mines. He looked up and watched incredulously as the crag descended towards his position on the hillside. He glared and swept his tail out once again. "Eroberung!" he spoke, although he hunched his body down and prepared to pounce if his plan didn't work.

Several mines swept out from his tail and soared into the air to meet with the falling rock. The energy mines hit the pillar in various places along its length, and the momentum of the rock caused them to detonate. A series of explosions erupted in the air, and the stone column that he had created was blown apart before it could hit him. Shards and pieces of rock showered across the battlefield.

UlforceVeedramon breathed a sigh of relief, but his comfort didn't last long when he realized he was being targeted again.

"Grace Cross Freezer," the MetalGarurumon X-Antibody spoke, unleashing a salvo of missiles from his missile pod.

UlforceVeedramon shot to the side as the missiles tried to home in on him. He soared towards the battlefield in a non-linear flying pattern in an attempt to shake them off. As he did, his eyes lingered on Suijinmon. "_He's so strong… but I'll have to take him down somehow. I'm a lot faster than he is_," he noted.

In a daring manoeuvre, he took a nosedive towards the grass. He pulled up at the last second and caused the missiles trailing him to impact the ground and detonate behind him in an icy explosion. The dragon knight looked across the battlefield and tried to see Alphamon and Sleipmon. "_I wonder how they're doing_."

* * *

Sleipmon raced down the crater-ridden hill leading towards the D-Brigade-occupied riverside. The Metal Empire forces fired bullets, missiles, shells, and beams at him and Alphamon as he galloped. Sleipmon made for the northern flank of the D-Brigade, aiming to put them between the military contingent and the bridge.

As Sleipmon galloped, he outstretched his left arm towards the D-Brigade. Mounted on this arm was the large Muspellsheimr crossbow. Loaded in the weapon's fine, wooden breech was a giant, glowing crossbow bolt.

"Bifröst!" he called out, launching the incandescent arrow from his bow. The arrow soared through the air and into the D-Brigade's ranks, hitting a Perfect-class, combat-use Mechanorimon in the leg with stunning precision. The arrow tore through the robot's circuits and caused it to fall over with a crash, causing the Sealsdramon pilot to topple out of its cockpit.

Simultaneously, Alphamon rode on Sleipmon's back, his legs hanging over his left side so that he could face the D-Brigade forces. He used his wings to keep himself steady on Sleipmon's back. His palms faced the enemy and glowed with emerald power. "Digitalize of Soul!"

He fired a salvo of green beams from his hands into the line of the D-Brigade left flank, deleting two Commandramon and a Tankmon. As a team, Sleipmon and Alphamon served as mobile platform from which ranged attacks were launched.

They fired another volley of lasers and arrows into the D-Brigade forces, this time clipping a Gigadramon's wings and causing a virus MetalGreymon to crumple to the ground. Explosions blossomed up all around them, but Sleipmon was agile enough to avoid them. Unearthed dirt began to shift down the bank towards the grass, beneath his hooves.

Raijinmon stepped out from the D-Brigade's ranks, observing the two Royal Knights with an intense stare. He raised a hand into the air, ignoring a crossbow bolt that whizzed by his head and into the shoulder of the Tankdramon behind him.

"Elite officers!" he called out to the Ultimate-level Digimon among their ranks. "Out in front. This must be handled by Ultimates. The rest of you, provide covering and suppressive fire. Don't hit us."

"Sir!" voices rang out in obedient understanding.

A Darkdramon stepped out beside Raijinmon and began to pump dark energy into his Giga Stick Lance. Beside him emerged a mechanical wolf with a giant cannon mounted on its back.

"Z'd Hou!" the Z'dGarurumon howled.

Alphamon sneered when he saw a burst of light emerge from within the D-Brigade ranks. "Sleipmon, incoming!" he warned him as a stream of destructive energy surged towards them.

"On it!" Sleipmon responded. He drove his hooves into the ground and vaulted into the air. He lunged off the hill and onto the flat ground beneath the hill as the beam exploded into the hill behind them. A rippling explosion emerged from the beam's impact and an intense shockwave blasted into Sleipmon and Alphamon.

Alphamon was thrown off Sleipmon but he spread his wings and righted himself in the air. Meanwhile, although thrown by the blast, Sleipmon landed on his hooves and quickly circled around to recover.

"Attack!" Raijinmon ordered the two Ultimates. He bent his legs and angled his upper body to aim the four batteries attached to his shoulders and the ring over his head. Electricity began to course through his form as he gazed up at Alphamon. "Elekugel!"

Four torrents of electricity coursed from the cannons and surged into the air towards the black knight. Alphamon sneered as the beams crackled and shot towards him. He could instinctively tell how powerful they were, so he didn't fancy trying his luck by attempting to block them. Alphamon dove towards the ground as quickly as he could. He felt the river of electricity pass overhead as the sheer periphery of the beams threatened to knock him back.

The black knight maintained control of his flight and landed on the ground on a knee. "Digitalize of Soul!" He immediately brought up his hands and began pumping bursts of energy from his palms towards where Raijinmon had been.

Raijinmon narrowed his eyes and raised his pair of mechanical arms in response to the laser blasts shooting towards him. "Blitz Arm!" he responded. Bursts of electric energy fired from his mechanical arms, matching Alphamon's own blasts. The two contending salvos of energy flew into each other, some colliding and others bypassing and shooting towards their targets.

Both Alphamon and Raijinmon traded blows, the bursts pounding against their armoured bodies. Neither ceded the other an inch.

"Demon Stab!" the Darkdramon suddenly roared from the side of Alphamon. Alphamon turned his head and saw the Darkdramon flying towards him, his wings flaring and his lance poised to run him through.

Alphamon shot to his feet and swiftly darted to the side as the spear surged towards him. Due to his quick movements, the lance passed by him harmlessly. Once it did, Alphamon responded by grabbing hold of the base of the lance and the Darkdramon's arm. With a mighty push, he flipped the charging Darkdramon into the air and sent him crashing to the grass on his winged back.

Without taking his eyes off his two opponents, he raised his right hand to the side and created a magical circle vertically in the air. He reached into the spinning circle of light and Digi-letters, his hand disappearing momentarily. With a mighty pull, he withdrew his sword of light, the Seiken Gradalpha.

"Dark Roar!" the Darkdramon retaliated, launching a blast of ebony dark matter from his maw.

Alphamon swept his holy blade down and sliced through the darkness, parting the blast around him. No later than the blast faded did Darkdramon shoot towards Alphamon from the left and plunge his lance towards him. Alphamon flipped his blade around into an overhand position and transferred it to his left hand so that he could swing the side of the Seiken Gradalpha into the lance and parry it away from him.

Once the lance was deflected, Alphamon sliced his sword towards the Darkdramon in a horizontal slash. The Darkdramon sneered and ducked under the blade, just narrowly avoiding it. Although he managed to evade the attack, the sword was still holding against the shaft of his Giga Stick Lance. The cyborg dragon lashed his tail out hooked the back of Alphamon's knee with the blade at the end of the appendage. He then pulled, causing Alphamon's leg to buckle and for the knight to fall onto his back.

Alphamon crashed to the ground and the Darkdramon saw an advantage. He stepped over the Royal Knight and angled the tip of his lance with Alphamon's face. Energy coursed through the mechanized spear, causing a bright light to emerge before Alphamon's eyes. "Giga Stick Lance!"

"Digitalize of Soul!"

Before the Darkdramon could fire, Alphamon raised his free hand and blasted an emerald beam from his palm into the Darkdramon's chest. The dark dragon was thrown off balance by the heavy blow to his upper body. Alphamon used the opportunity to slash the Seiken Gradalpha out horizontally. The blade of light sliced across the Darkdramon's armoured shins, burning through the armour and hitting the scales underneath. The Darkdramon let out a snarl as his legs buckled from pain. On instinct, he fired the beam that had been charged in his lance, but was unable to aim properly, so the blast soared into the nearby ground and sent a blast of energy and dirt over the two Digimon.

The Darkdramon collapsed to his knees and sneered as Alphamon began to rise to his feet again. "Not yet," he hissed as darkness began to build up in his scowling mouth. "Dark Roar!"

A sphere of dark energy surged from his maw towards Alphamon, who quickly raised his right hand and fired a Digitalize of Soul beam from his palm. The laser pierced through the blast and separated it, but the smaller bursts of dark energy still slammed into Alphamon, pounding against his armour and knocking him back a couple paces.

Alphamon narrows his eyes as his armour smoked from the attack. He switched sword hands and began to walk towards the kneeling Darkdramon.

"Hyper Cannon!"

A Tankmon from the D-Brigade's left flank line fired a shell from his nose horn towards Alphamon. The munition directly impacted Alphamon's shoulder and exploded a burst of gunpowder and shrapnel.

Although momentarily nudged, Alphamon was ultimately unaffected and he continued to stalk towards the Darkdramon officer. He gripped his gleaming sword and raised his left hand, preparing to fire a beam.

The Darkdramon sneered as the Royal Knight approached him, with the clear intention of ending their duel. "I won't be defeated!" he shouted, putting all his willpower into lunging to his feet despite his wounds. He made a sudden dash towards Alphamon, thrusting his lance towards Alphamon's neck.

Alphamon, although taken off guard by this sudden burst of defiance, quickly levelled the Seiken Gradalpha and prepared to plunge it into the Darkdramon's chest to stop him. The Royal Knight began to duck and push his sword of light forwards as the Darkdramon drove the spear towards him.

To his surprise, the Darkdramon stopped in his tracks. The lance stopped several inches before Alphamon's head and Alphamon's sword had stopped several inches away from the Darkdramon's body. Alphamon looked up and noticed that there was glowing crossbow arrow piercing through the Darkdramon's Giga Stick Lance. The bolt stopped the Darkdramon's thrust and caused his mechanical lance to malfunction, evident by the intermittent flickering in the stylized eyes of the lance.

Alphamon glanced over and saw Sleipmon lower his Muspellsheimr crossbow. He gave Alphamon a nod before returning to his skirmish with the Z'dGarurumon.

The black knight returned the nod and lowered his sword. He rushed forwards and drove his fist into the unarmoured part of the Darkdramon's chest. The heavy punch drove deep into the Darkdramon's gut. The wind rushed out of dragon man's lungs and he lurched forwards, collapsing onto Alphamon's arm. He then dropped beside Alphamon, unconscious.

The leader of the Royal Knights then turned his attention to Raijinmon, who began to walk out to meet him.

"Very impressive, Alphamon. Your skills are all that I hoped they would be," the Thunderclap Commander spoke, striding towards him. He raised a Blitz Arm towards the black knight. "Let's see how you fare against a Storm Commander…"

* * *

Meanwhile, Sleipmon found himself in a fast-paced, hit-and-run duel against the Z'dGarurumon. Since they were both high-mobility ranged Digimon, they kept their distance and traded blows while circling each other like vultures.

"Z'd Hou!" the Z'd Garurumon shouted. He launched a linear stream of a rushing, yellow energy towards Sleipmon once he got a good lock on him.

Sleipmon sneered and galloped into full gear once the beam stormed towards him. He managed to outrun the attack and the beam merely tore through the hill behind him, creating another deep rift in the damage-scarred ground. Sleipmon narrowed his eyes and ignored the blast behind him even as it swept through his hair and tail. He focused on aiming his crossbow at the mechanical, lupine Digimon who was running around nimbly. "Bifröst."

The Muspellsheimr's taut drawstring launched the bolt, sending the incandescent arrow speeding towards the Z'dGarurumon. The D-Brigade officer, however, leapt into the air to avoid the projectile, causing the bolt to merely graze the armour on his leg.

The Z'dGarurumon skidded to a stop as soon as he landed and turned his head to look at Sleipmon. He carefully followed Sleipmon's movements with his head, allowing the laser sights on his snout to lock on with the equine Royal Knight. After a few moments of locking on, he narrowed his eyes and prepared the various cannons and gunports on his body.

"Fullmetal Blaze!" he called out, unleashing a mix of beam blasts and missile from his body towards Sleipmon.

Sleipmon turned his head as he galloped and noticed the salvo of attacks converging on him. He could tell from their angles that he wouldn't be able to outrun them if he tried. Instead he skidded to a stop on his six hooves, sending a wave of grass shooting up as he turned to face the barrage. Digging his hooves in, he swiftly raised the Niflheimr so that the red digizoid kite shield covered the front of his body.

The beams and missiles slammed into the shield and exploded violently. The grass and hillside around Sleipmon was torn to pieces within the squall of destruction. However, red digizoid was the strongest and most durable metal; the Niflheimr managed to withstand the savage blasts and leave Sleipmon unharmed.

The Z'dGarurumon watched the cloud of smoke and dirt carefully to see if Sleipmon survived. He took a tentative step closer and angled his back-mounted cannon to aim at the veil.

"Bifröst," Sleipmon spoke. From within the haze of smoke, he fired his crossbow. An effulgent arrow pierced through the cloud and sailed towards the Z'dGarurumon before he could react. The glowing bolt slammed into the cannon's base, slicing through wires and machinery.

The cyborg wolf quickly tried to retaliate. "Z'd Hou!" he howled, attempting to fire the affected cannon. To his dismay, the cannon ceased to fire and, instead, sparked and hissed. The Z'dGarurumon glared. "No!"

The smoke faded and revealed Sleipmon standing behind the shield. His crossbow was aimed through the arrow slit at the top of the Niflheimr.

The Z'dGarurumon snarled at this development and began to bolt towards the Royal Knight in a zig-zag pattern. Using nimble movements, he managed to dodge two arrows fired in his direction. He saw Sleipmon move his shield for better crossbow manoeuvrability. The Z'dGarurumon used this opportunity to lunge at Sleipmon. His snout began to burn with explosive energy. "Blowback Bre-!"

Sleipmon dashed forwards and reared up, throwing his front hooves towards the descending officer. "Tactic Smear!" he uttered with a grunt. He drove his hoof into the Z'dGarurumon's face with a painful crack that jerked the wolf's head sideways. The Z'dGarurumon inadvertantly opened his mouth and released the beam blast away from Sleipmon, instead causing it to swallow up more of the decimated hillside.

The Royal Knight then drove his other hoof into the Z'dGarurumon's metal chest, sending him flying backwards into the air. Sleipmon narrowed his violet eyes and pointed his shield at the cyborg Digimon. "Odin's Breath!"

The Niflheimr released a rush of frigid air, snow, and ice. The metal on the Z'dGarurumon's body slowly started to cake with ice and he became unable to move his legs. The ice thickened and began to freeze over the gun ports, as well. When the Z'dGarurumon hit the ground with a crash, he didn't get back up.

Sleipmon lowered his shield and sighed with relief. He began to feel the pressure again once bullets of various sizes began to ricochet off his shield and armour. A series of missiles landed nearby, prompting him to start moving once again.

* * *

From the top of the hill, Gaioumon watched as the battle unfolded. His calm, golden eyes scanned across the battlefield. He watched the Royal Knights trying to contain the D-Brigade and break their formations. The Royal Knights were a powerful force against this relatively small contingent of D-Brigade troops. However, the D-Brigade was highly disciplined, and whenever their lines seemed like they would break, Suijinmon was quick to seal the weak points.

The D-Brigade's tactician was a smart, powerful beast, and he was taking advantage of the fact that there were only four Royal Knights to contend with. He tried to turn the tables on the Royal Knights by using their numbers, discipline, and manoeuvrability to try to divide and conquer them. Duftmon wasn't going to let that happen, the samurai noticed.

Duftmon: Leopard Mode had used his Wolkenkratzer technique to create a stone barrier in the gap in the hill, containing the D-Brigade back near the river where he wanted them.

The leopard tactician raced up the crater-torn hill towards Gaioumon. He leapt up beside the dragon man and gave him an annoyed leer. "I do hope it is a good show, Gaioumon," he sarcastically said, making his agitation at Gaioumon's neutrality clear. "It isn't as if we are outnumbered or anything."

"I take it things are not going well?" Gaioumon asked him.

"You are a tactician, Gaioumon. You should know that battles are fluid," Duftmon told him dismissively, his eyes scanning the battlefield from the advantageous high ground.

Gaioumon smiled a bit. "I take it things are not going well in this immediate moment, then," he corrected himself.

"There are four of us versus around forty of them, now that their scouts have returned," Duftmon explained. "We have quality, but they have quantity on their side. That means we have to focus on many different objectives, both immediate and long term, at once."

"That puts each of you under a lot of pressure, as individuals," Gaioumon noted. "You must fight to the best of your abilities."

Duftmon nodded, his eyes darting back and forth around the battlefield; it was clear his mind working on many different things at once. "The right flank with Alphamon and Sleipmon is going well. They have taken down two Ultimate-level Digimon, but now Alphamon is contending with Raijinmon. However, UlforceVeedramon is having trouble handling the left flank on his own, now that he and Suijinmon have started fighting. I need to swap sides with Sleipmon so that he can reinforce UlforceVeedramon," he said, more to himself than to Gaioumon. "I will take his place on the right and begin blocking the north route to the bridge. If we could take out one or both of the Commanders here…"

Gaioumon eyed his fellow tactician. "Good luck, Duftmon."

Duftmon leered at him as he readied to run off. "Just don't—"

"Commander, there's another one up there!" a D-Brigade soldier shouted to Suijinmon.

Suijinmon slammed his Accel Arm's fist down towards UlforceVeedramon, who flew to the side to dodge it. "Eliminate him," Suijinmon told his soldiers coolly as his power ripped through the ground.

A Tankmon turned and fired at Gaioumon and Duftmon as they stood at the crest of the hill. The shell sailed past them, narrowly missing them. This prompted other soldiers to turn their attentions to them as well.

"Perhaps now you will help," Duftmon spoke, pouncing onto the stone crags that bridged the gap in the beam-made crevice.

Gaioumon drew his swords from the ground and connected their hilts to form a longbow. A slim string of light appeared between the tips of the two Kikurin swords. He pulled back on the drawstring and focused the swords' energies as an arrow. "It seems I need to," he mused calmly as he aimed his bow. "Purely out of self defence, of course…" He squinted his eye and targeted the Tankmon who fired at him. "Rinkageki."

He released the string of light and launched a shimmering arrow. The arrow shot straight down the Tankmon's nose cannon and out the back of his head, causing him to burst into data before he could react.

Suijinmon saw this and rumbled angrily. "Accel Arm," he spoke, slamming his fist in front of where UlforceVeedramon was standing. A shockwave coursed through the ground and nearly consumed the blue knight.

UlforceVeedramon managed to flap his wings and speed into the air in time to avoid him. "Shining V Force!" he called out as the V crest on his breastplate began to glow. A golden ray of holy light emitted from his chest and slammed into Suijinmon's large body.

There was an explosion upon contacted with the durable metal that encased his body. The superheated metal burned bright orange in the shape of a V, but the ray didn't break through the armour. Suijinmon glared up at UlforceVeedramon, who was hovering out of reach of his Accel Arms. "You are beginning to anger me, Royal Knight," he warned him, his words slow and seething. "Mugen Cannon."

Suijinmon fired all four of his cannons at once, sending four beams into the air. UlforceVeedramon sneered at how close of a range that he fired at. He flapped his wings and became an azure blur as he zoomed to the side. The beams streaked into the sky and just narrowly avoided trapping UlforceVeedramon in their devastating folds.

UlforceVeedramon was well aware of his close call, though. He looked down at his feet at he flew; the metal of his boots were red hot against his scales thanks to the beams' proximity. The dragon knight gritted his teeth and looked at Suijinmon before glancing quickly around the battlefield. "_I'm starting to feel the heat, guys_," he thought to himself. "_I could use a bit of backup._"

* * *

"Wolkenkratzer!"

Duftmon: Leopard Mode lunged off the hill and onto the flat grassland north of the battle. Behind him, several stone pillars tore from the ground and rose into the sky.

Sleipmon, who was busy using his Odin's Breath technique to freeze a bunch of Commandramons' assault rifles frozen solid, turned around and looked up at the large rock features.

"Duftmon?" he wondered, firing a bolt into the treads of a Tankdramon before looking at the tactician. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Duftmon asked as he continued making a rock blockade from the hill to the river. "I am blocking their path!"

Sleipmon frowned and loaded another bolt into his Muspellsheimr crossbow. "But what about UlforceVeedramon?" he inquired, turning and trying to see across the battlefield where he could see UlforceVeedramon under heavy fire.

"You and I are switching places. Go and reinforce him," Duftmon told him curtly.

"What? Why aren't you doing it?" Sleipmon asked him as he raised his shield to deflect a salvo of gatling bullets from the Tankdramon that he just attacked. When there was a break in the firing, he shot another Bifröst bolt at the Tankdramon. It tore through the Blast Gatling machine gun and rendered it inoperable.

Duftmon shot him a look. "Because your defence, aim, and strength are needed there," he told him urgently, decisively leaving certain admissions unsaid. "You said that you trust my tactics. Prove it to me now and reinforce that flank."

Sleipmon locked eyes with Duftmon for a moment. "_Does he really care about helping UlforceVeedramon…? Or does he just want to win?_" he asked, wondering the reason behind his words. Sleipmon frowned and shut his eyes at his introspection and doubt. "_No… I can't think like that. I need to help Ulforce. Duftmon is putting his trust in me. I need to do the same with him_."

Sleipmon opened his eyes and began to gallop. "Okay. I will," the large, six-legged Royal Knight told Duftmon. "I trust you, Duftmon."

Duftmon: Leopard Mode glanced over his shoulder and nodded as he finished bringing the last pillar up near the edge of the rushing river. "Good. Now, go and take down that Suijinmon by any means necessary! He will overwhelm us at this rate! Make sure you hold that flank at all costs!"

The crimson clad Royal Knight stopped in his tracks. Sleipmon's eyes grimaced. "'_By any means necessary'? He wants me to delete him…_"

The cavalier sighed and continued his gallop anyways. He charged along the base of the hill and raised his shield to bash away any attacks or Digimon who got in his way.

As he ran past the D-Brigade troops to the southern edge of the battlefield, a Sealsdramon daringly hopped onto his back. The Sealsdramon grabbed hold of Sleipmon's hair to steady himself, and suddenly tried to drive his combat knife towards the Royal Knights neck.

But before he could, the Sealsdramon was thrown off Sleipmon's back by an arrow. Sleipmon briefly glanced up to the top of the hill, to where a certain dragon samurai was standing. He reminded himself to thank Gaioumon later; he didn't want to have to stop to deal with these Digimon when UlforceVeedramon needed his support.

The Royal Knight focused his gaze ahead of him and continued his charge past the D-Brigade troops and towards UlforceVeedramon and Suijinmon.

* * *

"Elekugel!"

Four, thick beams of electricity surged towards Alphamon from Raijinmon's cannons. Alphamon sprinted across the grass and then pushed off to fly upwards in order to evade the crackling, static blasts.

Although he was able to avoid being hit, the beams sailed past him and annihilated one of the pillars that Duftmon had erected. This prompted the tactician to create a new one in his place. Duftmon, who had sweat dripping down his feline body by this point, looked over to Alphamon. "Alphamon! Keep the pressure on him!" he advised him.

"I know," Alphamon responded, panting behind his helmet. He turned around, his Seiken Gradalpha in one hand and a brimming, green aura in the other. "It's easier said than done."

"He's a mid-ranged fighter; close in on him," Duftmon told him, lunging away as a beam blast launched from the D-Brigade's tight formation tore up the ground he had been standing on. Once he landed, he sneered with annoyance. "Enough of this. Mode change! Duftmon!"

Duftmon: Leopard Mode shone brightly and shifted back into his regular, humanoid form. Duftmon glared and pulled up the Shoumetsu no Tsurugi rapier and swiped it down vertically. An arc-shaped beam swept from his blade and cut through the air. It tore through the D-Brigade's ranks, resulting in a few deletions and several injuries.

Alphamon flew towards Raijinmon and landed several meters in front of him. He glared across the scorched grass at the golden bodied Thunderclap Commander. "Why are you doing this? Why are you here?" Alphamon demanded, raising his palm threateningly as its gem brimmed with power.

Raijinmon calmly raised his fist towards Alphamon in response. "This is war, Alphamon. One that the Royal Knights are participants in," he explained matter-of-factly. "And it appears you have already figured out our objective here," the cyborg Digimon added, nodding past Alphamon to the stone columns behind him.

"You want to attack the Mamemon Kingdom," Alphamon said, narrowing his eyes.

"It is the Emperor's decision, not mine," Raijinmon responded, lining his sight down the length of his arm to aim. "His logic isn't unreasonable; the Mamemon Kingdom attacked us indirectly via hired mercenaries. And your Order aided them, Alphamon. We have to stand up for ourselves. Surely you can understand that."

"Not without evidence," Alphamon countered.

Raijinmon looked carefully at Alphamon. "PrinceMamemon admitted it personally. None of his actions since the event were that of innocence…" he pointed out.

Alphamon winced at his words. It was true that PrinceMamemon certainly made things seem bad for them. "All of this can be settled diplomatically. Stop this, Raijinmon! None of this is necessary!" Alphamon urged him.

Raijinmon closed his eyes in thought. "That is not a decision that I can make, even as a Storm Commander," he answered regretfully. "Please step aside along with your knights, Alphamon. I have no wish to fight you."

"I can't do that… Not if you intend to attack the Mamemon Kingdom," Alphamon responded with regrets of his own.

The golden cyborg opened his eyes and stared at Alphamon. "Then, with earnest, I have no choice but to crush you. Blitz Arm!" Blasts of energy surged from his fist towards Alphamon.

"Digitalize of Soul!" Alphamon fired back, launching his own beam from his hand into the oncoming shots.

The two bursts collided and blasted off one another, tearing up the ground beneath the point of impact.

Alphamon narrowed his eyes and sprinted across the grass in a diagonal approach, trying to circle around Raijinmon so he didn't run directly at him. As he ran, he kept Raijinmon suppressed by firing more Digitalize of Soul blasts in his direction.

A green beam ripped through the ground where Raijinmon was standing, decimating the earth and prompting him to leap to the side. Another blast tore across his bicep, singing the metal and sending a shockwave through his arm. Upon landing, Raijinmon narrowed his eyes and jumped away again, putting distance between Alphamon and himself. The Thunderclap Commander narrowed his eyes as he was nearly hit by another couple of blasts. He somehow managed to remain calm as two green lasers shredded the ground on each side of his body. "Very impressive, Alphamon," he complimented him. "I've always admired your combat capabilities. The best commanders are the ones who fight on the front lines with their subordinates. You are a model example of that."

Alphamon grunted and charged towards Raijinmon with his Seiken Gradalpha in hand. "I suppose I should thank you," he dryly responded, poising the droning blade of light back.

"No need. Elekugel!" Raijinmon's shoulder batteries lit up with glowing electrons. He unleashed four pillars of electric beams towards Alphamon. The coursed across the ground and burnt the grass beneath them as they close in on Alphamon.

Alphamon sneered and lunged into the air, spreading his wings and flying over the beams, gliding along them as they howled beneath him. Raijinmon wasn't finished; he angled his upper body back to make the torrents tilt up towards Alphamon. The Royal Knight noticed his and was forced to fly upwards to avoid being enveloped by them.

He watched as the attack finally dissipated, prompting the black knight to swoop down towards Raijinmon. He poised his sword to strike as he closed in on him.

Raijinmon narrowed his eyes and raised both of his hands. "Blitz Arm!" He unleashed a salvo of beam bullets that riddled Alphamon's body as the knight descended on him.

Alphamon winced at his body being blasted, but he fought against the impacts. He flew through the barrage with determination and descended on Raijinmon while bringing the Seiken Gradalpha down from over his head.

The beam sword descended on Raijinmon, who swiftly brought up his thick Blitz Arms and crossed them over his head to block the attack. Alphamon landed in front of Raijinmon and continued forcing the sword against his metal hands, trying to break through his guard.

"Daring… as well. Ambitious…" Raijinmon told him, calmly staring into the passionate eyes of the Royal Knight in front of him. "I have followed your… feats. Your leadership style has even… served as inspiration for my own."

Alphamon narrowed his crimson eyes and pushed down with his blade, the intense light whirring intensely against Raijinmon's glowing, resistant Blitz Arms. "If you're such a fan of mine, then why are you doing this?!" he asked him.

"Because it truly is a pleasure to fight against you," Raijinmon responded with a dark glint in his eye. "How better to measure my worth than by fighting against one of the best?"

"Worth isn't defined through battle!" Alphamon protested, giving a final push with his blade to see if he could break through Raijinmon's guard.

Raijinmon's feet dug into the ground due to fighting against the surge. "It is… when you're a Commander!" he fired back.

"What in the Digital World are you doing, Alphamon?" Duftmon called out from behind the black knight. "Attack him!"

"I am!" Alphamon retorted sharply.

"You're just standing there!"

Raijinmon took a split second to glance over Alphamon's shoulder at Duftmon, causing the cyborg to smile. "I see that you and your tactician are doing well… I would hate to anger him by hurting you, but I have a job to do. I am sure he will understand."

Alphamon looked at Raijinmon quizzically. "What?" he asked. Despite his confusion, he decided that now was the time to withdraw his sword. He retracted the Seiken Gradalpha and took a step back, angling the blade horizontally and thrusting forward towards Raijinmon's chest.

The Thunderclap Commander swiftly side stepped and angled his body so that the blade would miss him, although he still felt its heat against his form. Raijinmon took the opportunity to throw his metal fist into Alphamon's face, causing him to stagger back. Raijinmon moved in close and threw a punch into Alphamon's armoured gut before cuffing him across the face once again with his other fist.

Alphamon stumbled to the side but managed to catch himself and spin around to face Raijinmon with an adrenalized glare.

"Duftmon underestimates my short-ranged abilities. Little does your tactician know, I am quite proficient in close quarters combat," Raijinmon informed him, taking steps towards Alphamon.

Alphamon extinguished the Seiken Gradalpha in a flash of light, knowing the long blade would be difficult to use if Raijinmon intended to get in really close. "So am I," Alphamon responded, clenching his black gauntlets.

"Then this should be interesting…" Raijinmon answered. He coiled his Blitz Arm back and rushed towards Alphamon.

Alphamon followed suit and threw his own mighty punch towards Raijinmon. Their fists sailed through the air and connected with each other.

* * *

On the opposite side of the battlefield, UlforceVeedramon continued to contend with Suijinmon. He whizzed by the large, crimson quadruped, slashing his Ulforce Sabre along his bulky legs. The long, bluish-green beam sword sliced across the metal, causing a small gash.

Suijinmon whipped his heavy tail out, trying to club UlforceVeedramon with it as he passed him. Fortunately for the Royal Knight, he was quick enough to react to the incoming tail. He soared over it and shot upwards, stopping in the air and then turning around.

"Shining V Force!" UlforceVeedramon shouted, unleashing a blinding ray of energy into Suijinmon's back.

Suijinmon snarled and swept his arm out behind him in a fruitless attempt to hit UlforceVeedramon. He tried to turn around as fast as his cumbersome body would let him. Instead of turning around completely, the Waterfall Commander angled the top cannon on his right shoulder towards UlforceVeedramon. "Mugen Cannon," he spoke.

The cannon roared as a blast of energy hurdled towards UlforceVeedramon. The cobalt dragon saw the blast heading in his direction, prompting him to flap his broad, blue wings and shoot to the side. But to his surprise, he wasn't quite fast enough to avoid the blast completely. The beam managed to catch one of the pointed tips of his left wing, tearing against it and burning it badly.

UlforceVeedramon hissed in pain but he wouldn't let it hinder his flight. He sped around, leaving a blue and pink afterimage in his wake. As he circled to Suijinmon's opposite side, he noticed Sleipmon making his way towards him. He felt a twinge of relief underneath the sting of pain, both of which he was trying to put off to the side.

Suijinmon carefully watched the azure blur against the clouded sky. "_Good. You hit him that time,"_ he thought to himself. "_Just keep following his movements. There are only so many angles and paths that he can safely attack you from. You're slow, so he'll try to attack you from the side and rear. He'll try to avoid the Mugen Cannons' field of fire. Good… You're starting to be able to predict his movements… Just focus and think logically…" _

UlforceVeedramon stopped in the air in Suijinmon's blind spot so that he could hail Sleipmon, who was dashing along the base of the hill towards him. He made a hand gesture signalling the horse knight to cover him.

Sleipmon saw him and nodded, readying his crossbow and shield.

Suijinmon began to turn around to follow UlforceVeedramon's movements. "_He'll either cut across my back, launch a ranged blast, or…_"

"Dragon Impulse X!" UlforceVeedramon shouted, suddenly ripping towards Suijinmon as a blue aura surrounded his body. He shot towards Suijinmon from behind, flying at a downwards, diagonal angle. He streaked down from the sky like an azure comet.

"Commander Suijinmon! Look out!" one of the Waterfall Commander's Gigadramon subordinates called out. The cyborg dragon rushed into UlforceVeedramon's path and raised his mechanical Giga Hands to fire.

Suijinmon's eyes widened and he quickly pivoted to look out of the corner of his vision. "Gigadramon! Don't!"

However, the D-Brigade soldier already called out his Genocide Gear attack and fired a barrage of missiles towards UlforceVeedramon.

Sleipmon acted quickly, aiming his crossbow and firing a shimmering arrow towards the missiles. The bolt pierced through one of the missiles, causing it to detonate and take a few others with it. The rest of the missiles sailed towards UlforceVeedramon, detonating as soon as they came into contact with the draconic aura around his body.

UlforceVeedramon, however, shot through the explosions largely unaffected. With smoke and fire streaming behind his speeding body, the Royal Knight slammed into the Gigadramon. UlforceVeedramon's blazing power and shimmering beam sword tore through the dark dragon and reduced him to data.

Suijinmon glared at UlforceVeedramon balefully, knowing that he wouldn't be able to react quickly enough to stop him. The dragon man crashed into the Waterfall Commander like a meteor. The pressure of the knight's draconic power was great enough to cause Suijinmon's front legs to buckle. He grunted at the immense pain and pressure tackling into him. He felt something hot cut into his side, sending a burning feeling up his chest. Suijinmon collapsed forwards onto his heavy Accel Arms.

UlforceVeedramon passed by the Commander and landed on the ground in front of him, spreading out his wings and skidding to a stop amidst the wave of dirt that was thrown up from his collision. Once he touched down on the settling earth, he turned around to see how much damage he caused to Suijinmon.

The Waterfall Commander was still using his Accel Arms to support himself after the heavy impact. There was a gash leading from his back to his shoulder, created by UlforceVeedramon's Ulforce Sabre. Spark shot intermittently out of the wound.

Suijinmon pushed himself up on his arms and pushed his feet against the ground so that he was standing on all fours. He wasn't able to see it, but he could feel the damage in his back. His gold eyes slowly turned towards UlforceVeedramon.

"You start… by deleting my soldiers…" Suijinmon spoke, his usually steady voice now uneven. He clenched his giant metal fists tightly and took a slow, menacing step towards UlforceVeedramon. "And now-"

His eyes widened with rage. "-you _dare_-"

Suijinmon bolted towards UlforceVeedramon, raising his giant fists over his head. "-TO TOUCH ME?!" he roared.

UlforceVeedramon recoiled at his opponent's sudden rage and speed. He brought up his Ulforce Sabre up to retaliate, but Suijinmon's arm was already crashing down on him.

The dragon knight zipped to the right to avoid the Accel Arm, which smashed into the ground next to him and sent a shockwave rippling through the ground, powerful enough to send river water shooting into the air.

Suijinmon's eyes watched as UlforceVeedramon moved, his other Accel Arm already coiled back to strike. "Obvious!" he shouted, throwing his metal fist directly where UlforceVeedramon was flying.

The hefty Accel Arm connected with UlforceVeedramon painfully and blasted him away with the resulting shockwave. UlforceVeedramon was sent skidding across the dirt-laden grass. As his body impacted the ground, coughs were torn from his throat and his muscles aching from the savage punch.

Suijinmon narrowed his eyes and began to level his cannons with UlforceVeedramon's fallen form.

"Ulforce!" Sleipmon called out with worry from his place on the hill. He aimed the Muspellsheimr at Suijinmon and fired. The incandescent arrow zipped through the air towards the D-Brigade Commander and stabbed into the very edge of the scar on Suijinmon's back. Suijinmon thundered with pain and fury and arched his back.

The arrow only hit enough to cause Suijinmon pain, not impacting any vital structures further inside his body. Suijinmon was unperturbed. He angled his top left shoulder cannon towards Sleipmon, while the other three guns locked onto UlforceVeedramon. "Mugen Cannon!"

Sleipmon grimaced and brought up the Niflheimr shield. "Ulforce!" he called out to his friend as the beam impacted his shield, sending Sleipmon's hooves digging deep into the ground as the beam strained against his red digizoid shield.

UlforceVeedramon pulled himself up to a knee just in time to see the three beams rippling towards him. He glared and activated his barrier as swiftly as he could. "Tense Great Shield!" he uttered, bringing up the shield around his body just in time for the blasts to hit it.

The beams tore against the beam viciously, splaying around it and annihilating the surrounding landscape in savage explosion. The barrier began to flicker at the sheer ferocity of the attack. UlforceVeedramon swore. He knew that he didn't give it enough time to regenerate completely from the last time. As the beams started to weaken, the shield gave way and UlforceVeedramon felt the blast crash into him.

He was thrown into the air from the explosion. Although bruised and charred, he managed to right himself in the air. UlforceVeedramon flew swiftly around the commander to attack Suijinmon from behind, where his cannons wouldn't be able to hit him. "Shining V Force!" he called out, his chest surging with golden power.

The beam slammed into Suijinmon's back, sending white hot pain shooting through him as it burned against the sparking gash on his back. UlforceVeedramon noted from his angry reaction that the injury was a weak spot that could end the battle. He looked over to Sleipmon. "Sleipmon!"

Sleipmon nodded and had an idea of what he was asking. The horse knight raised his Niflheimr shield towards Suijinmon. "Odin's Breath!"

A subzero blizzard blasted out from the shield and swept over Suijinmon, freezing the area around him. The ground beneath him began to freeze and a thick layer of ice crept up his four legs, freezing him to the ground.

UlforceVeedramon saw his opportunity. He flapped his wings a swooped towards him at high speeds, angling his Ulforce Sabre to stab into the breach.

Suijinmon sensed UlforceVeedramon approach from behind him. There was a glint in his eye during the two seconds that it took UlforceVeedramon to approach. "_Not this time!_"

Just as UlforceVeedramon was about to plunge his beam blade into Suijinmon's back, the machine Digimon slammed his tail painfully into the Royal Knight's side. UlforceVeedramon let out a surprised shout as he crashed to the ground.

Suijinmon turned his upper body and reached out his Accel Arms. He used his metal claws to grab hold of UlforceVeedramon by the right arm and the left leg. He squeezed tightly and lifted UlforceVeedramon up and into the air in front of him, eliciting a snarl of pain from the dragon knight. "It doesn't matter how fast you are now," Suijinmon told him, glaring at him.

UlforceVeedramon growled and struggled, kicking and punching Suijinmon's arms with his free limbs in an attempt to free himself.

"Ulforce!" Sleipmon called out with worry. He grimaced and aimed his crossbow at Suijinmon once again. He turned his body and looked down the stock of the crossbow. Sleipmon tried to decide where to aim his shot.

The pressure was mounting on him as he saw UlforceVeedramon struggle in Suijinmon's hold. The longer he waited, the more danger that Ulforce was in. He couldn't just fire anywhere on Suijinmon's body due to the thick armour encasing him. He had to actually hit somewhere that would wound him, disable him, or otherwise.

That "otherwise" began to enter Sleipmon's mind, as did Duftmon's voice. The tactician wanted him to delete Suijinmon. As he thought about it, a sick, nervous feeling began to swell up in Sleipmon's stomach. His bow began to wander towards Suijinmon's head.

There was a gap in the armour where his eyes were. He felt like he could make the shot from that angle. Furthermore, he knew he couldn't reach the wound on his back anymore. Sleipmon debated making the shot in his mind.

"_Can I do it? …Can I really kill him? Should I kill him? Ulforce is in danger… But… There has to be another way. There's always other options. There was another way with Imperialdramon, even when that seemed hopeless… There just has to be_…" Sleipmon thought to himself.

"Sleipmon!" UlforceVeedramon called out to him, looking over at the Royal Knight as he struggled, wondering why he wasn't firing.

Meanwhile, Duftmon flew in the air. He had released a Ernste Welle beam from his sword into the ranks of the D-Brigade and he now took a few moments to observe the battle. He saw that Alphamon and Raijinmon were still trading blows, both punches and energy blasts. Duftmon turned his attention to UlforceVeedramon and Sleipmon.

He was stunned to see UlforceVeedramon in Suijinmon's grasp and Sleipmon seemingly just watching. The tactician also noticed that the D-Brigade's right flank was overtaking them there. Duftmon narrowed his eyes and started speeding across the battlefield towards them. "Sleipmon! What are you doing?!" he demanded. "Shoot him! Delete him!"

Sleipmon grimaced and looked all over Suijinmon's body for possible targets. He considered shooting the wires on his Accel Arms, but he knew that it would take multiple shots to sever them all. "I'm- I'm aiming!" he called back, flustered.

Suijinmon realized that he was being targeted. He knew that he had to act quickly. The two cannons fixed above his shoulders began to angle down and point at the Royal Knight that he held in his claws.

Sleipmon saw this and the pressure that he was feeling intensified tenfold. Sweat rolled down his face and neck as he struggled to think of a solution that didn't end in him deleting Suijinmon. "_What do I do? I don't want to kill him. Think, Sleipmon, think!"_

When the two cannons finally stopped moving, UlforceVeedramon found himself staring down the barrels of two, giant Mugen Cannons. He tried desperately to yank his arm and leg free, but Suijinmon's grip was too strong. Energy began to build within the two cannons.

Sleipmon gritted his teeth. He knew he couldn't wait any longer. He aimed the Muspellsheimr and fired it.

"Bifröst!"

The bolt pierced through the air and soared towards Suijinmon with pinpoint accuracy. The bolt closed in on him, but sailed directly over his body. Instead of hitting Suijinmon's head, it cut through the wires of the two shoulder-mounted cannons that were about to fire at UlforceVeedramon. With the wires severed, the cannons could no longer fire, prompting Sleipmon to sigh with relief.

"What?!" Suijinmon demanded, angrily trying to activate the said cannons. He narrowed his eyes and gripped UlforceVeedramon's arm and leg tighter. "Very well… Accel Arm!"

To Sleipmon's horror, Suijinmon lifted UlforceVeedramon up before slamming him into the ground brutally. He released an explosive shockwave into UlforceVeedramon and the surrounding ground. The Royal Knight's howl of pain was drowned out by the giant explosion around him.

Sleipmon's face went pale as he watched the massive blast of concussive energy send a geyser of dirt into the air. His bow arm lowered and he stared into the cloud of dust where UlforceVeedramon had been harmed.

"…ULFORCEVEEDRAMON!" he cried out. Sleipmon leapt off of the hill and galloped full speed towards Suijinmon.

"Sleipmon! You fool!" Duftmon called after him with incredulous anger and frustration. "What are you doing?!"

Sleipmon ignored him and dashed towards the crater where UlforceVeedramon had been left.

With the cobalt Royal Knight taken down, Suijinmon used his arms to break free from the ice encasing his legs. Once he was able to move them again, he began to turn towards Sleipmon. Before he could react, Sleipmon was upon him, driving his front hooves forwards. "Tactic Smear!" the Royal Knight shouted angrily, kicking his hooves into Suijinmon's face.

Duftmon narrowed his eyes as the D-Brigade Commander fell backwards, stunned by the blow. "'Tactic Smear', indeed…" he muttered. "My tactics have never been smeared more."

With Suijinmon knocked backwards, Sleipmon used the opportunity to circle around and go into the crater where UlforceVeedramon had been slammed. A mixture of worry and relief washed over him when he saw UlforceVeedramon lying at the bottom of the crater, groaning with pain. "Ulforce!" Sleipmon said, going over to his side. "Are you okay?!"

UlforceVeedramon winced and looked up at Sleipmon. "Can't move… I think…! Argh! M-My leg's broken… and shoulder's… dislocated… I don't think I can stand… Rgh!"

Sleipmon winced. This was his fault. He knew it was. "I'll get you out of here, Ulforce!" he reassured him, bending down and gently picking him up. UlforceVeedramon snarled in agony at being moved. "I'm sorry!" Sleipmon told him, grimacing as he placed UlforceVeedramon over his back. "Try to hold on!"

Once he felt comfortable that UlforceVeedramon was secure, Sleipmon started to gallop away from Suijinmon, back towards the base of the hill.

Suijinmon narrowed his eyes and levelled his two lower shoulder cannons with Sleipmon and UlforceVeedramon. "Mugen Cannon," he spoke, unleashing two blasts after Sleipmon and UlforceVeedramon.

UlforceVeedramon winced as he saw the two blasts hurdling towards them. "Hard left!" he told Sleipmon with a growly shout.

Sleipmon obeyed and turned quickly to the left, running along the bottom of the hill.

Duftmon watched him with a twitching eye. "Sleipmon! What do you think you're doing?!" he demanded. "That flank is collapsing as it is! You're leaving it completely unguarded!"

"I have to get UlforceVeedramon to safety!" Sleipmon called out in response, rushing northwards along the hillside.

"They are overrunning the hill! They will outflank and overwhelm us at this rate!" Duftmon protested. "Then we will all be in danger!"

"I'll be right back! I promise!" Sleipmon replied.

"It will be too late by then! …Where the hell did Gaioumon go?!" Duftmon exclaimed, his eye twitching as he watched the D-Brigade take control of the southern area and begin to encroach on the hill. What he saw was the tides of battle turning against them. He felt a sinking feeling inside of him. "…I cannot believe this."

He was so distracted by the thought of losing the battle that he didn't notice a missile flying towards him until it was too late. An airborne detonation sent Duftmon flying through the air but he swiftly recovered with only a cut in his wing. Duftmon sneered and flew after Sleipmon and UlforceVeedramon, realizing that he would be drawing fire all alone up there.

"Perhaps this can still be salvaged," Duftmon muttered, his brain working swiftly as he flew down towards the row of pillars he created. "Perhaps if the three of us keep our distance and maintain a ranged bombardment…" He glared deeply. "No… We are the Royal Knights. All we need to do is concentrate our fire and simply overwhelm them. We can wipe them out with our combined strength surely… We can trample armies underfoot…" He clenched his fists. He hated himself for talking like that. In Duftmon's opinion, his tactics should be enough.

Alphamon glanced over from his duel with Raijinmon. He was concerned to see UlforceVeedramon hurt and the other two Royal Knights consolidating behind him. He took this to mean things weren't going well.

Raijinmon stopped his attack of Alphamon, lowering his steaming Blitz Arms and panting. "Perhaps you should withdraw, Alphamon. Things don't seem to be going your way," he advised him.

The leader of the Royal Knights narrowed his eyes, but secretly considered his words. He wondered if they should or not. UlforceVeedramon was hurt and they were starting to be cornered. It was just a matter of if they could hold out until…

"Commence bombardment!" a voice rang out.

Alphamon looked up to the top of the damaged hill. Standing at its peak was a single Digimon, standing with a sheathed sword pointing down at the D-Brigade.

It was Tactimon.

The sky behind him lit up with a rainbow of colours. Attacks streamed over the peak of the hill: fire, beams, electricity, missiles, water… It was a full spectrum of firepower. Digimon emerged behind Tactimon over the crest of the hill and began raining devastation down onto the D-Brigade. Explosions tore across the level grassland between the hill and the river, sending destruction and disarray among the D-Brigade force.

"What?" Suijinmon demanded, turning around as an explosion erupted nearby. He glared up at indignation at the emerging mass of Digimon.

Raijinmon narrowed his eyes and braced himself as a missile landed in front of him. "Reinforcements from Saversburg?!" he asked with a scowl.

Tactimon extended his arm towards the Royal Knights to the north. "First brigade, reinforce the Royal Knights!" he commanded. Gaioumon walked up beside Tactimon and nodded down at the Royal Knights. As ordered, Digimon soldiers began charging down the hill, firing at the D-Brigade as they went.

Alphamon looked up at their reinforcements and smiled. Sleipmon sighed with relief as well.

Duftmon, however, was less happy about it. "I don't believe this is happening… I'm being saved by _him_?!"

UlforceVeedramon managed a pained smirk. "Don't… complain…" he weakly said.

Meanwhile, Suijinmon narrowed his eyes as he watched the reinforcements manoeuvre. "There's too many… It's impossible to defeat them…" he murmured. He raised an Accel Arm up. "Alright, team! Gather the wounded and retreat! We're leaving Saversburg territory!"

Raijinmon sneered and spun around to look at Suijinmon. "Retreating?!" he asked, making clear that the idea of failure was unappealing to him.

"I'm not losing any more soldiers in a battle that we can't win!" Suijinmon told him. "We're pulling back, Raijinmon! And you're leading the soldiers out while I cover our retreat."

Raijinmon grimaced and looked away. After a few moments of thought, he sighed and nodded. "Very well," he conceded. "But what about the objective?"

"We won't leave empty handed," Suijinmon responded, aiming his two operable shoulder cannons. "Just get the team to safety."

"Very well," Raijinmon responded, picking up the unconscious Darkdramon and Z'dGarurumon under his arms. He then began dashing south along the river. "Follow me, soldiers! Back to the Metal Empire!"

The D-Brigade Digimon obeyed, marching after him. Suijinmon strode forwards after the last of his soldiers passed him. He made sure to put himself between them and the Saversburg Army and the Royal Knights. He narrowed his eyes, gazing into the distance, ignoring the beam that struck in front of him.

"Mugen Cannon."

He unleashed a final torrent of energy from two of his cannons. The beams were aimed not at the Royal Knights or their reinforcements, but something else. The power pierced through one of the stone pillars that Duftmon had erected to block them. However, that wasn't their target. The beams continued to surge into the distance and enveloped the bridge that they had planned to capture. The bridge was swallowed up in the folds of the blasts and obliterated, leaving the Mamemon side cut off from the Saversburg side.

"Objective complete," Suijinmon spoke, his cannons smoking as he turned around and followed the D-Brigade team away.

Tactimon watched from the hillside as the D-Brigade retreated down along the Champion River. "Hold your fire! They're retreating!" he called out to the military. "Secure the area."

The Digimon ceased their attacks and began to spread out across the landscape to ensure that the D-Brigade team wouldn't regroup and counterattack. As the battle ceased, Tactimon and Gaioumon both walked down the hill towards the Royal Knights.

Alphamon spun around and walked over to Duftmon, Sleipmon, and UlforceVeedramon. "Ulforce," he said, observing the injured Digimon lying on Sleipmon's back with concern. "Are you alright?"

UlforceVeedramon winced but tried to play it off with a smile. "Y-Yeah. Just feel like I got stepped on by a giant robot," he responded.

Sleipmon grimaced. "His leg is broken and his shoulder is dislocated…" he informed him, guiltily.

"What happened?" Alphamon asked.

"I will tell you what happened," Duftmon said, seething as he stormed up to Sleipmon. "This naïve imbecile is responsible for the D-Brigade gaining the upper hand and UlforceVeedramon getting hurt!" He glared up at the large horse knight. "You know best, don't you? You aren't even able to follow simple orders out of your misplaced sense of morality. There is no place for your bleeding heart nonsense on the battlefield!"

"Duftmon," Alphamon told him firmly, placing a hand on the tactician's shoulder to try to calm him. He looked at Sleipmon. "Is this true, Sleipmon?"

Sleipmon looked away in shame. "Yes," he responded, although after Alphamon saw his expression, he needed no other confirmation. "When Suijinmon had UlforceVeedramon in his grip, I thought I could find a way to disable him without having to kill him."

Duftmon glared at Sleipmon. "You still insist on doing things by half. This is what happens when you act that way in a battle."

Alphamon looked at Sleipmon with sympathetic yet firm eyes. His gaze hardened and he walked up to the equine Royal Knight. "Sleipmon… While you know I understand your point of view, that was extremely irresponsible!" he chastised him sternly. "I understand your aversion to killing, and I understand why you feel that way, but UlforceVeedramon could have been the one deleted." He gestured to the wounded Royal Knight on his back. "This wasn't a Commandramon you were fighting. It was Suijinmon – one of the foremost and elite members of the D-Brigade - you can see for yourself the damage that he's capable of. We're just lucky that UlforceVeedramon wasn't hurt worse."

Sleipmon winced and ducked his head. "I'm sorry, Alphamon… Duftmon…"

"Duftmon is right, Sleipmon," Alphamon explained firmly. "It's naïve to think that you can save everybody on the battlefield. It's a valiant struggle, but it's a futile one. I understand that you don't want to feel the guilt of killing, but what if UlforceVeedramon had been deleted? How would you have felt then?"

"Indeed. I fully agree," Duftmon stated, folding his arms.

As Sleipmon grimaced, UlforceVeedramon began to feel guilty for being the cause of the conflict. "Alphamon, it's fine…" he assured him. "I'll be okay."

"It may have been worse," Alphamon said resolutely. He locked his red eyes with Sleipmon's violet ones. "I'm just trying to make you understand, Sleipmon… In battle, you need to be aware of your priorites. The highest one, above all, should be to protect your friends. The rest comes after."

"I-I understand," Sleipmon answered, his eyes shut tightly as he bowed his head. He looked over his shoulder to UlforceVeedramon. "I'm so sorry, Ulforce…"

UlforceVeedramon forced a pained smile. "Don't sweat it, Sleipmon… I'll be f-fine."

Duftmon gave a sideways leer towards Alphamon. "Pardon me. The highest priority should be to achieve the battle objectives," he corrected him.

Alphamon turned towards Duftmon. "This is partially your fault as well, Duftmon," he told him.

"…What?" Duftmon asked incredulously, looking at Alphamon like he was crazy. "…How in Yggdrasil's name is any of this my fault?!"

"You should have sent me instead of Sleipmon if you wanted Suijinmon taken down," Alphamon said, folding his arms. "You should know by now that Sleipmon has trouble deleting Digimon. You shouldn't have assumed that he would be able to do that. You need to take these things into account."

"Are you honestly blaming me for the fact that Sleipmon was unable to follow my tactics?" Duftmon wondered in disbelief. "That is rich. I am the easy target, of course."

"Alphamon has a point," Tactimon said, striding over to them with Gaioumon. He stopped in front of them and rested his sheathed sword, the Jatetsufujin-maru, on his shoulder.

"Who asked you?" Duftmon dismissively quipped.

"You can't just force a Digimon into a role without other considerations," Tactimon explained.

"Sleipmon is an archer with incredible accuracy, mobility, and defensive capabilities. That's why I sent him over to reinforce that flank," Duftmon defended. "I made that correct tactical move."

Tactimon sighed and shook his head. "You obviously didn't, or else that flank wouldn't have fallen," he said, causing Duftmon to glare furiously at him. "Duftmon, you shouldn't have relied on a pacifist to kill. You need to take individual Digimon into consideration: their abilities, their preferences, their combat style, their likes and dislikes... A battlefield is a not a vacuum where tactics are the only input."

"Those things are irrelevant. Stop attempting to shift the blame off of Sleipmon for your own purposes," Duftmon protested.

Tactimon narrowed his eyes. "Furthermore, you five only went ahead as a scouting contingent. You shouldn't have attacked."

"_They_ attacked _us_, you fool," Duftmon answered coldly.

Alphamon sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "That part is true," he admitted. "Thank you for reinforcing us, Tactimon."

Tactimon shook his head. "I suppose I should be thanking you all. This wasn't your battle, but it seems like you did all the hard work while we just came in at the end," he stated.

"You aren't wrong there," Duftmon muttered, folding his arms.

"They blew up the bridge," Alphamon noted, looking up the river. "I suppose if they couldn't capture it, destroying it has the same effect."

"Isolating the Mamemon Kingdom from the east," Gaioumon noted, closing his eyes and sheathing his swords.

"So it seems…" Tactimon agreed, gazing up the Champion River. "I don't know how quickly we can repair the bridge. Perhaps a week? It certainly reveals the Metal Empire's intentions."

Alphamon nodded. "I hope we can rely on your support."

"In the capacity that I am able," Tactimon assured him, although vague enough to avoid commitment. He turned his head towards UlforceVeedramon. "Your friend is hurt. You should bring him to the hospital in Saversburg," he suggested.

UlforceVeedramon stifled a moan and began to slide off the left side of Sleipmon's back so that he could try to stand. "N-No, I'm fine!"

"Ulforce!" Alphamon protested, walking over as UlforceVeedramon stood on his right leg and used his left arm to steady himself against Sleipmon. "You shouldn't do that. Let's get you to the hospital."

"No, Alphamon. I'm fine," UlforceVeedramon stubbornly insisted. "Let's head back to the castle. We can – ngh – c-catch the Locomon if we're fast…"

Sleipmon frowned. "You're in no shape to move."

"Sleipmon's right. Your leg is broken," Alphamon agreed, putting Ulforce's uninjured arm over his shoulders while wrapping his own arm around his waist to steady him.

"My wings are fine. I'll fly," UlforceVeedramon said.

Duftmon rolled his eyes. "Don't be foolish. You could pass out from the pain," he stated.

UlforceVeedramon winced. "Still, we need to get home to tell the others about this. I'm _not_ holding you guys back," he said stubbornly.

"At least let one of our combat physicians relocate your shoulder and give you some numbing herbs," Tactimon offered.

"Numbing herbs will keep me from moving, so no," UlforceVeedramon stated decisively, gritting his teeth. "And even if my shoulder's relocated, there's still the pain in my leg, so let's just go. Duskmon can patch me up at the castle."

Alphamon sighed. "Your stubborn side is showing, Ulforce," he pointed out. He looked over at Tactimon and Gaioumon. "I guess we'll head to the Locomon station in Saversburg now. Thank you for your support."

Gaioumon nodded. "It has been an interesting experience."

"Of course… It was good seeing you all. I wish the circumstances were better," Tactimon responded. "We will be sure to aid you against the dark rift problem. Though, as for the Metal Empire… that's a different issue."

"I understand," Alphamon assured him, keeping hold of UlforceVeedramon.

Duftmon folded his arms and looked away. "Farewell, then. You obviously have duties to attend to as a general," he told him curtly.

Tactimon's golden eyes lingered on Duftmon. "…Take care, Duftmon…" he said with a trace of warmth in his voice. "Please, at least think about some of the things I said. Despite our differences, it was good seeing you too."

Duftmon closed his eyes. "Goodbye, Tactimon," he answered.

As Tactimon turned around and walked off, his cape fluttered behind him in the breeze. Duftmon began to walk as well, heading up the hill to go back to Saversburg.

"Goodbye, Gaioumon," Alphamon told the dragon samurai, preparing to follow Duftmon and readjusting his hold on UlforceVeedramon. "Thank you for your help."

"I could only do so much, with my precarious position," Gaioumon answered. "I will return to New Terminal and tell the Council of Seven what happened."

Alphamon nodded, then turning his attention to UlforceVeedramon. "And we'll wait until we get home to get you patched up, but I'll carry you if I have to, Ulforce. No complaints."

UlforceVeedramon smiled faintly. "F-Fine," he agreed.

Sleipmon grimaced as he watched Alphamon begin to walk with UlforceVeedramon, supporting him with every step. The guilt stung his heart. He knew that he was responsible for what happened to UlforceVeedramon, and it made him sick knowing that it could have been even worse.

He slowly trudged after the pair, his head bowed and pained eyes gazing into the ground. "_I just wanted to do the right thing… but I ended up hurting a friend. Alphamon's right… It was irresponsible. But I… I hate killing… I don't know what to do…_" Sleipmon thought to himself with grimacing eyes. "_Have I really been putting my friends in danger for my own benefit? Am I that selfish…?_"

Sleipmon turned his guilty eyes up to look at UlforceVeedramon as they made their way back to Saversburg and eventually Castle Albion. "_I need to fix this… Somehow…_"


	18. Chapter 13 Part 1: Fracture

(Author's Notes: This chapter turned out to be really long, so it's actually going to be a three parter, partially because that's the way the narrative divided up too. However, while all three parts are still going to be "Chapter 13", I'm going to be using different chapter names for each one, just because I have different names ready, but they only work for the different parts of the chapter rather than the entire chapter as a whole. Just wanted to clarify that up in case of confusion. Anyways, enjoy!)

**Chapter 13: Fracture (Part I)**

Several torches rested in their sconces as they lined the walls of a castle corridor. Their flames danced and licked the air as they provided a light source for Castle Albion's inhabitants. The evening had turned into night, so they were especially necessary to illuminate the inner areas of the Royal Knights' headquarters where the moonlight couldn't shine in. The irregular, orange glow of the flames cast across the hallways.

Footsteps echoed down one of the corridors on the first floor of the castle. The metallic steps had a leisured tempo, and they were accompanied by a pair of voices. They belonged to Dukemon, who meandered down the hallway, and Zero ARMS: Grani, who floated along beside him.

"—and then Omegamon asked you about how we met?" Grani asked, his blue eyes glancing over at Dukemon.

"Yeah," Dukemon responded, rubbing the back of his head. His fingers played with the long strand of white hair protruding from his helmet as they made their way down the corridor.

"And…? What did you tell him?" the Zero ARMS inquired curiously.

Dukemon glanced at the wall to his side. "I told him I didn't want to talk about it…" he explained sheepishly.

"Why not?" the crimson dragon bird asked.

"You _know_ why," Dukemon answered. He turned his head and gave Grani a meaningful look.

Grani sighed and looked up at Dukemon. "You have nothing to be ashamed of, Dukemon. You ought to tell him. Or Examon or somebody."

"Why? It's not like they need to know every single detail about my past," the white and crimson Royal Knight reasoned. "It's not like I know every little thing about Craniamon or Magnamon, for example."

Grani closed his eyes with thought and continued to fly down the corridor. "It sounds like you are avoiding discussing the issue with others so that you don't have to confront what happened," he deduced, opening an eye and glancing at Dukemon.

Dukemon folded his arms and looked away. "Okay, smart guy. Why would I want to do something like that?" he countered.

"You know why," Grani echoed.

A subtle wince formed on Dukemon's face. "Yeah, well, you should understand why I don't want to bring it up, then…"

"They won't judge you, Dukemon," the Zero ARMS insisted.

"You don't know that," Dukemon replied, leering over at his friend.

Grani sighed with disappointment. "You ought to give them more credit."

Dukemon formed a half-hearted smile and they turned a corner to the left and walked into the marble foyer. His metal boots echoed against the polished floor as he stopped near one of the marble pillars that circled the center of the room. "I don't think they'll be horrible to me or anything. It's just… it makes it more genuine," he reiterated.

"I don't think so," Grani answered in a warm yet composed tone. "They won't think any differently of you. It was a very long time ago."

Just as Dukemon was turning to walk towards one of the staircases leading up to the second floor, he saw Examon emerge at the bottom of the stairs.

Examon walked out from the stairs and stepped into the foyer, looking at Dukemon and Grani curiously. "Hello, Dukemon, Grani," he greeted with a smile. He looked at Dukemon with interest. "What was a long time ago?"

Dukemon shuffled in his place and scratched the back of his neck. He tried to quickly think of a response but found himself at a loss. Although he hated lying, he really didn't want to answer that question. "Er…" he uttered to stall for time.

"Hello, Examon. It happened when we first met," Grani calmly explained to the large dragon.

This prompted Dukemon to whip his head towards Grani with a look of fear and incredulity.

"Dukemon fell head over heels for this female Digimon but she wasn't interested in the slightest," Grani continued, lying on behalf of Dukemon.

Dukemon released the breath that had been stuck in his lungs. Despite his relief, he felt a bit guilty about Grani lying to Examon. He also gave Grani an annoyed look, irritated that he used such an embarrassing response.

If Examon had been more attuned to his body language cues, he might have noticed Dukemon's sheepish expressions. However, he took Grani's reply at face value and chuckled. "Really? I suppose that's her loss," Examon replied, grinning at Dukemon.

Dukemon smiled awkwardly and kept rubbing the back of his head. "Glad you think so, Examon," he answered with a half-chuckle. "So, what are you doing?"

"A messenger told me that I've received a letter from the UDC," Examon explained. "Shutumon has it for me in the administration office."

"The UDC?" Dukemon asked, eager to change the subject.

"Is it from a friend of yours in the United Dramonic Coalition?" Grani questioned, picking up on Dukemon's tactic.

Examon nodded tentatively. "The messenger said it was personal correspondence, so it wouldn't be from the Four Great Dragons or the mayor of Dragon's Peak. I think it's from Dorbickmon," he stated.

"He did say he was going to Dragon's Peak last time he was here," Dukemon mused. "Do you think he has more information for us?"

"I guess we'll see," Examon answered with a shrug.

Dukemon responded with a nod, beginning to relax again. "Did you hear that Rhodo and Magna are back?" he inquired lightheartedly.

"They ran into a bit of trouble while in Thunderhead Rainforest," Grani added as he floated in place.

"I heard," Examon replied, folding his winged arms across his chest. "They fought a data absorber, apparently."

"Yeah, a Boltmon. Good thing they dealt with him," Dukemon stated. "He must've been strong; he held his own, judging from the bruises they had when I saw them."

Examon frowned. "Yeah, a very good thing… Still, I'm glad they're not hurt, bruises aside."

"Me too…" the crimson paladin agreed.

The red dragon turned and looked at Grani. "Do either of you know when Alphamon and the others will be back from Saversburg?" he wondered.

"Probably not until tomorrow," Grani responded.

Dukemon nodded with agreement. "I doubt they'd come back this late at n—"

The doors of the foyer leading from the entrance hall swung open sharply. Dukemon, Examon, and Grani turned their heads to see Duftmon stride in swiftly from the entrance hall. Behind him was Alphamon, followed by Sleipmon. Between them was UlforceVeedramon; he was lying down on top of the back of Sleipmon's Niflheimr shield. Alphamon and Sleipmon carried the shield from each end, using it as a makeshift stretcher.

UlforceVeedramon was lying on his back with his left leg slightly elevated and his right arm resting on his chest. He was sweating heavily and grimacing with agonizing pain.

"Never mind, then," Grani mumbled, blinking with surprise and floating to the side.

"Ulforce!" Dukemon exclaimed rushing over to them.

Examon narrowed his eyes and did the same, followed by Grani. "What happened? Is he okay?" Examon asked them, urgency in his voice.

"J-Just peachy," UlforceVeedramon managed. Speaking alone seemed to send a shock of pain through his body, prompting him to shut his eyes tightly and release a half-hiss, half-snarl.

"His shoulder's dislocated and we think his leg's broken," Alphamon told them, although not stopping.

"We were attacked by the D-Brigade near the Saversburg-Mamemon border. They were trying to capture a strategic bridge over the Champion River," Duftmon added, glaring.

"What?!" Dukemon demanded, narrowing his eyes. "They attacked us again?! _And_ they did this to Ulforce?!"

Sleipmon grimaced and looked away in shame. "It's my fault that he got hurt," he spoke up, his voice weak and guilt-ridden.

"You are precisely right!" Duftmon told him, turning his superior, judgmental gaze towards the horse knight. "In fact, that's the smartest thing you have said all day."

"Enough, Duftmon," Alphamon told him firmly, his voice not leaving any room for argument. "This is neither the time nor the place to assign blame. It's counterproductive anyways. We need to focus on getting UlforceVeedramon to the medical bay so that Duskmon can look at him." He turned his gaze towards Dukemon, who seemed to have an aura of anger emanating from him. "Dukemon, take over for Sleipmon, please."

"Yeah, okay," Dukemon conceded, although still furious at the D-Brigade. He walked over to Sleipmon's side and carefully helped him transfer the grip of the Niflheimr between them. He indicated to Sleipmon that he had a safe grip on the shield, so Sleipmon gently let go.

Alphamon looked over his shoulder and nodded to Dukemon, indicating that he was ready to move again. Dukemon returned the nod and began moving along with Alphamon. He looked down at UlforceVeedramon. "We're almost there, Ulforce. Just a few more minutes," the red and white knight assured him.

"Hooray…" UlforceVeedramon murmured half-heartedly, still wincing as they carried him along.

Dukemon and Alphamon carefully took him down the corridor on the left side of the foyer, heading towards the stairs that led to the basement level.

Grani watched as they disappeared around a corner. His eyes turned to Duftmon. "Should we tell the others what happened?" he asked him.

"At dawn," Duftmon answered, folding his arms. "It is late and Duskmon doesn't need everyone swarming the medical bay. With that said, we need to have a meeting first thing in the morning. I will post notes on their bedroom doors letting them know."

"Very well," Grani responded, beginning to turn his metal body around. "Get some rest, you two. You look exhausted." He began to float down the corridor opposite the one that Dukemon and Alphamon took UlforceVeedramon through.

Duftmon nodded and began to head towards the staircase leading up to the sleeping quarters.

Examon watched as they left. As much as he wanted to know what happened now, he decided that he could wait until the morning. He completely forgot about his letter in all the commotion.

The dragon knight turned his head towards where Sleipmon had been standing. To his surprise, he was no longer there. Instead, he saw Sleipmon trotting heavily back down the entrance hall. Examon watched as Sleipmon disappeared outside.

"Where's he going…?" Examon wondered with a concerned frown. He walked out of the foyer and began to head down the entrance hall after him.

Upon reaching the end of the hall, he opened the doors and gave the two guards on duty a polite nod. Examon looked around to see where Sleipmon went. Through the dark of the night, he could see Sleipmon taking a path to the left. It headed to the castle gardens along the south side of the main building.

Examon followed him into the castle gardens. The flowers' colours were hard to see in the darkness, so it was hard to appreciate the scenery. Only the sound of trickling water coming from the GigaSeadramon fountain could be seen clearly as the intermittent moonlight shimmered in the falling cascades.

As the large dragon began to catch up to Sleipmon, he called out to him to get his attention. "Sleipmon?"

Sleipmon stopped near a patch of tall, purple flowers. He glanced over his shoulder. "Examon?" he questioned, his voice and facial features downcast.

Examon frowned and walked up to him, standing beside his horse-like body. "What are you doing out here?" he asked him curiously. "Shouldn't you go see Duskmon? You're not in great shape either."

"I will later. He needs to focus on UlforceVeedramon right now, anyways," Sleipmon answered, turning his head forwards again. He signed and looked across the castle garden. "I just wanted some time by myself…"

"Oh…" Examon responded sheepishly. "Sorry. I'll leave you in peace."

"No, don't worry," Sleipmon assured him. "Stay. I'm sure you have questions… I don't want to be selfish…"

Examon looked at Sleipmon uncertainly. "If you're sure…" he tentatively replied. He could clearly see that Sleipmon was upset, so he decided it might be best to keep him company. "Er… What happened?"

"It's like they said. The D-Brigade attacked us," Sleipmon responded. "After our meeting at the academy, we heard that there was a team moving along the Saversburg border. We went to investigate. When we got there, they attacked us."

"I see…" Examon calmly replied, his green eyes lingering on Sleipmon's face carefully. "Then… why do you think UlforceVeedramon getting hurt was your fault?"

Sleipmon winced reflexively. "Because it was," he answered. "…Raijinmon got the better of him in battle. He had him in his grasp." The equine Royal Knight balled his fists up. "I had the chance to stop him… I had the chance to delete him…"

Examon frowned. He could see Sleipmon's gaze tighten. The pain and regret was clear in his eyes.

"…I couldn't do it," he spoke, bowing his head. "I tried to incapacitate him instead… I thought I could have it both ways…" Sleipmon shut his eyes and shook his head. "It wasn't enough to stop him. He slammed UlforceVeedramon into the ground."

A soft sigh escaped Examon's nostrils, causing them to flare briefly. "…You didn't want to delete him…" he observed.

"No, I didn't…" Sleipmon answered, his voice resigned. He didn't make any attempt to justify himself. "Because of that, UlforceVeedramon was hurt…"

Examon's brows furrowed further. "UlforceVeedramon could have been killed…" he pointed out.

"I know, Examon…" Sleipmon explained remorsefully. "I realize that…"

The dragon knight winced a bit and rubbed the back of his spiky head. "Sorry… I'm not trying to make you feel bad, Sleipmon… I just… don't understand. Why would you try to save that Suijinmon guy? You said he attacked you. He was trying to kill UlforceVeedramon. He's a Commander of the D-Brigade. …Why? Why would you care about the life of someone like him?" he questioned, genuinely curious.

Sleipmon opened his eyes and smiled sadly. He turned towards one of the nearby flowers and gently took it in his hand, carefully touching its petals. "Because all life is precious…"

"Not all life…" Examon answered.

Sleipmon gently slid his fingers away from the flower and turned to look at Examon directly. "…Can you really say that with such certainty, Examon? …Is it fair to write off the enemy just because we label them as 'the enemy'?" he asked.

Examon met his gaze. "But surely UlforceVeedramon's life is more important than that of a D-Brigade commander… Isn't it?"

Sleipmon's gaze faltered and his eyes glanced away. "…I find it hard to weigh one life as greater than another…" he answered quietly. The guilt began to return to his violet eyes. "I know I shouldn't say that, but… it's hard…"

"UlforceVeedramon is our friend…" Examon told him.

Sleipmon grimaced and turned his head. "I know that… A very dear friend. That's why I hate what I've done so much. I hate that he got hurt because of me." He raised his hand and rubbed his face. "I… don't know what I should do. I don't ever want to put my friends in that position again." His eyes were tight behind his palm. "But… if that means I have to kill… Can I really do it? Can I cause that pain?"

Examon frowned. "It isn't as if the enemy is innocent… They go into battle intending to delete," he explained. "…Magnamon and RhodoKnightmon fought against a data absorber: a Digimon who absorbs the data of other Digimon and prevents their rebirth. Would you have trouble fighting against a Digimon like that?"

Sleipmon massaged his eyelids with his fingers. "I don't know… You don't have trouble deleting Digimon who you consider evil," he pointed out. "I don't know if I can do that."

"They can be reborn as good Digimon. You would be doing them a favour, as well as a favour to the Digital World," Examon calmly explained, hoping to use logic to make Sleipmon understand. "Evil Digimon will delete other, good Digimon. Really, all you're doing when you delete them is erasing a problem and saving innocent lives."

"It's not that simple… You don't understand, Examon," Sleipmon told him, his voice pained and reflective.

Examon's gaze softened. "…You're right. I don't understand…" he responded. "I'm trying to… I've tried to understand your point of view, but… I'm having trouble. I just can't see the logic in what you're saying. I'm sorry…"

Sleipmon sighed and turned away. He tilted his head up and turned his violet eyes towards the starry sky. "No… You aren't the one who nearly caused his friend to be deleted today…" he answered. "…I guess what I'm doing is wrong. I'm being naïve and overly sentimental. My priorities are skewed, I guess… Maybe I should be more like you, Examon. Putting my friends first and my enemy second. Or third. …Maybe that's what I should do from now on…"

Examon looked down guiltily. "I don't know what to say to that…" he admitted. "I don't want to make you feel like you should change who you are, even if we don't understand one another… I admire your big heart, Sleipmon. It isn't something to be ashamed of…"

"But even so, UlforceVeedramon is in the medical bay now because of it," Sleipmon answered, turning around and walking past Examon. "Thank you for talking with me, Examon. It helped me to gather my thoughts…"

Examon sighed and turned, watching Sleipmon walk back down the pathway that he came from. It seemed like he was heading back to the main building.

The tall, crimson dragon rubbed the back of his neck. He waited for several moments before heading after him, going towards the main building as well. He hoped that both Sleipmon and UlforceVeedramon would be okay.

* * *

"Rnnnnnnnnnnngh!"

UlforceVeedramon's muffled scream pierced through the medical bay. Alphamon and Dukemon held him down firmly so that he didn't hurt himself as Duskmon popped his shoulder back into place. The blue Royal Knight writhed in agony on the medical bed under the hold of the two knights.

After a few moments, the pain began to dull, and Duskmon released his freshly relocated arm. UlforceVeedramon panted heavily and spat out the rubber bit that had been placed in his mouth for safety. He lied back on the bed in utter exhaustion.

Duskmon stood beside him and began to prepare the herbs on the table next to the bed. "Are you regretting refusing the numbing herbs now?" he asked him dryly, the eyes on his chest and right shoulder giving UlforceVeedramon a pointed stare.

"Ve… Very much so!" UlforceVeedramon exclaimed as he heaved and sweat trickled down his head and chest.

Duskmon went to work on grinding up several blue flower petals. "Tell me if you need to throw up," he reminded calmly.

"You'll be the first to know, Doc," UlforceVeedramon joked, although his body was extremely strained.

Duskmon managed a slight grin. "With your masculinity proven, can I apply the mixture to your leg now?" he asked.

"Go ahead, Doc," UlforceVeedramon responded. "Arm feels a lot better now though."

"Don't move it, all the same," the multi-ocular physician told him. He began to gently spread the bluish mix onto the dragon man's leg. His boot had to be removed and the lower leg of his skin-tight body suit was pulled up so that they could access scales underneath.

UlforceVeedramon hissed at the initial pain of Duskmon's hands touching his sensitive, aching leg. "Ngh," he grunted, tensing up initially. The pain dissipated, and he soon felt a cool, numbing feeling in his scales and leg muscles. "That's… a bit better…"

"Remember: just because it doesn't hurt, that doesn't mean you can go and move it," Duskmon reminded him.

UlforceVeedramon grinned weakly. "Yeah, I know…"

Dukemon and Alphamon slowly removed their hands from UlforceVeedramon and stood beside the bed. The crimson knight looked up at Alphamon. "You said that Suijinmon did this?" he asked, a serious look in his eyes.

"Yes," Alphamon responded, glancing up at Dukemon.

"I take it he doesn't like being touched," UlforceVeedramon understatedly joked.

Although Dukemon managed a momentary grin, his expression remained largely serious. "I guess it's official, then," Dukemon said to Alphamon. "They attacked our castle, our soldiers, and now one of our Royal Knights. It's—"

"War," Alphamon finished. He sighed. "Yes, it seems that way." He fixed his eyes on Dukemon's. "Still, we mustn't act rashly."

"Just as long as there's no denying we're at war now," Dukemon told him.

Alphamon nodded. "There isn't," he answered, although not without regret at the fact. "This isn't a conflict that we wanted, but it seems that we have no choice but to participate now."

"That's for sure," Dukemon stated, glancing down at UlforceVeedramon. He then turned to Duskmon, who was carefully lathering UlforceVeedramon's leg. "So… What's the damage?"

"We'll have to wait until morning to see how his shoulder is. I'll have to work on his leg overnight. It seems to be an incomplete fracture. I'll need to bandage it and fix it in place in order to keep the bone straight. Once that's done, he will need to give it time to heal," Duskmon explained.

UlforceVeedramon looked up and frowned at this. "What does that mean for me? How much time? A few days?" he inquired.

"You will be out of action for two weeks at the minimum," Duskmon informed him. "You'll need to lie in bed and give your body time to recover."

"What?!" UlforceVeedramon protested incredulously. "Two weeks?!"

"At least. It depends on how your healing goes," the physician explained.

"I can't lie around doing nothing for that long!" the azure Royal Knight insisted ardently, narrowing his red eyes. "We're at war!"

"And the best way to help the Royal Knights is running around, turning that incomplete fracture into a complete fracture, is it?" Duskmon countered dryly. "That's one way of doing it, I suppose."

"I can still fly," UlforceVeedramon continued to argue.

"UlforceVeedramon," Alphamon spoke, placing his hand on UlforceVeedramon's uninjured shoulder. "Duskmon's right. You need to rest. Focus on getting better," he told him with both warmth and a firmness that implied that this was an order. "Wars aren't won in a week. We'll need you to be in top form, so that means letting yourself heal."

"Yeah," Dukemon added. "You're no good to us like this, even if you want to help. Just take it easy, Ulforce."

UlforceVeedramon winced and turned towards Duskmon, still not ready to take no for an answer. "What about the power of the Ulforce overwrite sequence?" he inquired stubbornly. "That should heal me faster than normal."

"I've taken that into account, UlforceVeedramon," Duskmon explained. "Most Digimon take longer than a couple weeks for broken bones to heal. The Ulforce is an exceptional power but you can't rely on it to heal all your wounds, injuries, and ailments in the matter of only a few days. Even that can be overused. Just let it work naturally."

UlforceVeedramon gritted his teeth. "But…"

"Bed rest is the order of the day, UlforceVeedramon," Alphamon told him. "I know today was a shock, but you need to recover. Duftmon, Sleipmon and I do as well."

"That reminds me," Duskmon said, turning a shoulder eye towards Alphamon. "Stick around. I'll get to you after I'm done with UlforceVeedramon."

Alphamon nodded. "Take your time."

Dukemon turned to Alphamon. "Should I tell the others?" the crimson knight asked him.

"Wait until tomorrow. We'll have a meeting in the morning," Alphamon explained. "There's no sense in getting everybody stirred up this late at night."

UlforceVeedramon glanced up at him. "I don't suppose I get to come, do I?" he sarcastically questioned.

"Sorry, Ulforce," Alphamon said, half-smiling sheepishly. "Not in your condition. We'll keep you updated though. I promise."

"I don't believe this," the injured, cobalt knight complained. "I feel fine now! My shoulder's fine. I can hop around on my other leg. You guys are being overly cautious."

"It's better to be cautious rather than reckless where injuries are concerned," Alphamon responded calmly. "I'll defer to Duskmon's good judgment."

"If only Digimon did that more often while they are patients," Duskmon mumbled, walking off to one of his apprentices so that they could start getting to necessary materials for UlforceVeedramon's leg.

UlforceVeedramon clenched his fists. "Really, guys, I'm fine. You're making too big of a deal out of this. Suijinmon barely even touched me. I'll be fighting fit in a matter of days with the help of the Ulforce. Just—"

"You're going to tire yourself out with all this arguing and complaining, Ulforce. Save your energy. Or we'll put that bit back in your mouth," Dukemon told him with a grin.

The dragon knight, however, didn't share in his amusement. Annoyed, UlforceVeedramon stopped complaining and lay back in the medical bed, closing his eyes.

Alphamon looked at Dukemon. "We should let him rest," he advised.

"Yeah," Dukemon agreed. "You get patched up too, Alphamon. I'll get Duftmon and Sleipmon to come down here next." He looked at UlforceVeedramon. "Take it easy, Ulforce."

UlforceVeedramon didn't respond, prompting Dukemon to rub the back of his neck and leave the medical bay.

After a few moments, Duskmon returned with his Pidmon apprentice following behind him, carrying bandages, a metal vice, and material for a cast.

"Alphamon, I'll look you over while Pidmon gets UlforceVeedramon ready for the procedure," Duskmon explained. "Armour off, please."

UlforceVeedramon opened an eye and glanced at the physician and his apprentice. "…My leggings are going to have to come off for this, aren't they?" he asked, his voice dripping with resigned annoyance.

"I'm afraid so," the Pidmon answered.

UlforceVeedramon sighed. "This just keeps getting better…"

* * *

That same night, clouds drifted through the sky over the United Dramonic Coalition. They were blown by the same gentle breeze that swept down the face of the mountains.

The Dragon Mountains were a vast mountain range in the western provinces of the UDC. They started three quarters of the way up the UDC's western coast, right next to the Delta Ocean. From this northern tip, they stretched southeast, all the way down into the northwest part of the Claw Desert. This created a natural (albeit partial) border between the UDC and the Mesozoic Kingdom, colloquially known as the Savage Marches.

The mountains themselves were some of the largest in the Digital World in terms of area. Although they weren't close to the tallest, they were still fairly lofty; the highest peaks around the center of the range were snow-capped and stretched into the clouds. The mountains were extensive and they were a picturesque maze of craggy peaks and verdant hills. There were even ponds, lakes, valleys, and rivers between the mountains at certain points along the range.

The Dragon Mountains were important to both the Dramon and the Mesozoic dinosaurs due to the fact that they were rich with minerals, ores, and even gems and precious metals. There were mines and mining towns built along the base of the mountains. The vast capital of Dragon's Peak itself started out as a mining town. However, in addition to mines, there were also plenty of caves, both natural and Digimon-made.

One of these caves was located in the southern Dragon Mountains, in a UDC province adjacent to one that bordered the western-most province of the Free Area. The mouth of the cave was at the base of a cliff, located at the top of a grassy incline. In the cave's entrance was a sizeable, blue, tank Digimon, who was peering out into the night.

Bolgmon looked out with narrow, green eyes, gazing across the landscape and up at the dark grey, cloudy sky.

GrandisKuwagamon sat against one of the cavern walls. Blitzmon stood across from him.

The cave itself was bigger than it looked from the outside. It was actually a complex cave network that was nearly labyrinthine. The cavern had wide, curving, intersecting passages with sturdy, semi-smooth, rock walls that were tinted an earthy yellow-gold colour. The inner parts of the cave contained lanterns and electricity-charged lamps to illuminate the passages and certain "rooms".

"Get away from the entrance, Bolgmon," GrandisKuwagamon told him, sitting back against the wall. "There was a Royal Knight patrol in the area an hour ago."

"You should've dusted those guys, Grandis," Bolgmon countered, glancing over at the dark bug. "Then we wouldn't have to worry about them."

GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye. "Yeah, like the Royal Knobs won't notice that one of their patrols didn't return. They'd send a team out here to investigate faster than you can blink," he explained. "We're supposed to lay low and pick our moments so that the Royal Knights think it's the Metal Empire attacking them, remember? That's the contract."

Blitzmon folded his arms and nodded. "We have to be extra careful after that attack on their headquarters. Their patrols are going to be even more active and vigilant," he agreed. "Grandis is right. We need to focus on laying low."

"What about our next job?" Bolgmon asked irritably. "How long are we going to have to hang around our hideout for?"

"A few more days," GrandisKuwagamon said with a nonchalant shrug. He stood to his feet and moved the battery-powered lamp beside him further into the cavern's entrance, onto a flat, table-like stone. "That's when Wizardmon said he'd be back."

Bolgmon reversed his treads and drove into the cave a few more meters, although still not committing to going all the way inside. "And where's he meeting us?"

"Same place as before. That bar in Dragon's Peak where he gave us the money," GrandisKuwagamon answered.

"The drinks there were shit," Bolgmon stated, folding his cannon arms. "I thought Dramon were supposed to be good drinkers…" He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. So, what do you think the next job'll be?"

"Something shady and sneaky?" GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically answered. "Fuck if I know. First, stealing from the Metal Empire. Then, giving those stolen blueprints to the Mamemon Kingdom. Then attacking the Royal Knights and trying to make it seem like it was the Metal Empire who did it. All I know is our client is trying to play the Royal Knights and the Metal Empire off each other, and we're caught in the middle."

"It seems like it, doesn't it?" Blitzmon agreed, narrowing his calculating green eyes. "But if that's the case, we should be fine as long as we can convince them that it's the other side doing the dirty work."

GrandisKuwagamon nodded. "It all comes down to risk-reward. Each job we take has an incredible reward. But the more jobs we take, the higher the risk that we'll get found out. Then we'll have the entire D-Brigade or Royal Knights on our asses. Or both. I say we take two or three more jobs max. Then we take our cash and cancel the contract."

"…I can probably agree with that," Blitzmon said, cracking his knuckles. "But let's wait and see what the jobs are before committing one way or the other."

"Yeah, okay. They might be easy money like the Mamemon job," GrandisKuwagamon agreed.

"That was boring. I want one of these jobs to be exciting!" Bolgmon stated, turning around to look at his two humanoid insect comrades.

"Sneaking into Facture and Castle Albion wasn't exciting enough for you?" GrandisKuwagamon asked sardonically, looking at him with dull incredulity.

"I hardly got to blow anybody up," Bolgmon responded.

The black insect couldn't help but chuckle. "You're a hard bug to please, Bolgie," he said to him. He turned around and began to walk deeper into the cave. Blitzmon smirked and walked with him.

Bolgmon eyed the two as they walked down the smooth-floored cavern. He glanced over his shoulder out the cave's entrance before speeding after them. "Wait for me, dumbasses!" he shouted to them, following them down the lamp-illuminated passage.

GrandisKuwagamon laughed and looked over his shoulder at Bolgmon. "Oh, so you don't mind going in caves now, huh?" he taunted as he and Blitzmon approached an underground room, constructed in an existing underground grotto.

Bolgmon rolled his eyes as he drove in after them. "This is our hideout. Besides, we checked the stability of the tunnels and chambers before we decided to use it," he responded. "I don't have to worry about collapses."

The room was outfitted with furnishings like chairs, a couch, a rug, desks, and a bookshelf. On the opposite side of the den were two more passages leading to other parts of the cave complex, deeper into the mountain. Further in their hideout was their sleeping area, a makeshift bathroom near a subterranean stream, a provisional office, an area where they could practice their physical combat techniques and, most importantly for this hideout, a cache where they kept their money. It was safer to keep their reward money here than it was to keep it in Black Pincer Company's small office in Dark Point - a city where break-ins were common.

Blitzmon went and sat down in a chair. He noticed that, on the table beside him, the battery-powered lamp was dead. He took the battery and recharged it using his electrical abilities. Once he reconnected the battery and turned the lamp on, he turned to the others. "I still can't believe somebody abandoned this place. It's a great hideout. We got lucky when we found this place last year."

"Assuming anybody was here to begin with," GrandisKuwagamon stated, going and flopping down on the couch. He picked up a book from the coffee table in front of it and opened it up.

Bolgmon glanced over at him. "Of course somebody lived here. The floors and walls are smoothed, like somebody drilled into it and then wore it down through use," he pointed out.

"Maybe someone made a mine but couldn't find shit so they abandoned it," GrandisKuwagamon suggested, shrugging as he flipped to the page he left off at.

"Doubt it," Bolgmon answered, rolling over to the wooden table. He looked to Blitzmon. "You said you wanted to divide up our pocket money before we go to Dragon's Peak?"

Blitzmon glanced over and then stood up. "Yeah? Why?" he asked.

Bolgmon shrugged. "I'm bored. Might be fun to do some betting. Like, on what our next job might be?"

Blitzmon rolled his eyes. "Fine. Just as long as you don't blow it all on gambling once we get into the city," he responded.

GrandisKuwagamon looked at Bolgmon with a smirk. "I'm in. Thirty bits on ambushing a patrol," he challenged before turning his red eye back to his book.

"I'll match that with kidnapping," Bolgmon responded. "You want in, Blitzie?"

"Pass," Blitzmon responded with a dismissive wave. He began to walk towards the left tunnel on the far side of the chamber, making his way to the office in order to evenly tally up the money they could spend on their next outing. "I'm not going to waste my money."

"Miser," GrandisKuwagamon stated with a grin.

"He loves his money alright," Bolgmon agreed with an electric cackle.

"If it were up to you two, this company would be broke!" Blitzmon called back from the stone passage.

GrandisKuwagamon smirked. "How often have we heard that?" he asked, slinging one arm over the back of the couch while the other held his book up.

"Pretty much every time we overspend," Bolgmon answered, reaching over the desk. He emitted a magnetic field from his cannon arms, causing the metal darts on the table to get drawn towards his arm and hover in the air. He then reversed the polarity and fired the darts – one after the other - at a dartboard on the wall. "No wonder he always insists on doing the finances." He checked his aim and sneered when he saw he only hit one of his targets. "…Why don't we add another layer to the bet? An extra twenty bits for guessing who we're targeting... I'm betting the Royal Knights."

"Guess I have to choose the Metal Empire," GrandisKuwagamon answered, not looking up from the page. "Fine, you're on."

Bolgmon smirked with dark excitement. "Guess we'll see whose asses we'll get to kick soon."

* * *

The next day came around and the morning rose. The Royal Knights' council meeting at the break of dawn went on without UlforceVeedramon, who remained in the medical bay.

UlforceVeedramon lay on a soft bed, staring up at the ceiling. Around his left leg were bandages that lay beneath a tight, full splint that held his leg in place. This helped to keep the fractured bone in its regular position so that it could heal properly. His right arm, although he could move it without too much pain, was stuck in a sling so that he wouldn't be tempted to overexert his shoulder.

Last night, he had been dressed in some of his loose-fitting clothes: A pair of boxers, gym shorts, and a t-shirt. This was so that it wouldn't take a lot of effort or put pressure on his leg and shoulder to remove them.

The Royal Knight could hear Duskmon and his apprentices and helpers moving around the room as they saw to the other two patients in the medical bay. One was sick to his stomach and the other sprained a muscle during training.

UlforceVeedramon sighed as he lay on his winged back. He was under strict instructions to get bed rest. This meant that he couldn't move around without support. Though, he wasn't entirely sure he'd be able to even if he tried.

Duskmon walked over and approached UlforceVeedramon's bed. "Can I get you anything, UlforceVeedramon?" the multi-eyed physician asked him.

"How about some crutches?" UlforceVeedramon attempted.

"Not yet. It's far too early for you to be moving in any capacity. Simply trying to keep your leg off the ground could injure it further," Duskmon explained.

UlforceVeedramon raised his hand to his face and rubbed his brow with frustration. "Then can I get a book or something? Or would turning the pages be too strenuous?" he sardonically asked.

"I'll get my apprentice to get you a few," Duskmon calmly answered. The eye on his right shoulder shifted to look at the medical bay's entrance. "You have a visitor."

UlforceVeedramon glanced over towards the door as well. He saw Sleipmon standing there, looking uncertain about going in. The dragon man made eye contact with him, prompting the equine Royal Knight to enter and walk over.

"Hello…" Sleipmon said tentatively, offering a faint smile as he approached.

"Hello, Sleipmon," Duskmon greeted, stepping to the side to allow him to walk to UlforceVeedramon's bedside.

"Hey…" UlforceVeedramon said, returning the faint smile.

Sleipmon raised a hand and sheepishly rubbed the side of his neck. "How are you feeling?"

"Physically? I feel fine. But try telling that to this guy," UlforceVeedramon responded, thumbing to Duskmon.

Duskmon rolled his eyes and walked off to speak with his apprentice.

"And… otherwise?" Sleipmon questioned.

UlforceVeedramon stifled a sigh. "Eh. Okay. I just hate lying around…" he answered minimally.

Sleipmon winced and looked at UlforceVeedramon's cast-bound leg. He turned his violet eyes to meet UlforceVeedramon's red ones. "I'm so sorry, Ulforce…" he apologised, bowing his head slightly. "This is all my fault."

The azure dragon knight sighed but half-smiled and shook his head. "No, it's not, horsie. It's my own stupid fault for letting myself get put into that situation," he assured him. "My movements were too predictable. I shouldn't have underestimated Suijinmon."

"I could have stopped him though," Sleipmon said, his remorse obvious in his face. "I should have taken the right shot."

"Even if you did, there was no guarantee you could have hit him. You're a great shot, but that would have been a hard shot to make. If you missed, I would have ended up fried by his beams," UlforceVeedramon explained.

Sleipmon frowned. "Even so… I should have put your wellbeing first."

UlforceVeedramon exhaled through his nostrils. "It's fine…"

"It isn't though. I should h—"

UlforceVeedramon balled up his fist, gripping the blanket beneath him. "Did you come here just so that I could make you feel better?" he asked the equine knight pointedly. "I'm the one stuck in bed for Huanglongmon-knows-how-long, remember."

Sleipmon blinked with surprise. "N-No! I really didn't, Ulforce… I honestly just wanted to apologise," he ardently explained to him. He winced and looked away. "You don't have to accept it."

The cobalt knight sighed. He started to feel guilty for being so brusque. "Sorry… I appreciate it, Sleip-chan," he guaranteed him. He offered a reassuring smile to punctuate the nickname to assure him that he wasn't angry. "Just… don't blame yourself for this. It was Suijinmon who did it, not you. I'm just kinda frustrated. And tired."

The red-armoured Royal Knight nodded gently. "Can I do anything for you? Do you want anything from your room?" he offered.

"Maybe a few library books," UlforceVeedramon said. He then managed a grin. "Just be sure to check them out properly; you're already in Duftmon's bad books enough without breaking library protocol too."

Sleipmon smiled a bit upon seeing his humour return. "Sure." He then remembered. "Oh yeah. The other reason I'm here is to fill you in on the council meeting."

"Yeah? What did I miss?" UlforceVeedramon asked him.

"We told everyone about what happened at Saversburg," he explained. "The arrangement of the academy's Dark Area meeting was kind of overshadowed by the Metal Empire's attack."

UlforceVeedramon nodded gently, causing his horns to push further against the pillow behind his head. "What'd they say?"

"Well… Everyone agrees that we're pretty much officially at war now," Sleipmon said, although he took no pleasure in saying so. "Alphamon's going to make an announcement to the forces later."

The winged dragon man frowned in thought. "What happens next?"

Sleipmon sighed. "I don't know yet. We'll probably have a strategy meeting in a day or two to decide our plan of action," he responded.

"I'll try to be there," UlforceVeedramon assured him.

The six-legged Royal Knight put his hand on Ulforce's uninjured shoulder. "Just focus on getting better."

"Not like I have a choice," he responded with a half-smile.

"You'll be healed in no time, Ulforce," Sleipmon reassured him.

UlforceVeedramon looked down at his sling-bound arm and wiggled it gently. "I'd better be…"

"Can you feel the Ulforce working its magic?" Sleipmon asked him.

"Kind of. It's a gradual thing, though. It's not an instant cure for stuff like this," UlforceVeedramon answered with a sigh.

Sleipmon nodded. "Well, just be patient. Maybe you'll be able to walk in a week," he said to him encouragingly.

UlforceVeedramon turned his ruby eyes back up to look at the ceiling. "We'll see…"

* * *

Three days passed.

It was the evening in Dragon's Peak, the capital of the UDC. The buildings were made of stone, constructed with medieval, jagged designs. Deep in the city was a bar on the corner of a street, called the Dragon Hoard. Inside was a lively tavern filled with many pub games, strong ales, hearty food, and boisterous Dramons.

Dorbickmon was inside, sitting at the bar. He had in front of him a large stein of beer and big plate of juicy meat slathered with a spicy sauce. As he dug into his food, he sat across from the bartender, a Fladramon. The slender, blue dragon man, dressed in a black suit with a flame tie, poured a glass of beer for another customer before walking back to Dorbickmon.

Dorbickmon swallowed a mouthful of beer and glanced at the bartender. "Are you sure they're going to be here, Flamey?" he asked him.

"Stop calling me that," the Fladramon responded with a sideway leer. "And I'm sure, Dorbickmon. Last time they were here, I remember the Wizardmon telling them to meet here this time tonight."

Dorbickmon looked over both of his shoulders. "I don't see any of them," he said, turning back to his food.

"They're probably running late," the Fladramon bartender told him. The lithe dragon man then glanced over the larger one's shoulder. "One's here. Don't look," he mumbled to Dorbickmon as he nonchalantly went to collect an empty glass.

Dorbickmon focused on his food so as not to be conspicuous. He heard light footsteps behind him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a blue hue.

The dragon man took another bite as a Wizardmon climbed onto the stool beside him and glanced around the bar. Dorbickmon definitely recognised him from Shroud; he was the guy who gave Black Pincer Company their reward money.

As he followed up with a drink from his beer, he closed his eyes. "He probably knows who the client is. _Maybe I should kidnap him and bring him to the Royal Knights for information…_" he mused, although trying to ignore the image of Examon shaking his head disapprovingly at the back of his mind.

"What can I get you?" the Fladramon bartender said, going and standing across the bar counter from Wizardmon. "We have a delicious gold ale that I couldn't recommend higher. Or if you prefer spirits, maybe you'd like the Blue Diamante Explosion."

The Wizardmon looked up timidly. "Oh, uh, I don't drink…" he responded sheepishly.

"You don't?" the Fladramon asked. "Okay, well, we've got food too. Do you want the menu?"

"Uh…" The Wizardmon glanced around, obviously not comfortable being in a bar with a bunch of large dragons. He looked over at Dorbickmon and what he was eating. "Maybe I'll just have what he's having."

Dorbickmon took the opportunity to look at him directly. "You know, if you just came for food, I could recommend some restaurants around here instead."

The Fladramon tried not to be annoyed by the comment as he knew that Dorbickmon was working him. "Coming right up," he said.

The short mage looked up at Dorbickmon. "Oh, uh, actually, I'm here to meet somebody."

"Oh yeah? A girlfriend?" he asked with a grin.

Wizardmon flushed behind the collar of his cowl. "N-No. I'm here on business," he answered.

"Yeah? What kind?" Dorbickmon nonchalantly asked, trying to make it seem like he was just making small talk as he drank his beer.

"Just a meeting. I'm a scientist," the sorcerer explained.

"Huh. What d'ya study?" the large crimson dragon asked the lightning mage.

"It's pretty complicated…" Wizardmon responded vaguely. "Just… geology."

"Yeah? As a Dorbickmon, I know a thing or two about rocks," the dragon said with a toothy grin.

Wizardmon looked forwards with some discomfort. "I see…" he answered, not wishing to prolong the conversation. He looked over his shoulder to scan the bar. To his relief, the entrance to the bar opened and GrandisKuwagamon walked inside, with Blitzmon and Bolgmon behind him. "They're here. I have to go now."

Dorbickmon glanced over his spiked shoulder. His violet eyes fixed on Black Pincer Company for a moment before he turned back to the bar counter. "Okay. Later," he told him. He hoped that the three bugs wouldn't recognize him and see him talking with the Wizardmon. He stood up and walked towards the washrooms to disappear for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, Wizardmon hopped off the stool and walked over to Black Pincer Company. GrandisKuwagamon recognized him and approached the short wizard. "Yo. Let's get a corner seat," he told him, walking past the mage and heading over to a table near the far corner of the bar.

Wizardmon nodded and waited until Blitzmon passed and Bolgmon rolled by before following them. They made their way over to a four person table and sat down, except for Bolgmon, who pushed a chair aside and rested on his treads. GrandisKuwagamon sat across from the Wizardmon and eyed him carefully.

"Thank you for meeting me," he said to them.

"No problem," GrandisKuwagamon answered. He glanced over at Bolgmon. "Wanna go get us some drinks?"

"Fine," Bolgmon responded, driving into reverse so that he could go over to the bar counter. "Blitz?"

"I'm good," Blitzmon said, shaking his head.

Bolgmon nodded and drove off to get their drinks. He returned after a minute with two large beers in his smaller pair of arms.

GrandisKuwagamon took his beer and had a drink, his crimson eye never moving from Wizardmon. "So…" he began, his voice gravelly. "I take it our client has another job for us?"

Wizardmon glanced around the bar and tipped his hat down a bit. He didn't notice Dorbickmon behind him, returning from the washroom and choosing a seat at the side of the bar counter that was closer to where their table was.

Dorbickmon sat with his back to them and ordered another drink. He felt comfortable that he could make out at least most of what they were saying.

"As you know, my client was very impressed with the success of your last job," he explained. "He is increasingly confident in your capabilities."

"So he's a he?" GrandisKuwagamon asked with a smirk. "Good to know."

Wizardmon winced. "Er…"

Blitzmon chuckled briefly. "Relax. That doesn't exactly narrow it down…" he responded. "Besides, all we care about is getting paid."

"Okay. So, uh… He is very pleased with the way things are going," Wizardmon explained. "The Knights and the Metal Empire are going to war."

"And that's what he wants?" GrandisKuwagamon asked inquisitively.

"I can't really say," Wizardmon responded. "His goals are his own."

Dorbickmon listened in on this, narrowing his eyes as he leered into the bubbling, golden ale in front of him. "_Were they the ones behind that attack on the RK's castle?_" he wondered.

"So, what's the next job?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him.

"It's kidnapping, right?" Bolgmon asked eagerly. "Someone from the Royal Knights, yeah?"

The Wizardmon shook his head. "I'm afraid not," he answered.

GrandisKuwagamon shot Bolgmon a smug grin. The large, tank-insect swore under his breath.

"At least, not yet," the blue-cloaked mage corrected. "Right now, he wants you to ambush a Royal Knight patrol." The Wizardmon paused. "…He doesn't wish for there to be any survivors."

Dorbickmon heard this and took another drink from his mug.

"Damn it!" Bolgmon stated, partially at the fact that he lost part of the bet. "We could've been done this already! A patrol passed us earlier!"

"Yeah, right near our hideout," GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically responded. "That would have been a great idea, to get the Royal Knights swarming the Dragon Mountains."

The corners of Dorbickmon's mouth formed a smirk. That's what he wanted to hear. "_They've got a hideout in the Dragon Mountains, huh? Thanks a lot for the info._"

GrandisKuwagamon looked past Wizardmon, his gaze landing on Dorbickmon.

"So, can it be any patrol?" Blitzmon questioned their client's representative. "Doesn't matter who?"

This drew GrandisKuwagamon's attention back to Wizardmon. The mage nodded. "I don't think it matters as long as the Royal Knights think it's the Metal Empire," he explained, tugging at his collar nervously. "He doesn't want you to get found out."

"_Too late for that,_" Dorbickmon thought with a smirk.

"Yeah, we got it," GrandisKuwagamon answered. "Data tells no tale."

"So, we get to go all out, right?" Bolgmon asked with dark excitement in his voice.

"Uh, however you like," the Wizardmon murmured, ducking his head a bit. "I'm just the messenger. My client says as long as you get the job done."

"How long do we have?" Blitzmon questioned.

Wizardmon frowned. "Maybe a week? Is that enough time?" he asked them.

"Yeah, that's fine," GrandisKuwagamon answered, confident that they could finish by then. "We'll meet you in a week. Somewhere else, this time. The Metal Empire probly still wants our blood, and I don't want to take my chances with the Royal Knobs either. We've gotta keep a low profile, so let's meet in Fulminus."

"That sounds fine…" the mage agreed. "When we do, we can talk about your next job."

"Good," GrandisKuwagamon answered, grinning and taking a swig from his drink. "Pleasure doin' business with you."

"I'm just an intermediary," Wizardmon insisted, standing to his feet. "Are any of you hungry?"

"Yeah, I guess so," GrandisKuwagamon said with a shrug.

"Good. I'm going to leave," the blue-cowled humanoid stated. "I've ordered some food, but I'm not very hungry, so I'll have it sent over. My treat."

"That's awfully nice of you," Blitzmon said an amused glint in his eyes.

"I won't say no to free food," GrandisKuwagamon agreed. "Thanks."

Wizardmon nodded. "I'll see you soon," he told them. He nodded politely and turned around, walking to the bar counter.

Using his peripheral vision, Dorbickmon watched the Wizardmon talk to Fladramon and pay for his food. He decided he was going to follow him and, if he got the opportunity, kidnap him for information.

The dragon mercenary heard the Wizardmon thank the bartender. He glanced over and saw him turn around and begin to walk towards the exit, around a few large Dramons.

This prompted Dorbickmon to stand up from his barstool and put down some money on the counter. "I'm paying up, Flamey! Money's on the counter," he called over to the bartender, already turning to follow the Wizardmon.

As soon as Dorbickmon turned, he stopped in his tracks. GrandisKuwagamon was standing directly in front of him, blocking his way. Dorbickmon froze as he stared into the black insect's red eye, suddenly feeling a tenseness in his chest.

"You weren't thinking of leavin' without saying goodbye, were ya?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him with a grin.

A chill crept down the dragon's back and he used every inch of willpower not to tense up on reflex. Dorbickmon looked down at the beetle man in front of him and momentarily scanned his face. He wasn't sure if GrandisKuwagamon suspected him or not, so he decided to play it dumb.

"Have we met before…?" Dorbickmon asked him as convincingly as he could. He looked over at Blitzmon and Bolgmon, who were watching curiously. "Hey… You're those guys who tore up that inn in Shroud a few weeks ago!" He didn't dare look over GrandisKuwagamon's shoulder to check on Wizardmon, who he assumed was gone by now.

"In the carapace," GrandisKuwagamon said nonchalantly, leaning an elbow on the bar counter and taking a sip from his beer.

"I guess you escaped the D-Brigade just fine, huh?" Dorbickmon said with a playful smile.

"We're still alive, aren't we?" the black insect responded with his own smirk.

Dorbickmon glanced at each of the three of them. "Yup. That's pretty impressive on its own." The large, red dragon folded his arms and looked down at GrandisKuwagamon with a disarming grin. "So…"

"…So?" the ebony bug dryly asked in response.

"In Shroud, you said you'd tell me after some drinks what you did to piss the D-Brigade off," Dorbickmon responded. "Well, here we are, drinks in hand."

GrandisKuwagamon hardly even remembered that. He looked up at the dragon with a bland expression. "Is this your way of asking me on a date?" he deadpanned.

Dorbickmon laughed. "You're not my type," he assured him.

"Good. Stick with your BlackWarGreymon friend," GrandisKuwagamon responded. "We got the D-Brigade on our bad side during a job."

"I hear ya," Dorbickmon said with a nod.

"So, what exactly are you doing here?" GrandisKuwagamon challenged. "It's weird meeting up again so soon."

"I live here?" Dorbickmon said with a confident grin. "I'm a Dramon and this is Dragon's Peak. I should be asking what three bug Digimon are doing here with a bunch of loud dragons."

"We're here for a job," the black insect explained, his red eye staying on Dorbickmon's. "But you know all about that, I'm guessing."

Dorbickmon blinked and started to feel his defensiveness return. "…Huh?" he asked, slowly letting go of the beer mug on the counter.

"You're a merc, right?" GrandisKuwagamon questioned intuitively. "You talk like one. You act like one. That's how you knew we're Black Pincer Company."

Dorbickmon relaxed a little. "Yeah. I'm a merc. And yeah, I've heard of you guys before. Lots of nasty rumours about you three," he added with a toothy smirk.

"Who says they're just rumours?" GrandisKuwagamon responded, a dark yet playful grin on his face. "…So, who do you work for? Kowloon?"

"Myself," Dorbickmon answered. "I'm a freelancer. I don't work well with people."

GrandisKuwagamon glanced over at Bolgmon and Blitzmon emphatically before looking back at Dorbickmon. "You and me, both."

Dorbickmon looked over at the two blue insects that watched them from the table. "Those your teammates?" he wondered, pretending that he didn't know.

"Yeah. Want to meet them?" GrandisKuwagamon offered.

"I would, but I'd better get going," Dorbickmon responded. "Otherwise my friend'll nag me about pubbing too late."

GrandisKuwagamon chuckled. "Lucky escape," he teased, taking his drink and moving out of Dorbickmon's way. "Later."

"Yeah, later," Dorbickmon said to him, looking at him as he passed by the bug.

"Might see you around," GrandisKuwagamon added, meeting his gaze before walking back to Blitzmon and Bolgmon.

"Maybe," Dorbickmon said, glancing at the bug as he made for the exit.

Dorbickmon walked out of the bar and released a sigh. Some of those comments were far too ominous for his taste. He looked up and down the street. As he expected, Wizardmon was long gone. He knew that he had no chance of catching up with the mage now.

He grunted and swore under his breath. "Damn… I lost him," he murmured with a snarl.

Dorbickmon glanced at the bar behind him before heading down the long, stone street."_At least I've got some info… I'd better send a letter to Examon and them tonight. Still haven't heard back from him about the last one, though_._ He better get his ass down here soon…_"


	19. Chapter 13 Part 2: I, Dukemon

{Author's Notes: Here's Part 2 of Chapter 13. Like I said, different chapter name, but that's intentional. Enjoy!)

**Chapter 13: I, Dukemon (Part II)**

The next day came about. A beautiful, sunny morning had followed the night. Rays of warm light beamed down on Castle Albion and the surrounding landscape, giving it a warm radiance. The grass glowed with a verdant green colour, and the nearby river shimmered as it flowed east.

Dukemon stood at the edge of one of the castle terraces, leaning against the stone parapet. He gazed out into the distance, watching as the sun rose. The warm, orange rays cast across his body and were reflected in his thoughtful, gold eyes.

He admired the beauty of the sunrise as it rose from the sparkling horizon. More than that, he admired the beauty of the Digital World.

"I thought I might find you here," a calm, amicable voice said from behind him.

Dukemon glanced over his shoulder and saw Grani hovering behind him. He gave him a friendly smile. "Am I that predictable?" he asked lightheartedly.

"Worrisomely so," Grani teased, floating up beside him.

Dukemon laughed softly. "I can't help if I like the view."

The Zero ARMS smiled inwardly. "There is much to enjoy about it, on several levels."

"Yeah…" Dukemon agreed with a contented expression. He then turned to Grani with a grin. "You sound like an art connoisseur."

"Many artists gain inspiration from nature because of its beauty," Grani pointed out. "In terms of aesthetics, nature is rather similar to art: it is both pleasing to the eyes and it can inspire meaningful dialogue about deeper subjects."

Dukemon blinked and looked at Grani with surprise. "Really…"

Grani glanced at him lightly. "I may be a Zero ARMS, but I can still appreciate abstract concepts like beauty," he said in a voice that concealed a smile.

"I know," Dukemon said with a chuckle. "I just didn't expect there to be a philosopher hidden under all that chrome digizoid. It takes me off guard when you're not being your usual logical and professional self."

"You are the romantic one. It's probably your fault," the Zero ARMS remarked, staring into the distant, sunny horizon. "I suppose you have rubbed off on me a bit."

"I call it progress," Dukemon joked. "Anyways, what are your plans for the day?"

"I'm informing the scouts of their objectives this morning," Grani stated. "Then I am going on a scouting mission in the afternoon. And yourself?"

"Nothing really, at the moment…" Dukemon mused, resting on his arms.

"Hmph. Aren't you supposed to be the Royal Knight?" Grani dryly teased. "You should have plenty of responsibilities."

Dukemon shot him a grin. "Hey, I'll think of something. I won't be accused of not pulling my weight."

Grani smiled. "I know you won't. Well, I'll be off now. Enjoy the sunrise, Dukemon," he said to him.

"See ya, Grani. I'll catch up with you before you leave," Dukemon replied.

As Grani flew off the raised garden terrace and swooped down to the castle grounds, Dukemon turned back to the rising sun.

The crimson knight admired the light emerging over the Digital World. A smile rested on his lips as it heralded a beautiful, new day.

* * *

However, UlforceVeedramon was unable to enjoy the nice weather. It was now the late morning, and he was still stuck in bed in the medical bay. After a few days of rest, physiotherapy, and healing, Duskmon deemed that UlforceVeedramon could freely use his right arm now. However, his leg was still healing and he wasn't able to walk on it.

The dragon knight was frustrated that the Ulforce hadn't completely healed him by this point. He felt that Duskmon was being overly cautious. He was also annoyed that Duskmon wouldn't let him rest in his bedroom instead of the medical bay, as Duskmon thought he would use the opportunity to escape (which was probably true).

On the small table beside his bed were a few books that were stacked up. Most of them had been read. There was another book lying open on UlforceVeedramon's broad chest. He drummed his fingers against the cover impatiently. Instead of reading it, he just stared up at the ceiling with a look of discontent on his face.

Duskmon walked over to the bed, the large eye on his chest staring at a notebook in his hand. It allowed him to write while also focusing on UlforceVeedramon. "How are you feeling?"

"Wonderful," UlforceVeedramon sarcastically replied.

"I can tell," Duskmon answered just as sarcastically. "Do you want anything? More books?"

"I want to move around," UlforceVeedramon explained emphatically.

Duskmon sighed. "Your bone is still healing, UlforceVeedramon. Putting pressure on it could risk damaging it again. Just be patient for a few more days," he urged him.

"But I can move my leg a little now," UlforceVeedramon responded, looking down at his splinted leg, wiggling it a bit. "I think the physiotherapy and the Ulforce are helping."

"Even so, you don't have a full range of motion yet and I'm not comfortable with letting you walk on it yet," Duskmon told him. "_Maybe_ I'll give you a crutch tomorrow if you've made more progress by then."

UlforceVeedramon sighed and closed his eyes. "Fine," he curtly said.

"By the way, you have visitors," Duskmon said, gesturing to the medical bay's entrance.

UlforceVeedramon opened his eyes and saw Dukemon walking over to him.

Dukemon made his way over and stopped beside the bed. "Hey, Ulforce," the crimson knight greeted cheerfully.

The cobalt knight wasn't in the mood for cheer. "Hey…" he answered spiritlessly.

Magnamon popped out from behind Dukemon, having been obscured by Dukemon's body and cape. He smiled behind his helmet and waved. "How are you?"

"Bored. Restless. Confined. Fidgety," UlforceVeedramon answered without his usual mirth.

Dukemon grinned and placed his hands on his hips. "I heard you were in a crummy mood so Magna and I thought we'd come cheer you up," he informed him.

"Yippee…" UlforceVeedramon muttered sardonically.

"You have your work cut out for you," Duskmon told Dukemon and Magnamon before heading off to do some paperwork.

"Sure looks like it," Dukemon light-heartedly stated.

UlforceVeedramon gave them an unamused, sideways glance. "I'd kind of rather be left alone, guys," he said to them, closing the book on his chest and moving it over to his bedside table.

"So, I guess you don't want to know what's going on?" Dukemon tempted him, smirking.

UlforceVeedramon fell for the bait and turned his head towards them a bit more. "…What?" he asked curiously. "Is something happening with the Metal Empire?"

"There's going to be an operation in a week," Dukemon explained. "One of Karatenmon's spies says the D-Brigade is on the move. Our scouts have confirmed that there's activity too."

"Do we know what they're doing?" UlforceVeedramon questioned, a bit more into the conversation now.

"The spy only knows that a regiment of D-Brigade soldiers led by Suijinmon is starting a mission," Magnamon answered. "Duftmon thinks they're going to into the hills south of the Mamemon Kingdom. They probably want to secure that area before beginning the main assault."

"And what are we doing?" UlforceVeedramon followed up.

"The Strike Forces are going to head north through the Free Area, the Republic of Node, and then Saversburg," Dukemon explained. "Then they're going to build a bridge across the Champion River since the only other one nearby was destroyed. A handful of Royal Knights are going to head up after and then we're going to intercept the D-Brigade."

"I'm going," UlforceVeedramon declared adamantly.

"Maybe if you're better by then," Magnamon reasoned with a smile.

"Yeah, see how you feel," Dukemon advised him. "You don't want to overdo it in your condition."

UlforceVeedramon seemed to deflate again. "It's a broken leg, not a corrupted digicore," he said irritably. "It's hardly even broken. I can already move it."

"Good, so you're recovering quickly," Dukemon said. "Why the bad mood then?"

The blue dragon man sighed. "I hate being stuck in bed. I feel useless here," he answered. "Forget the medical bay; I'd might as well be in the dungeon."

"Don't be so dramatic," Dukemon told him. "Some of us have been stuck in bed for weeks."

"So you should know how it feels," UlforceVeedramon responded, folding his arms across his chest.

Magnamon sat down on the edge of his bed. "Look, I know you're not the most patient Digimon and you hate sitting around, but you can't force this stuff," he explained to him.

UlforceVeedramon just closed his eyes and simmered.

Dukemon exchanged looks with Magnamon. He looked back at their injured friend. "Why don't I come back later with a few beers from the tavern?" he offered.

"I'm not allowed to drink," UlforceVeedramon informed him bitterly. "Even if I could, I'm not really in the mood."

Dukemon stared at him with bland incredulity. "Yggdrasil, you _are_ depressing…" he dryly mused.

"Want to hear the latest gossip?" Magnamon suggested, trying to think of a light topic to improve UlforceVeedramon's mood.

"Not really," UlforceVeedramon answered apathetically. "I'd rather be left alone."

Magnamon looked at Dukemon for help. Dukemon shrugged. "We got a letter from Dorbickmon saying that he found out something big about Black Pincer Company. He wants some Royal Knights to come down to meet him, so Examon and I are going down to the UDC this afternoon," Dukemon explained. "He said that they're still down there, so this might be our chance to catch them."

"Wonderful," UlforceVeedramon replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's nice to know what I'm missing out on. Thanks a lot."

Dukemon frowned with annoyance. "Magnamon and I came here to cheer you up, Ulforce. You don't have to be such a jerk," he pointed out to him irately.

UlforceVeedramon opened a crimson eye and stared at Dukemon. "Yeah, well, I don't want cheering up," he explained firmly. "Can you both just leave?"

Magnamon frowned and stood up from the bed. "I guess if that's what you want…" he replied uncertainly.

Dukemon narrowed his eyes at UlforceVeedramon, his temper starting to flare at his attitude. "Not until I say this!" he declared.

Magnamon sighed and looked up at Dukemon. "Is there any point, Dukemon?" he asked him, hoping to prevent an argument from breaking out.

"Yeah, there is," Dukemon answered. "Just because he's in a bad mood, it doesn't mean he gets to be an ass to people."

UlforceVeedramon shot an annoyed glare at Dukemon.

Dukemon matched his gaze. "Enough, UlforceVeedramon! You have a broken leg. Yeah, it sucks. Deal with it and stop feeling sorry for yourself," he told him firmly. "It's not the end of the world."

UlforceVeedramon narrowed his eyes. "Stop feeling sorry for myself?" he asked him incredulously. "This coming from the guy who won't shut up about his Digital Hazard. But hey, I guess when that flares up, it really _is_ the end of the world, isn't it?" he acerbically snapped.

"Ulforce!" Magnamon scolded, incredulous that he delivered such a low blow.

Dukemon didn't reply. He just stared at UlforceVeedramon, stunned by his friend's painful words. Initially, he couldn't believe what Ulforce just said to him.

After a few moments, Dukemon grimaced and turned away, showing his back to UlforceVeedramon. "Fine. Suit yourself," the Royal Knight muttered, obviously hurt by the outburst. "At least I have a good excuse."

Without another word or even a glance, Dukemon strode away and left through the door of the med bay.

Once Dukemon was gone, Magnamon turned towards UlforceVeedramon with an angry glare. "What's wrong with you, Ulforce?!" he chastised him. "I can't believe you said that to Dukemon! Talk about a low blow."

UlforceVeedramon winced subtly and chose not to respond.

"You've been like a different person these last several days," Magnamon said, frowning with both disapproval and concern. "You never would have said something like that. It's just not like you…"

The azure Royal Knight raised a hand to rub his face, sighing into his palm. "It's not like me to be sat on my ass being useless to the world either," he informed him. "I can't deal with it… It feels like everything's going on without me."

Magnamon folded his arms. "That's no excuse to be mean," he reminded him.

UlforceVeedramon groaned. "I know… I just can't help feeling like this," he explained, turning his head to look at Magnamon. "Look, you'd better go too before I end up saying something to you too."

"If it's about my height, I've heard it all before," Magnamon told him with a half-smile. He grew serious again. "You should apologise to Dukemon later… You know that's a sensitive spot for him."

The injured Royal Knight turned his horned head on the pillow so that he looked away a bit. "Yeah… Me and my big mouth, huh?"

"It usually is," Magnamon mentioned. He turned and prepared to leave. "Rest, Ulforce. And try to cheer up."

UlforceVeedramon glanced at Magnamon and watched as he walked out of the medical bay. When he was gone, he sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "Yeah… Right…"

* * *

Meanwhile, Examon walked down one of the castle corridors with Craniamon and Gankoomon. His toe claws tapped against the stone floor, harmonizing with the metallic rattle of Craniamon's boots and the wooden clicking of Gankoomon's red geta.

"So, when are you an' Dukemon heading to the UDC?" Gankoomon questioned, walking with his arms folded and looking over at Examon.

"In about an hour," Examon replied levelly. "I just need to prepare some ammo."

"Expecting a fight?" Craniamon asked, glancing at him.

"I just want to be prepared," Examon explained. "Dorbickmon said that Black Pincer Company was still in the UDC. If we have the opportunity, we should capture them."

"Why bother?" Craniamon wondered. "We haven't heard from them since they stole those blueprint things from Facture."

"Maybe they know something," Examon suggested. "Dorbickmon wouldn't be mentioning them if he didn't find out something important."

"They're pretty vicious guys," Gankoomon pointed out. "I've heard stories about some of their jobs. Once heard they blew up a whole bar in Dark Point because their target barricaded himself inside and refused to come out. Apparently everyone inside was deleted. Then again, it's one of those rumours you hear over a few beers, so who knows if it's true?"

"All the more reason to take them down," Examon calmly answered.

"I guess so," Gankoomon agreed, popping the bones in his neck. "I'm kind of curious to know how they fight."

"They probably fight dirty," Craniamon suggested indignantly.

"I can handle that," the red-haired knight said with a grin. "I'd insist on coming along, but I've gotta make sure my apprentice doesn't sneak off from his duties again."

Examon grinned as the three walked down the corridor. Ahead of them was an intersection between two of the castle hallways. "I'm sure Dukemon and I can handle it. The way you talk, it sounds like looking after BaoHuckmon is more trouble."

"It can be," Gankoomon explained. "He's starting to get mouthy and thinking he knows best."

"I bet you were ten times worse at that age," Craniamon joked.

"You must have been a nightmare," Examon added with a chuckle.

Gankoomon rolled his eyes, although he couldn't really deny it. The three continued to walk down the corridor and they approached the intersection where the two hallways met. Out of the corner of his eye, Gankoomon could see somebody around the corner, walking up the hallway to the left.

He recognized the Digimon as Dukemon. The white and red armoured Royal Knight was striding swiftly, fast enough for his cape to flow behind him somewhat. Gankoomon stopped and raised a hand to hail him. "Hey, Dukemon!" Gankoomon called out to the dragon knight, initially not noticing his demeanour. "I heard that you-…"

Gankoomon trailed off when he watched Dukemon walk past them, crossing the intersection to go down the corridor to their right. Dukemon didn't acknowledge them in the slightest; he seemed to be completely absorbed in his thoughts. They weren't good thoughts judging by the expression on his face. At first glance, he seemed a mix of angry and sullen.

"What's with him?" Craniamon wondered aloud, after Dukemon disappeared down the corridor.

"Did I piss him off?" Gankoomon asked.

Examon frowned and looked down the hallway that Dukemon had gone down. He wondered what was wrong.

"Eh, He gets moody sometimes. Maybe he had a run-in with Duftmon," Craniamon supposed, shrugging it off.

"Yeah, maybe. Dukemon does have a short fuse," Gankoomon agreed.

"Look who's talking," Craniamon said to him.

Examon turned and began to head down the right corridor, after Dukemon. This prompted the attention of Craniamon and Gankoomon.

"Hey, Examon," Craniamon called out, looking up at the dragon who stood a head and shoulder taller than him. "You're not going after him, are you? Better to let him cool down."

The draconic Royal Knight stopped and turned his head. "Oh, uh…" he said, pausing. He had been planning to follow him to see what was wrong and if he needed somebody to talk to. "I was just heading to my room to prepare."

"Before you go, I've been meaning to ask," Gankoomon said to him. "BaoHuckmon asked me a question and I wasn't sure how to answer it."

"Let me guess. It's about sex?" Craniamon said with a smirk. "You didn't give him the talk yet?"

Examon turned around and rubbed the back of his head, suddenly getting nervous. "Uh… It's not, right?" he cautiously probed.

"Nah. I just didn't know how to answer it. I mean… As Ultimate level Digimon, we all have big data sizes," Gankoomon began, rubbing the back of his neck. "You have the largest data size of the Royal Knights, right? Like an exabyte or something, yeah?"

"Well… I guess? Not by that much," Examon humbly confirmed.

"Uh huh. Well, if your data size is so big, then why aren't you massive in size?" Gankoomon asked. He then shrugged. "I'm not good with science and that stuff, but I need to look smart in front of BaoHuckmon."

"He is the tallest of the knights," Craniamon muttered.

"You know what I mean. Why isn't he fifty meters tall – like - Armagemon-size?" Gankoomon clarified.

"Oh, uh, well…" Examon began, thinking. "Why are Ultimate level Digimon often smaller than Perfect level Digimon, yet have much bigger data sizes than they do?" he responded with a question. "The data is highly compressed. I know when one thinks of 'data size', they think of physical size, but it really has more to do with density. That's why our attacks are stronger and our armour is able to withstand more damage as an Ultimate. It's part of the reason why I can use Dragonic Impact without hurting myself."

Gankoomon folded his arms. "Huh. …Okay, I think I got it," he said, thinking. "Thanks."

Craniamon smirked. "Maybe you should write it down to be sure."

"Shut it," Gankoomon told him, knocking on Craniamon's helmet with a fist. He looked over at Examon. "Good luck in the UDC. If you get to face Black Pincer Company, punch 'em once for me."

"Better yet, save them for me," Craniamon added.

Examon smirked a bit. "We'll see, Craniamon," he said to him. "And thanks, Gankoomon. See you in a bit."

"Later," Gankoomon told him with an offhanded wave. Craniamon nodded at Examon.

The dragon turned and continued heading down the hallway while the other two Royal Knights kept walking straight. Examon went in the direction that Dukemon travelled, which he noted was towards the stairway near the back of the building. He deduced that Dukemon went up to the second floor where the sleeping quarters were.

When Examon reached the end of the wide, stone hallway, he folded his wings and walked up the stairs to the second level. He emerged from the stairs in the long hallway that contained the Royal Knights' sleeping quarters and a few guest bedrooms. The red Royal Knight looked down the corridor but could only see the small form of a Gabumon who was sweeping the passage diligently.

"Excuse me, did Dukemon come by here?" Examon asked the Gabumon.

The Gabumon looked up. "He went into his room with Captain Grani," he responded. "May I clean your room?"

"Yes, thanks," Examon told him. As the Gabumon went inside Examon's room to tidy, the Royal Knight walked by and made his way down to the other end of the hallway, where Dukemon's room was.

He stopped at the room before Dukemon's room. He definitely heard Dukemon talking with Grani. The tall dragon was curious, but he didn't want to interrupt. The door wasn't completely closed, so Examon decided to listen in for a bit.

Inside, the Royal Knight and the Zero ARMS talked.

"Dukemon? What's wrong?" Grani asked him with concern in his voice.

Dukemon sighed and walked over to the other side of the room where a door led out to a small balcony. "Nothing's wrong. I'm fine."

"You certainly aren't. Don't lie to me, Dukemon; I know you better than anyone," Grani told him calmly yet caringly. "What happened?"

"I just need a few minutes to cool off. I'll be fine," Dukemon insisted with a wince on his face.

"That doesn't answer my question," the large, red dragon-bird stated, floating to Dukemon's side.

Dukemon grimaced. "Ugh… I pushed Ulforce too hard and told him to stop feeling sorry for himself… He got annoyed and called me a hypocrite, saying that I did that with the Digital Hazard," he explained, rubbing at his chest.

Grani narrowed his eyes with tempered anger. "He did…? That's uncalled for. I ought to have a few words with him…"

Dukemon gave the Zero ARMS a look. "Don't, Grani. Please…" he beseeched him. "It's no big deal… Maybe he's right. Maybe I do feel sorry for myself when it comes to that."

The crimson bird sighed and floated around in front of Dukemon, hovering at eye level with him. "It's not as if you let it control you or constantly go on about it to everyone. You're insecure about it. We all have insecurities. It is probably insecurity that caused UlforceVeedramon to say that in the first place."

"Or maybe they _all_ think that," Dukemon muttered, his gold eyes glancing away.

"Now you really _are_ feeling sorry for yourself," Grani said to him disapprovingly. "Don't be ridiculous, Dukemon. Give your friends more credit."

"_Am_ I being ridiculous? If UlforceVeedramon of all people said something like that, then what do the others think?" Dukemon asked him pessimistically.

Grani looked at him sympathetically. "He's hurt. You were probably telling him things that he didn't want to hear. He lashed out," the Zero ARMS explained reasonably. "He's a good friend of yours; you don't really think he thinks that badly of you…"

"Maybe…" Dukemon replied half-heartedly.

"'Maybe'?" Grani asked. "These are your friends, Dukemon. I know how important they are to you. You should trust them more; don't think the worst of them. Give them a little credit."

Dukemon sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah… Yeah, you're right. You're making sense, as usual…" the crimson Royal Knight told him with a faint smirk.

"It is my job to. Somebody needs to keep you grounded," Grani explained.

"I thought you were supposed to keep me airborne," Dukemon joked.

Grani chuckled a bit. "You know what I mean," he answered. He turned his calm, blue eyes up to Dukemon to gaze at him seriously. "So… You are going to have a little faith in the others, correct?"

"Yeah… I am," Dukemon responded, smiling a bit.

The Zero ARMS closed his eyes with satisfaction. "Good… Then perhaps you should prove it through action," he suggested sagely.

Dukemon raised an eyebrow and looked at Grani sceptically. "Uh… How, exactly?"

"Perhaps by telling them how you and I met," Grani answered, opening an eye to give Dukemon a meaningful look.

The Royal Knight winced and rubbed at his chest uncertainly. "…I don't know…" he hesitantly said.

"You need to trust them, Dukemon…" Grani explained. "But if you feel that that is too big, then perhaps just tell one of them and see how they react. Maybe Omegamon, Magnamon, or Examon. Work your way up."

Dukemon sighed. "I'm not sure, Grani. Maybe?" he answered noncommittally.

"Well, if you're too afraid…" Grani said nonchalantly.

"That reverse psychology is really obvious, you know," Dukemon replied, managing a grin and raising a hand to poke Grani's beak. He folded his arms. "Look… I'll tell someone. Just give me some time to think about how to say it."

Grani nodded. "Alright," he agreed understandingly. He then looked at Dukemon with a light expression. "It was obvious, but it seemed like it still worked."

Dukemon chuckled and placed his hand on Grani's head. "Don't push your luck, bird."

"I don't need to push my luck; I know how to push your buttons," Grani said with a devious smile.

A smirk grew on Dukemon's face. "You're evil sometimes, Grani," he pointed out.

"Simply looking out for your best interests," Grani calmly chimed.

Examon stood outside of the room, thinking to himself. He was surprised that it was the Digital Hazard that was bothering him. He was also surprised that the first meeting between Dukemon and Grani was such a secret; he knew that nobody really knew how they met, but he had no idea why. Apparently, there was a reason why Dukemon didn't want to tell anybody.

Examon also couldn't help but feel a little offended that Dukemon thought that he and some of the others judged him over the Digital Hazard. He didn't feel that way in the slightest. He knew he couldn't blame Dukemon too much, since he knew that it was a sensitive issue with the knight. Even so, Examon wanted to assure Dukemon that he completely supported him.

Deciding that he didn't want to be caught eavesdropping, Examon knocked on the door to Dukemon's room. "Dukemon?" he asked.

Dukemon looked over and Grani turned around. "Uh, yeah? Examon?" he asked, wondering if Examon heard any of that.

Examon opened the door and stood in the doorway, making himself known. "Hey… I just wanted to know when you wanted to leave for the UDC," he asked.

"Oh. Huh… How about an hour? I need to get ready and I wouldn't mind getting something eat before we go," Dukemon explained. "That okay with you?"

Examon nodded. "Sounds good to me."

Grani glanced over at Dukemon. "Perhaps I'll come along. I am heading that way for a scouting mission, so I can take you one-way, Dukemon," he informed him.

"Okay. Thanks, Grani," Dukemon said.

Examon looked at Dukemon. "…Are you alright, Dukemon?" he asked him knowingly. "Gankoomon called out to you a few minutes ago."

"Oh, uh, yeah. I must have been distracted," Dukemon responded sheepishly. Before Examon could press the issue, Dukemon made the first move. "Anyway, I'm going to go get some lunch. You want to come?"

"Sure," Examon responded.

Dukemon nodded and walked past Examon, leading the way down to the cafeteria. "You coming, Grani?"

"No, thank you," the Zero ARMS answered. "I'll meet you outside the gate in an hour. I have to meet with my leftenants."

"Alright. Have fun," Dukemon called over his shoulder.

Examon looked at Dukemon for a few pensive moments before following him.

Grani floated out of Dukemon's bedroom and watched as the two Royal Knights disappeared down the stairs. He closed his eyes thoughtfully. He knew that Dukemon was putting up a front for Examon in order to avoid talking about what was bothering him. He just hoped that Dukemon would think about what he said and open up a little bit. He remembered how long it took to convince Dukemon to open up about the Digital Hazard to others. He just hoped that he could feel comfortable enough to do it again.

* * *

By the time a few hours passed, it was mid afternoon.

Examon and Dukemon, who stood on Grani's back, soared through the azure sky. The sun shone softly down on their backs with only a few clouds in the sky.

Examon glided on his broad Caledfwlch wings, which skimmed the currents of air gently. His Ambrosius lance rested at ease in his claws. To the dragon's left, Dukemon was positioned comfortably on Grani's back. His boots were placed evenly on Grani's wings so that the avian dragon wouldn't be put off balance. Dukemon held his Aegis shield in his left hand and had his Gram lance lowered in his right.

The two Royal Knights were in the western part of the Free Area, heading west to the UDC. Dorbickmon had said that he was going to meet them in a town near the east border of the UDC that connects to the Free Area.

Examon flew across the grassy plains and over a small pond. Every so often, Examon would glance over at Dukemon. He kept thinking about what he overheard Dukemon speaking with Grani about.

Dukemon primarily didn't address it. He was mostly focused on his own thoughts. The knight thought about what UlforceVeedramon said to him, and also what Grani had said. He didn't realise it, but as his mind focused on these things, he took on a serious expression. His gold eyes were furrowed behind his helmet and he stared into the distance, almost forgetting that Examon and Grani were there.

Both Examon and Grani were aware of Dukemon's faraway expression, as well as his overall quietness on their travels so far. He was usually the first to strike up a conversation, so the silence was quite noticeable.

"So, Dorbickmon is meeting you both in Drakrieg?" Grani asked them.

"Just around the entrance," Examon responded, recalling the letter. "Probably near the fountain."

Grani nodded. "I will drop off my passenger there and be on my way."

Examon turned his head slightly and looked over at Dukemon to see if he'd react. He saw that Dukemon didn't.

The dragon frowned with concern. "Dukemon?" he asked, trying to get his attention.

Dukemon blinked and looked over. "Sorry. What?" he responded.

"It's nothing," Examon said, thinking better of asking him outright.

The red-caped knight's expression softened and grew lighter. "Are you sure? Is there something on my face, Examon?" Dukemon asked him with a small grin. "Because you keep looking at me."

The crimson scales of Examon's face turned slightly more crimson. "Sorry. No. I just…"

"Something you want to ask?" Dukemon wondered.

"Uh, well…" Examon began, uncertain whether to proceed. "I was wondering… Are you okay? You seem distracted."

Dukemon looked forwards and raised his shield a little. "Uh…" he stalled, put on the defensive. However, he realized he was a bad liar and decided he had no choice but to give in. "Have I been that obvious?"

"You've been pretty quiet," Examon explained. "It's not like you. What's wrong?"

"Not much…" Dukemon answered in a minimizing way. "I just had an argument with Ulforce."

Examon frowned. "…Why?" he asked, probing for more information.

Dukemon sighed. "I gave him a hard time for feeling sorry for himself. Some words were exchanged," he dismissively said. "It's my own fault."

"He's upset because UlforceVeedramon said that Dukemon felt sorry for himself because of the Digital Hazard," Grani nonchalantly informed Examon.

The news caused Examon to blink with surprise. "That's not like him… Are you okay, Dukemon?" he inquired.

Dukemon shot Grani an annoyed glare. "I'm fine, Examon…" he said with exasperation. "It's not like I'm going to break down every time the Digital Hazard is mentioned. I'm not that weak."

"Oh, good," Grani stated, ignoring the glare. "Then perhaps you should do that thing we talked about."

The crimson Royal Knight gave Grani another look. "Don't push me, Grani…"

"I seem to recall Examon being quite sympathetic when you told him about the Hazard. He seems like a good Digimon to try it out on. Think of it as practice," Grani suggested.

Examon looked between the two quizzically. "…Tell me what?"

"How Dukemon and I met," the Zero ARMS informed him.

Dukemon winced and reflexively looked away.

The dragon looked up at Dukemon with an arched eyebrow. "I have always wondered. Apparently none of the other Royal Knights really know either…"

"There's a reason for that," Dukemon pointedly explained. After a few moments, the knight looked back at Examon. He conceded. "But I guess I can tell you…"

Examon sheepishly readjusted the weapon in his claws. "You don't have to, Dukemon… I'm not trying to be nosy," he reassured him.

Dukemon sighed. "I know… But maybe I should."

The crimson dragon turned his green eyes to the armoured knight. "You don't have to if it's hard for you."

A shake of his head was Dukemon's response. "Grani's right… It's _because_ it's hard for me that I should tell you." A small smile formed behind his visor. "I should really be telling Omegamon this first, but, well… we'll see how it goes."

"No pressure," Examon promised.

"I've already decided to tell you; quit trying to talk me out of it before I decide to change my mind," Dukemon responded with a grin.

Examon chuckled lightly. "Okay. Sorry."

Within a few seconds, Dukemon's smile waned and he began to think. "So, uh… How to begin…?" he asked aloud.

Grani glanced up at the Digimon standing on his back. "Why don't you start from the beginning?" he suggested, although allowing Dukemon to tell the story.

"Yeah…" Dukemon spoke, becoming engrossed in his thoughts. He closed his eyes and remembered the pivotal moment in his life.

* * *

"MEGALOGROWMON, SHINKAAAA!"

"…Dukemon!"

The light of evolution surged from the Digimon's body. He was a cyborg dragon no more. Once a hulking reptile, half made up of mechanical equipment, the Digimon stood on weak, uneasy legs. He had been a massive, twenty foot dragon. His scales were crimson with black markings along his sturdy legs, thick tail, and rugged face. He had a white underbelly that matched the alabaster hair that flowed from the back of his head. His arms had been largely mechanical, fitted with two massive Pendulum Blades. His upper body was fitted with chrome digizoid, completed with cannons, vernier boosters, and an Assault Balancer cord that extended from his back.

However, his MegaloGrowmon changed as he evolved to his Ultimate form. He was no longer the hulking berserker that was MegaloGrowmon. As the light faded, a new form stood in its place.

He was now a knight, clad in shimmering, white, chrome digizoid armour finished with gold trimming. The metal plates on his knees, boots, and shoulders were a strong, crimson red. In his hands were a long, thick lance and a massive, circular shield. Hanging from his back was a flowing, scarlet cape that matched the colour of the belts around his waist and the fabric underneath. A long, white ponytail hung from his helmet, which covered all of his face but his eyes. These gold eyes were wide and the pupils were narrow and shrunken.

Dukemon stood on a raised hill, overlooking a grassy plain. In the visible distance was a town.

It was consumed in a roaring blaze. Many of the buildings were either completely destroyed or enveloped within an inferno. The flames spread from one building to another, leaving blackened, smouldering remains in their wake. The village was at the mercy of the conflagration. The wind served to add fuel to the blaze, causing the flames to ignite more and more of the town. The gusts swept towards the hill that Dukemon was standing on. The pungent stench of smoke and burnt wood blew across the landscape. Grey ashes and glowing cinders floated on the wind and rained down around Dukemon like snow.

Dukemon's wide, feral eyes stared straight in front of him. A Chimairamon stood before him. The monster was a fusion of the body parts of several different Digimon, making it a mess of incongruent limbs. There was a beam simmering in the Digimon's mouth, but he didn't fire it.

The newly formed knight looked down and saw that his Gram lance was embedded in the Digimon's orange chest. Dukemon yanked the bloody spear out of the Chimairamon's body. The hybrid beast released a weak snarl and burst into data before him.

Dukemon dropped his lance to the grass and then released the Aegis, which fell with a thud.

Dukemon's new armoured body was cracked in several places and dripping with blood; the wounds carried over from when he was a MegaloGrowmon.

He looked down at his body with wide eyes. His heart was racing and adrenaline was coursing through his form. Pain, uneasiness, and vigor overwhelmed him like never before.

As he looked down at his armoured body, he realized that he was no longer a MegaloGrowmon. He had evolved. But that wasn't all… He briefly noticed symbols on his body. The symbols were that of four triangles – three connected to a central one by the vertices. Around the center triangle was a circle. He had this black symbol on his previous forms too. Now there was one on the center of his chest armour and one on each knee.

The Digital Hazard symbols were glowing. That had never happened before.

Dukemon took a tentative, uneasy step forward after the Chimairamon's data had dispersed in the smoky breeze. However, as he tried to walk forward, his legs buckled and he fell to his hands and knees. He wasn't used to having a humanoid form.

But more than that… there was something wrong with him. Dukemon breathed heavily and he could feel sweat dripping from his body. It started to soak the inside of his armour.

He remembered the attack on the village… trying to defend it… He remembered wanting more than anything to protect his home. He also remembered feeling fury. A blinding rage. Everything else after that was a blur.

Dukemon heaved and crawled forwards a few steps. His arms and legs trembled. The Digital Hazard symbols glowed a fierce red. Something shot up his body, causing him to tense up and release a yell. Dukemon keeled over more and dug his fingers into the grass, gripping the earth. The knight panted and shut his eyes with pain and distress.

Something was going on inside of him. He wasn't entirely sure what it was. However, he knew that it was bad and unnatural. His heart felt like it was working in overdrive and his body felt like it was collapsing. At first, he thought it might just be because he evolved, but that had never happened to him before. It felt as if his digicore was becoming unstable. He knew something was wrong.

Dukemon's eyes snapped open and the wild look in his gold eyes returned. However, his body tensed up with pain, forcing him to close them. He opened them again and they returned to normal. He stared at the grass desperately.

"What's… going on…?!" he groaned, his voice quivering and strained. Inside his body was an intense flood of energy and power. It felt as if it was trying to burst out. Dukemon didn't know what would happen if he let it, but he didn't want to find out.

"What's happening to me?" Dukemon asked, now with a snarl to his voice. "What's wrong… with this form…?!"

For a split second, his armour flashed dark. Dukemon snarled and tried to keep whatever was inside of him at bay. He staggered forwards a few paces on his hands and knees. His cape was draped over his back and his hair hung beside his face.

Suddenly, a surge of burning pain shot through his body, tearing an agonised howl from his mouth. His back arched, his muscles tensed, and his hands crushed the grass beneath them. The Digital Hazard symbols flared brightly and the grass around him began to burn.

"Yggdrasil…" he whispered, his voice hoarse. "What's happening to me…? Is it… _that_?"

Dukemon shut his eyes and collapsed to his elbows as another stab of anguish ripped through his body. His digicore felt like it was burning. He clutched the glowing symbol on his chest. "No… No!" he roared with hopeless defiance.

Fear and anger flooded through his body. The fear was all him, but he wasn't sure whether the anger was his own or something else's…

"Damn it!" Dukemon shouted, pounding a fist deep into the ground, strong enough to make a crater around his fist.

He was terrified. He felt himself losing control. It was like something was trying to take him over. A foreign entity… except it wasn't foreign. It was another part of himself: a darkness inside of him. He felt unstable, like his form was fluctuating. There was a primal power inside him. It was savage, instinctive, ruthless, dark… Dukemon was having trouble keeping him as himself. It felt as if he was fighting a losing battle and his consciousness was gradually slipping away.

Dukemon's body ached and trembled as he tried to stay in control. The power within him was so strong. Trying to keep a hold of himself was like trying to swim up a waterfall. With every inch that it seemed like he gained, it felt like he was being swept back under the crushing power that threatened to consume him.

He turned his wide, distressed eyes up from the ground. Dukemon gazed into the sky. To his shock, the vast firmament wasn't the clear blue that it had been a few hours ago. Instead, it was chaotic.

The weather grew unsettled with terrifying swiftness. Unnatural, violet clouds swirled overhead tempestuously. Lightning flashed within the clouds, crackling overhead with a thunderous symphony. The bolts lit up the clouds like explosions and caused eerie flashes inside the purple-red billows. Dukemon knew this sudden storm wasn't random; it had been caused by him.

Soon, there was a red glow in the clouds. It began to manifest as the Digital Hazard sign. The cataclysmic weather raged on above and the very ground beneath Dukemon felt like it was trembling. Dukemon began to feel despair and hopelessness at the calamity he was causing. He saw his vision begin to blur. He felt his spirit diminish and he could feel his consciousness begin to slip away faster. The knight could feel himself sinking further into the darkness inside himself.

"No…" Dukemon whispered, bowing his head hopelessly. "This is my doing… It's my fault… Can't stop it… Too… weak…" Dukemon balled his trembling fists up and shut his eyes tightly. He released a vicious snarl as tears dripped from his eyes and fell to the grass. "I just wanted… to protect everyone…"

A light in front of him suddenly shone into his vision. He opened his desperate, golden eyes and gazed at the light. At first, he thought a bolt of lightning had struck, but the radiance didn't go away. Instead, the lambency remained despite the darkness and calamity of the world around him, as if it was defying the destruction.

"It is too soon for you to give up," a calm voice advised him.

Dukemon squinted into the light. He watched as a large, winged figure emerged from within the light and floated towards him. The figure was clad in red, chrome digizoid metal and had the form of a draconic bird. Dukemon had never seen a Digimon like that before.

The knight winced as a surge of pain seemed to rip through his body again. He tensed up and became focused on what was happening inside him again. "G-Get away… Before it's too late… P-Please…" Dukemon begged him, narrowing his pained eyes. "H-Hurry…"

The crimson dragon hovered up to Dukemon and floated in front of him, leering calmly. "You are still giving up…" he observed. "At this rate, it probably would not matter where I went; it would make no difference."

Dukemon winced and gripped his fists tighter. "Go… Leave me… I can't fight it…"

"I respectfully disagree…" the creature said to Dukemon.

At the back of his mind, Dukemon was bewildered and astonished at his stubborness. "Who… are you…?" he asked him.

"My designation is Zero ARMS: Grani. I am a digital lifeform," Grani informed him, completely ignoring the cataclysmic weather and burning village in the distance.

"Z-Zero ARMS…?" Dukemon questioned, his voice haggard.

"Short for Zero Artificial Monster," Grani explained. He locked his blue eyes with Dukemon's gold ones. "Specifically, Dukemon… I am your Zero ARMS. It is my duty to serve you…"

"W-What…?" Dukemon asked with disbelief. As another spike of pain caused his body to tense up and spasm, he grimaced and spat out a mixture of blood and saliva through the gap in his visor. "Rrrrgh! Damn it! Y-You're… too late… Run…"

"The Digital Hazard feels like it is too much for you. You are new to this form, so you are having trouble controlling it. The immense power of your new form makes the Digital Hazard harder to control than before. This is because the Digital Hazard has developed enough to reach its parameters, and it is trying to surpass them. You must contain it, Dukemon, before it is too late," Grani explained to him.

"It's already too late!" Dukemon shouted with frustration. "They destroyed my home… I wasn't strong enough to stop it…! Not strong enough… to stop… this!"

Grani frowned at him disapprovingly. "You are stronger than you know…" he advised him. "Focus, Dukemon… You are the only one who can stop the Digital Hazard from corrupting you."

"I can't…!" Dukemon responded, shutting his eyes. He could still feel himself slipping beneath the increasing pressure around his consciousness.

Grani looked down at Dukemon with firm, stoic eyes. "The moment that you give up is the moment that the Digital Hazard wins."

Dukemon looked up at Grani. He grimaced and bowed his head, snarling as he tried to contain the great, primal, dark power within him. As blood, saliva and sweat dripped from Dukemon's body as he put every ounce of his being into resisting the force within him. But even with the effort, he felt himself being pushed back. "Nngh…! I… I can't!" he yelled, digging his fingers deeper into the grass as he tried to hold on.

"You can…" Grani said to him. "You are Dukemon."

The knight in questioned stared at Grani with wincing, questioning eyes. "W-What…?"

"You are strong… You are a good Digimon," Grani explained to him. "As your Zero ARMS, I, Grani, will do everything in my power to help you fight this. Even if that means giving up my life, new though it is. I believe that you are strong enough to fight this."

Dukemon gazed at him for a few seconds. Although he was interrupted by another spike of pain, Dukemon released a snarl of defiance rather than rage. "Grah!" he roared in a strained, exerted voice. "I'm not going to… give up…! Won't let it… beat me!"

The knight dug his boots, knees and hands deeper into the ground, ignoring the clouds spiralling and lightning flashing overhead. He shut his eyes hard and focused on his willpower, trying to fortify it against the swallowing darkness.

"Yes, Dukemon… Don't give up. Don't ever weaken your resolve," Grani advised him, floating to Dukemon's side. "You can fight it… You can _always_ fight it."

"I am…" Dukemon hissed, his body shaking. A tear formed the corner of his eye. "I _will_… I won't ever let somebody else suffer because I'm not strong enough… Never again!"

"What do you want to do with your new power?" Grani asked him.

Dukemon's eyes snapped open and he gazed forwards, not with feral rage or darkness, but determination. "I want to protect the Digital World!" he declared with strength in his previously fractured voice.

"Then do it… Only you can do this, Dukemon. Have faith in your strengths, and don't doubt yourself based on any perceived weaknesses," Grani said to him in a logical yet warm voice. "You are far stronger than you give yourself credit for. Pick up the Gram and Aegis, and rise as the knight that you are."

A snarl of effort rumbled in Dukemon's throat. His arms reached behind him and he placed his hands on his lance and shield. As he focused on fighting the intense power inside him, he managed to slip his hands into the slots of the Gram and Aegis.

Once he did this, he pushed himself to his knees. He pressed the tip of the lance and the rim of the shield against the grass to steady himself. Dukemon narrowed his eyes and soon the growl morphed into a full on roar. He released a thunderous cry as he pushed himself to his feet, even as the Digital Hazard symbols on his chest glowed intensely.

Upon standing to his feet, the crimson knight's body began to shine with holy light, contending with that of the Digital Hazard. "I…" he spoke, standing steadily on his feet. "I…"

"I, Dukemon, will not be defeated!"

Dukemon's body flashed in a mighty burst of light which swept across the surrounding landscape. The dark, violet clouds scattered and the lightning was snuffed out as quickly as they appeared.

When the light faded, Dukemon collapsed to his knees.

The Digital Hazard symbols ceased shining and they dulled into their natural black colour. Dukemon stared down at his chest in relief.

Seconds later, exhaustion overtook him and he crashed to the ground, slipping into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Dukemon…" a voice said to him.

Dukemon winced and slowly opened his eyes, He realised he was lying on his back. Above him, the form of Grani hovered over him. Behind Grani, he was relieved to see, was a normal, cerulean sky.

"Huh…?" Dukemon uttered, hardly able to speak out of sheer physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion.

"Good. You are awake," the Zero ARMS spoke formally.

Dukemon winced and pushed himself onto his elbows, attempting to sit up. However, his strength gave out and he collapsed back onto his back.

"You should not push yourself," Grani advised him. "How do you feel?"

"Terrible…" Dukemon replied honestly, a grimace on his face.

"And the hazard…?" the Zero ARMS questioned with a hint of concern.

The knight reached up and rubbed the Digital Hazard symbol on his chest. "I think… it's contained…" he explained. "It doesn't feel like it's trying to take over anymore…"

Grani sighed with relief. "Good… See? I knew that you could do it."

"I wouldn't have been able to if you didn't show up…" Dukemon replied, forcing himself to sit up. He gave Grani a meaningful look. "Thanks…"

"I merely advised you. You did all of the work," Grani told him. "Besides, it is my duty to serve you."

Dukemon leaned forwards on his knees to use them for support. "What does that mean…? Why are you here, exactly?"

"It is like I said. When you became Dukemon, I was created to aid you," Grani explained. "I am a Zero ARMS, not a Digimon."

Dukemon arched an eyebrow. "Created? Like, by Yggdrasil?" he wondered.

"I do not know. I just know that it is in my programming to serve you, Dukemon," the Zero ARMS said.

The knight shook his head and pushed his lance against the ground to help him stand to his feet. "If that's the case and you're going to be hanging around me, enough of this 'servant' talk," Dukemon told him. "As far as I'm concerned, we're equals."

Grani blinked. "However…"

"No buts," Dukemon said with a weak grin. He turned to Grani and offered his free hand. "Here… Let's make it official."

Grani blinked again and stared at his hand. "I… Pardon me, but what should I do with that?" he asked quizzically.

"Shake it. As a gesture of mutual respect," Dukemon answered.

Grani's blue eyes glanced around uncertainly. "With what?"

Dukemon smiled. "Use your claw thingy," he suggested, gesturing to the two, golden appendages extending forward from Grani's winged body.

"Understood," Grani answered, tentatively floating forward to press the claw against Dukemon's hand, allowing the knight to shake it.

"Nice to meet you, Grani," Dukemon said to him.

"'Grani'?" the Zero ARMS asked.

"Yeah. Mind if I call you that? Your whole name is kind of long and formal," the crimson knight explained.

"I suppose so…"

Dukemon smiled and nodded. However, the smile immediately vanished once he looked past Grani. In the distance, he could see his village smouldering and destroyed. He couldn't see any Digimon around.

The knight grimaced and balled up his fist tightly. "My town… It's gone…" he said softly. He turned his head away bitterly, trying to hide his sorrow.

"Yes… It is," was all Grani could think of to say.

"A lot of them were deleted…" Dukemon said, remembering the attack on the town.

"It is possible that there are survivors, although the town itself is largely decimated," Grani explained, scanning what was left of the distant town.

Dukemon gazed down at his hand. "…What am I supposed to do now?" His sorrowful, gold eyes stared contemplatively. "You said that it's your purpose to serve me... Then what's _my_ purpose?" He clenched his fist as he thought about the Digital Hazard. "To destroy the Digital World…?"

Grani floated to Dukemon's side. "…Your purpose is what you make of it," he explained to him.

A sharp breath escaped Dukemon. "It is, huh…?" he wondered sullenly. He glanced at Grani. "Then isn't that the same for you, too?"

Grani quietly gazed up at him in response.

Dukemon looked up, towards the ruined town. "I want to be able to protect Digimon… I want them to be able to have happy lives, free of pain and random violence."

"That is a start…" Grani concurred. He turned his gaze from Dukemon to the blackened, desolate town. "Would you like to go there…?"

Dukemon grimaced at the idea, but nodded. "Y…Yeah…" he responded reluctantly. "I… need to."

Grani closed his eyes. "Very well…"

The crimson knight picked up his Aegis and gripped the shield tightly. He released a shaky sigh and began to walk down the hill of burnt grass and ash, towards what was left of his home.

"Let's go, Grani…"

* * *

As Dukemon finished recounting what had happened, Examon stared at him empathetically.

"…So, that's pretty much it," Dukemon explained, rubbing the back of his neck and glancing sideways at Examon insecurely. "Uh…"

"That's terrible, Dukemon," Examon replied, causing Dukemon to wince. "I'm sorry about what happened to your hometown."

Dukemon blinked and looked over at him in surprise. "What?" he asked, expecting an entirely different reaction.

"It must have been difficult…" the dragon Royal Knight said sympathetically. He frowned. "But… I don't understand… Why did you want to keep it such a secret?"

Dukemon arched an eyebrow and looked at Examon incredulously. "…Did you miss the part where I lost control of the Digital Hazard and nearly caused a catastrophe?"

"No, but… Well… you didn't. You regained control. Calamity averted," Examon responded. "It's not as if you destroyed anything."

"Examon has a point," Grani concurred, glancing up at Dukemon.

The crimson Royal Knight frowned. "I nearly let it take over though… I nearly let the Digital Hazard loose," Dukemon explained with a wince, regret lacing his words. "It shows my weakness… If it happened once, it could happen again. Doesn't that bother you?"

Examon closed his eyes and folded his arms, thinking about it as his Caledfwlch wings carried him through the sky. "…Not really. It hasn't happened since then, correct?" he asked Dukemon.

"Well, no…" Dukemon admitted. "But…"

Examon smiled a bit. "'But' what?" he asked him. "It happened when you first evolved to Dukemon. You weren't used to your form. But you're in control of yourself now, so there's no problem; just because it happened that one time doesn't mean that it will happen again. I'm not worried about the Digital Hazard at all," he said with an honest, reassuring smile.

Dukemon stared at Examon with disbelief. "R-Really…?" The warmth of relief and gratitude flooded inside Dukemon's chest. "I… Thank you, Examon…"

The dragon raised an eyebrow. "What did you think that I would say?" he asked him with a reassuring grin.

"I don't know…" Dukemon answered, smiling and shaking his head. "I guess I'm still insecure about it…"

"You shouldn't be," Examon told him.

Grani smiled smugly and looked back at Dukemon. "What did I tell you, Dukemon?" he said knowingly. "You were worrying over nothing."

Dukemon smiled a bit and looked into the distance. "Maybe…" he answered wistfully. "I guess I should probably tell Omegamon and the others at some point, huh?"

Examon nodded. "I'm sure they'd like to know."

The humanoid Royal Knight released a breath. He still wasn't sure about it, but he felt a bit better after seeing Examon's response. It didn't seem like Examon was lying to him. "Okay…" he said. "I'll do that sometime…"

Dukemon glanced over at Examon. He had to admit, it was a relief to get that off his chest. It was a hard thing for him to do, not just reliving that moment, but acknowledging it to both himself and others. But he was pleased that Examon didn't seem to judge him for it.

Likewise, Examon felt good knowing that Dukemon trusted him enough to tell himself so obviously personal. He was pleased that he was Dukemon's close friend.

After a few moments of introspection, Examon couldn't help but be a little surprised that he felt this way; before he joined the Royal Knights, he never would have made those kinds of bonds as defender of the UDC. He had stayed away from those kinds of relationships after what he did to Dorbickmon.

Grani looked ahead of them. In the distance, his keen eyes spotted a large town with stone walls and buildings. "That's Drakrieg, isn't it?"

Examon glanced forwards as well. "Yeah, that's it," he confirmed, recognizing the familiar town.

"Let's begin our descent," Dukemon said, prompting Grani to gently begin to decrease altitude.

The nearby dragon followed their lead and spread his wings wide to descend at a soft angle. The two Royal Knights flew down towards the grassy terrain and a broad, cobblestone path that led into the town. There, they hoped that Dorbickmon was waiting for them.


	20. Chapter 13 Part 3: Redress

(Author's Notes: Here's the third and final part of Chapter 13. Enjoy!)

**Chapter 13: Redress (Part III)**

Dorbickmon leaned, arms folded, against the stone walls of Drakrieg. After sending the letter to the Royal Knights, he travelled from Dragon's Peak to the smaller, eastern town, so as to not draw attention to himself. He figured that since this town was close to the Free Area, it would be the safest place to meet.

However, the draconic mercenary began to grow impatient. He had been waiting there for a few hours and he still didn't see them.

Finally, Dorbickmon released an irritated rumble from his throat and stood up from the wall. He decided it would be better to wait inside the town, as he was probably starting to look suspicious. He was also getting hungry.

The red dragon man turned and walked to the gate, giving the Lighdramon guard a nod as he walked through to the town. Immediately upon entering Drakrieg, there was a sprawling town square with a fountain in the center. Along the sides of the open town center were stores, restaurants and inns.

Dorbickmon began to walk towards the fountain where a bunch of Digimon were gathered around. It was a common meeting spot of both local Digimon and visitors. As he stepped into the crowded square, he looked over his shoulder one more time, just to be certain. To his relief, he could see two silhouettes approaching the town from the sky. He was certain that one of the two was Examon.

He turned around completely to get a closer look at the approaching Digimon. He saw that the figure with Examon was Dukemon standing atop Grani. Dorbickmon stood in place, knowing that they would be able to spot him. When he saw Examon wave to him, Dorbickmon slapped his face; he was supposed to be undercover.

The mercenary sighed and rolled his eyes when the Royal Knights and Zero ARMS landed outside of the gate so that they could walk inside the entrance. He watched Dukemon dismount and walk alongside Examon over to him. Grani followed behind the two Royal Knights.

"Took you guys long enough…" Dorbickmon stated as the three approached. He then looked at Examon. "And I'm supposed to be undercover, remember? Don't wave at me; we shouldn't even be seen together in public."

"Sorry," Examon responded, rubbing the back of his neck. The dragon couldn't help but look around the familiar square. He and Dukemon were receiving a few curious glances. There were a couple smiles and excited whispers among the Digimon.

However, it felt different from before. It used to be that he could comfortably be around many of these Digimon. But now that he was a Royal Knight, each time he came to the UDC, he increasingly began to feel like an outsider. He thought that maybe it was because Digimon here were beginning to view him as a Royal Knight rather than their protector Examon.

"Forget it," Dorbickmon said to him, glancing around the area. He walked over to the fountain and sat down, prompting the three to follow him. "You're here now, at least."

"You said you had news on a certain trio of bugs?" Dukemon asked him, standing near the fountain where the mercenary was sitting, but making it seem like he was talking to Examon and Grani instead of Dorbickmon.

"Lots of news," Dorbickmon responded, flipping a coin into the air with his claws and catching it. "You'll want to hear this."

Dukemon arched an eyebrow and glanced at him briefly. "What could be so important with those three? All they did was steal blueprints from the Metal Empire and we haven't really heard from them since," he stated.

Dorbickmon gave a toothy smirk as he caught the coin again. "Yeah, well… They're a lot more involved than you guys realise…"

Examon exchanged looks with Grani and Dukemon. "…How so?" he asked his friend.

"I was in a bar in Dragon's Peak a few days ago," he stated nonchalantly. "I got a tip that Black Pincer Company was meeting with a client there. Well, not a client, but an intermediary for their client. Unfortunately, I still don't know who they're working for."

"What happened?" Grani asked him.

"I overheard them talking with the Wizardmon," Dorbickmon explained. "He was offering them a new job. They've been working for him ever since Facture, I think." He flipped the coin again and allowed it to fall into the fountain's basin with a wet 'plunk'. "Whoever their client is… They're playin' you guys and the Metal Empire off each other."

Dukemon's golden eyes hardened. "What?" he demanded.

Examon frowned as well. "What do you mean?" he asked their informant.

Dorbickmon turned his violet eyes towards Grani. "I overheard what their new job is. Their client wants Black Pincer to dust one of your recon patrols."

Grani's cerulean optics narrowed. "What? They plan to destroy one of my patrols?" he asked, his calm voice becoming agitated. "I refuse to allow it from three, pitiful, low-rent brigand—"

"Grani," Dukemon spoke to calm him down, although he was clearly furious too. "What does this have to do with the Metal Empire?" he asked the mercenary.

"They were supposed to make it look like the attack was done by the Metal Empire," Dorbickmon explained, looking at them seriously. He watched as their expressions hardened and decided to continue. "Now… I can't prove what I'm about to say, but… I think that the Black Pincers were responsible for that attack on your castle too."

"What…?" Dukemon incredulously asked him.

Examon narrowed his eyes and thought about the idea. "It's… possible," he conceded. "It could easily be the D-Brigade, but if what you're saying is true, then it could have been Black Pincer Company too…"

Grani was quiet for a few moments as he contemplated the prospect. "The Bolgmon could have been the one who fired the shot," he agreed. "It's worth investigating."

Dukemon glared bitterly. "But why would this mystery Digimon want to play us off the Metal Empire?" he asked.

"No clue," Dorbickmon responded casually. "I just know what I heard. Somebody's definitely using those three bugs to start something between you guys and the Metal Empire."

"What about the Wizardmon?" Grani asked him.

Dorbickmon gritted his teeth and shrugged. "I dunno. I was planning to kidnap him or scare him for information on who he works for, but GrandisKuwagamon got in my way and the runt escaped," he explained.

"Kidnap him?" Examon asked, giving him an unamused stare.

"GrandisKuwagamon? Did they find you out?" Dukemon inquired.

"Nope," Dorbickmon responded. "I managed to talk my way out of it. I think he bought it, but he seemed kind of suspicious. I have to be careful around them from now on."

"Make sure you are," Examon told him with a concerned expression.

Dorbickmon waved his hand. "I will, I will…" he dismissively said. A grin then re-emerged on his face. He looked at the three Order members again. "But at least I have some good news too."

Dukemon arched an eyebrow. "Go on…"

"I heard them say that their hideout is in the Dragon Mountains," Dorbickmon explained with a satisfied, tooth-filled smirk. "They're probably staying there now."

"That's good news, but the Dragon Mountains span half the coast of the whole UDC," Examon pointed out. "It won't be easy to find it, even if that narrows the field by a lot."

Dorbickmon sneered and grunted. "I guess…" he admitted, a bit annoyed that Examon took the wind out of his sails. However, he tried to remember the conversation. "Uh… Wait… I think I remember hearing Bolgmon say that one of your patrols nearly came across their hideout and that they should have blasted them then?"

Grani frowned at this and began thinking systematically. "…When was this conversation exactly?"

"Yesterday," Dorbickmon answered.

The Zero ARMS closed his eyes and began to think about all of the scouting routes that his Reconnaissance Squadron took yesterday. "Hmm… That was likely Aquilamon's group… They would have intersected with the base of the Dragon Mountains at…" He paused to think about the coordinates. "…beta seven, upsilon two."

Grani continued to think about the location in question. "A hideout…" he mused softly, opening his eyes again. "Actually… I remember that there is a cave complex in those coordinates, built into the mountainside – the Southern Dragon Mountains. It was an abandoned tunnel outpost. However, I vaguely remember that, back during the DarkKnightmon crisis, I read a report from one of my scouts saying that there was activity there."

"Damn," Dorbickmon exclaimed, somewhat impressed. "Is he part-computer?"

Dukemon grinned a bit. "Sometimes…"

Grani looked at Dukemon and Examon. "I could take you there, if you want to investigate," he offered.

"It might not be a bad idea…" Dukemon mused. "But don't you have a job to do?"

"Yes, but I can drop you off and go on my way," Grani explained.

"That's okay, Grani. I can find it if you tell me the general vicinity," Examon spoke up firmly. "The UDC is my home, after all. I know the area."

Dukemon looked over at Examon. "So, you're okay with going to investigate?"

"We pretty much have to," Examon responded affirmatively. "If we have the chance to take them down before they can attack us, we have to take it."

Dukemon half-smiled and nodded. "I can agree with that," he stated. "It's time to take down some mercs."

Dorbickmon folded his arms. "There's one sitting right here, remember," he pointed out sarcastically. "I'd love to join you guys, but I don't want to make an enemy of every merc and criminal I know, so if the worst case scenario happens, you didn't get your info from me."

Dukemon blandly looked at Examon. "Your friend has so much faith in us…"

"He's always like that, unfortunately," Examon teased.

Dorbickmon stood up and sneakily punched Examon's arm. "You're welcome for the information, by the way," he sardonically added.

Examon grinned at him. "Thanks, Dorbickmon. You've been a big help," he sincerely replied. "You too, Grani."

"Yeaaah," Dorbickmon said, walking by them. "I've gotta go now. I'll stop by tomorrow or something. Good luck on your hunt. You might need it."

"I'll see you tomorrow," Examon told him, watching as he walked away.

Dorbickmon looked over his shoulder at him. "Make sure you do," he added before turning forward and disappearing behind a crowd of walking dragon Digimon.

Examon watched as his friend disappeared. He was thankful that he had at least one Digimon around here that still treated him normally. It was ironic, given how much Dorbickmon had hated him a year ago. Despite that, he somehow felt comfortable with him. It wasn't always easy, and it was certainly hard when they first began to mend things, but he felt like they had made a lot of progress.

Once the mercenary was gone, Grani turned to the two Royal Knights. "I guess we had better get started."

Examon looked at Dukemon and nodded. "Yeah. While there's still afternoon left."

* * *

Hours passed and the afternoon grew late. The sun began to set over the horizon, painting an orange tint across the sky. Overhead, two half moons could faintly be seen in the sky as they orbited the Digital World. The evening began to set in as the sky started to grow darker.

The Dragon Mountains cast a long shadow over the grassy plains beneath them. Blocking the sun from view, they created a dark recess at the base of the rocky cliffs, adding a concealing shade to the landscape.

A cavern entrance at the base of the steep, mountain cliffs was hidden by the darkness. That was a benefit for Black Pincer Company. It was good to have a hideout that was especially hidden at night.

Sitting in the mouth of the cave was Bolgmon, who stared out into the blackening evening sky. Blitzmon stood behind him with a battery powered lantern. GrandisKuwagamon stood across from the two, leaning against the opposite wall with folded arms.

"We need to think about how we want to do this," Blitzmon said to the two.

"Yeah," GrandisKuwagamon agreed, spreading his scissor-like pincers slightly as he spoke. "This is going to be tougher than it sounds."

"I don't see how," Bolgmon responded with a nonchalant shrug. "All we have to do is blast some pricks to smithereens. Simple enough."

"You make everything sound so easy, Bolgie," GrandisKuwagamon said with a sigh. "If it weren't for me and Blitz, we'd probably be dead several times over by now."

Bolgmon shot him a glare. "Hey! I'm in charge of logistics!"

"Which is useful when your answer to everything isn't blowing shit up," GrandisKuwagamon explained. "We need to figure out how get the job done without becoming data dust in the process. This is the Royal Knights we're going up against, remember."

"I know, I know! I'm not an idiot," Bolgmon fired back, indignantly holding his cannon arms across his chest.

"You aren't?" GrandisKuwagamon teased, prompting another glare from Bolgmon.

"We know. You're smart when actually try to be," Blitzmon admitted. "Grandis is right though. There's more to it than just vaping a patrol."

"Okay, so what do you want to do, Blitz?" the large tank Digimon asked the humanoid bug.

Blitzmon closed his green eyes and thought about it. "We should wait here and let a patrol come to us. Then we'll take them out."

GrandisKuwagamon looked at Blitzmon sceptically. "It's not often that patrols come by here. We should move into the Free Area and attack from there."

Blitzmon glanced at the ebony insect. "That's too risky. The Free Area will be extremely secure after that last attack on the Royal Knights' castle."

"No more risky than attacking a Royal Knight patrol on our doorstep," GrandisKuwagamon countered.

"It won't be a problem if we destroy them completely," Blitzmon argued, narrowing his eyes at GrandisKuwagamon.

"The Royal Knights aren't idiots. If we destroy a patrol, they'd send more to investigate. I don't want this hideout getting found out by them," GrandisKuwagamon debated.

"And you think it'd be safer for us attacking them on their doorstep?" Blitzmon asked him calmly, but with a pointed edge.

"We'll attack them from somewhere else, then. The Republic of Node, maybe," GrandisKuwagamon stated.

Blitzmon closed his eyes and thought about it. "Okay. When?" he questioned.

"The sooner the better," Bolgmon responded.

"Nah, we should wait until a day or two before we're supposed to meet Wizardmon," GrandisKuwagamon said. "The longer we wait, the less amount of time we'll have to spend dodging the Royal Knights before our pay out. Then we can go underground."

Blitzmon thought about it. "Doesn't really give us—"

"Shut up. Cut the lights," Bolgmon suddenly said sharply in a hushed voice. "I see something."

GrandisKuwagamon narrowed his eye and stood up from the wall before crouching down. Blitzmon turned off the lantern and kneeled down as well, looking out of the cave opening. The cave went dark and the three insect Digimon stared into the dark blue sky.

Against the darkening backdrop, they could see an indistinct silhouette flying in the sky. It was dark, so it was hard to make out the figure. They were able to see the figure's two, broad wings flapping, but not much else. It looked like the figure was flying in their general direction.

"Bolgmon, can you ID it?" Blitzmon asked him.

Bolgmon fixated on the figure and numbers began to roll across his emerald optics. He narrowed his eyes and did his best to scan the figure in the distance. After a few moments, he glanced at his two comrades.

"It's a Royal Knight patrol," he told them.

"What? I can only see one Digimon. It's probably just a random Dramon," GrandisKuwagamon sceptically countered.

"No, it's a Royal Knight patrol. I'm sure of it," Bolgmon insisted. "And it's coming this way. Now's our chance!"

"What?" GrandisKuwagamon blankly asked. His red eye stared in disbelief as yellow energy began to build up inside Bolgmon's horn cannon. The electrons began to light up the mouth of the cave, drawing attention to them. "Wait a sec!"

Blitzmon didn't react. He moved out of the way and calmly watched Bolgmon react to the incoming threat.

"Stand back, guys. I'm taking this sucker down!" Bolgmon announced, angling his body forwards and planting his cannon hands against the ground to brace himself for the recoil. He forwent using the tracking screen in exchange for speed.

GrandisKuwagamon sneered and clenched his fists. "Bolgmon, I swear, if you—"

"Field Destroyer!"

A giant, yellow bean tore from Bolgmon's horn. It surged at an upwards angle towards the approaching Digimon, the strands of positrons crackling and howling as they flowed forwards. The bright, shimmering blast illuminated the cliff face and lit up the evening sky, revealing the targeted Digimon as Examon.

Examon had been approaching the mountainous sector to investigate the coordinates that Grani had given them. It appeared that Grani and Dorbickmon were right.

He watched as the beam streaked towards him unexpectedly. His eyes momentarily widened before he scowled and gripped his Ambrosius lance. His Caledfwlch wings already began to react evasively.

Dukemon dashed along the ground below Examon. He scowled with both surprise and anger as the beam suddenly rushed towards his friend. He raised his Aegis shield and tightened his hold on his Gram lance.

Turning his head up towards Examon, he yelled out urgently. "Examon! Incoming! Look out!" he shouted.

Examon gritted his teeth and flapped his wings strongly, flying to the side to avoid the beam as it closed in on him. Putting significant force into each buffet, he managed to get out of the way of the beam in time. The positron laser hissed and sizzled as it tore through the air beside Examon. He could feel the heat and the energy against his scales, indicating how close he was to getting hit.

GrandisKuwagamon scowled and turned towards Bolgmon furiously. "You fucking idiot! You didn't even kill him properly!" he snapped.

Bolgmon sneered at the criticism as the beam subsided from his smoking horn and he recovered from the strong recoil. "So do something about it, genius!" he fired back.

Blitzmon narrowed his eyes and allowed lightning and crackle from his wrists and horn. "There's another one too," he told them. "It's the Royal Knights."

"This just keeps getting better and better!" GrandisKuwagamon shouted with sarcastic exasperation and anger.

Examon tried to quickly recover from narrowly avoiding getting caught up in the beam. He readjusted himself in the air by allowing his wings to catch himself. As he did this, he levelled the Ambrosius with the spot where the beam originated from and aimed precisely.

"Pendragon's Glory," Examon spoke, raising the Ambrosius and narrowing his eyes.

A comparatively thin beam ejected from the bladed muzzle of the lance and pierced the air. The surging laser shot towards the mouth of the cave and the three mercenaries standing there.

"Shit! Incoming!" GrandisKuwagamon called out to the other, throwing himself against the wall of the cave.

Bolgmon pushed Blitzmon back towards the opposite wall behind him and steamed into reverse to dodge. The laser tore across the cave entrance, ripping up rock and strafing the interior of the cavern. The three insect Digimon managed to avoid the laser, which passed in between them and down the center of the opening. They were saved from being sniped by the Royal Knight, but their hard bodies were still pelted with stones from the beam.

GrandisKuwagamon swore under his breath from his place against the wall and turned his head to look at the deep, smoking gash along the hideout floor.

Blitzmon stepped out from behind Bolgmon. "Let's retreat into the hideout. We'll create a bottleneck and keep them from getting in."

"What?! No way in hell am I fighting in a cave!" Bolgmon protested ardently. "I can't manoeuvre in there and we'll end up bringing the whole mountain down on top of us!"

"I'm with Bolgmon. Going into the cave is a death trap," GrandisKuwagamon said with a hiss. He extended the claws of his Gran Killers. "Even if there are other exits, they might seal them off. They came here for a reason. They came here for _us_."

"But how?!" Bolgmon asked, starting to spin the cannons on his hands to build up electricity.

"Either good intel or someone sold us out," Blitzmon stated.

"Doesn't matter right now. We need to fight out in the open," GrandisKuwagamon told them hurriedly.

"I'm down with that," Bolgmon agreed. He put his treads into full gear and sped out of the cave and onto the grasslands.

Blitzmon frowned. "Fine. Let's go," he submitted, jumping out of the cave and beating his insect wings.

GrandisKuwagamon lunged into the air as well, buzzing his X-shaped wings and readying his Gran Killer gauntlets for action.

"Bolgmon! Support us!" Blitzmon called out to him. He then turned to GrandisKuwagamon. "Which one do you want?"

"I'll take Dukemon," GrandisKuwagamon answered. "I think my melee skills are up to Royal Knight standards."

"I'll go after the other," Blitzmon agreed.

The two mercenaries nodded and broke off in different directions.

Meanwhile, Dukemon and Examon watched their movements. Dukemon readied himself and dashed forwards. "Examon! I'm going in; cover me!" he called out to the dragon Royal Knight. "And get on the LRAC and tell the others what's going on!"

"Got it," Examon answered, holding the Ambrosius with one hand while he used his other claw to set the long range communicator to the right data stream frequency.

As Examon did that, Dukemon lunged across the shadowy grassy plains towards the base of the mountains and the three mercenaries. He leveled his jousting lance and dashed towards them with determination. "We have you now!" he shouted out. "Surrender!"

GrandisKuwagamon rushed towards Dukemon in response. "Go to hell, tin can!" he yelled back.

Night was beginning to set in, but it was about to be illuminated with the light of battle.

* * *

Meanwhile, UlforceVeedramon remained in the medical bay. He was sitting up in bed with his legs hanging over the side and his feet hovering above the floor. His right leg was still in a cast and he found it hard to move it with the splint.

The blue Royal Knight glanced across the medical bay. He saw Duskmon sitting in his office, which was connected to the medical bay. The door was open, but the physician was focused on the paperwork on his desk.

Sensing an opportunity, UlforceVeedramon placed his left foot down on the ground. He put the majority of his weight on that foot and also placed his hands on the bed to steady himself. He gently pressed his cast-bound right foot on the floor and started to stand up, all of his weight still on his uninjured foot. He just wanted to try standing.

"Don't do that, UlforceVeedramon," Duskmon called out.

UlforceVeedramon winced and looked over at the physician. The multi-eyed doctor was still seemingly looking at his paperwork, although Ulforce had to assume that one of his many eyes had managed to catch him in the act.

The knight sighed and relaxed his muscles, sitting back down on the bed. "You know, you'd make a good jailor…" he remarked. The joke was there, but his usual mirthful cadence and expression were not.

Duskmon stood up from his desk and walked out of his office, making his way over to UlforceVeedramon. "Perhaps I should switch jobs with Reapermon for a bit. He can come here from Havelock Prison and give you your checkups from now on," he said with a dry sense of humour.

UlforceVeedramon gave him a ghost of a smile. "Yeah…" he responded. He looked down at his lap. "I wasn't trying to escape; I really just wanted to try standing for a few seconds."

The physician sighed. "I can understand that, but you really shouldn't be standing without me here" he advised him. "You could fall and damage your leg further. That could set you back or even cause more serious injuries."

"Sorry…" UlforceVeedramon responded.

Duskmon looked at him with concern. UlforceVeedramon usually put up more resistance, but he seemed increasingly beaten down. "Are you feeling alright, UlforceVeedramon?"

UlforceVeedramon shrugged noncommittally.

A frown formed on Duskmon's many eyes. "What is it? I'm concerned about your state of mind."

The dragon knight sighed and rubbed his head. "I just hate lying around here being useless. And I feel like a dick for taking it out on Dukemon," he responded.

"I can understand your frustration, but you're healing. You've only been here for almost a week," Duskmon reasoned.

"I feel like I've been here for almost a month," UlforceVeedramon replied, downcast. His red eyes narrowed guiltily. "I feel like such a burden…"

Duskmon placed his hand on his left shoulder. "Maybe it would help if you spoke to a friend about it…" he suggested. "Want me to get Magnamon or somebody?"

UlforceVeedramon shrugged. "If you think it's best."

Duskmon nodded. "Wait here. I'll be right back," the physician stated. He turned around walked to the exit of medical bay, stepping out to find Magnamon.

UlforceVeedramon passively watched as Duskmon left. With the physician gone, he knew that he had an opportunity to escape. However, he had no intention of taking it; he didn't see the point.

The cobalt Royal Knight instead began fiddling with the LRAC around his wrist. Alphamon had given it to UlforceVeedramon so that he'd still be able to keep tabs on some of the things that were going on.

Unable to think of anything else to do, he turned it on and switched it to the Royal Knights' comm frequency.

At first, it was silent. He didn't hear any activity. He expected as much; there was rarely comm activity.

Just as UlforceVeedramon was about to lie back down on his, he could hear static coming from the LRAC. The hiss meant that there was another LRAC online that was trying to get though. UlforceVeedramon looked at the device interestedly.

"Hello, Control. This is Red-Eleven. Do you read me?" a deep, growly voice asked. UlforceVeedramon sat up straighter. He recognized the voice and codename as Examon's.

"Confirmed, Red-Eleven," the voice of the Guardromon working the communications room responded. "This is Control."

"Requesting that you patch me through to Black-One immediately," Examon said in a hurried voice. "Urgently."

"Acknowledged. Patching you through to Black-One's LRAC…" the Guardromon answered. "Hotline… Access… Connect OK. Black-One, there is an urgent message from Red-Eleven. You are connected. Black-One, please confirm."

UlforceVeedramon frowned and heard the static from Alphamon's LRAC. After a few moments, Alphamon responded. "Black-One, here. Yes, Red-Eleven?" Alphamon asked Examon.

"Red-Three and I are under attack at coordinates: beta seven, upsilon two. Requesting reinforcements to ensure the capture of three hostiles. One Knight should do," Examon said.

"I don't know if anybody will be able to arrive in time. It's at least an hour by flight," Alphamon answered. "Can you ensure capture on your own?"

"There is only one Ultimate, one Adult-class Hybrid, and either a Perfect-class Hybrid or an Ultimate. They shouldn't post a threat, but they may be able to outmanoeuvre us and escape," Examon calmly explained. "It would be- rrgh!"

The sound of a blast resonated through the speaker of the LRAC. UlforceVeedramon sneered and stood to his feet with worry, putting his pressure on his good leg.

"Red-Eleven, do you read me? Are you alright?" Alphamon asked.

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine. It's just—Rgh! He's on me!" Examon said between grunts of effort. It sounded like he was moving a lot and trying to avoid getting hit. "How can—This Blitzmon isn't ordinary. He moves too—This shouldn't be possible from an Adult-class."

"A Blitzmon?" Alphamon asked him with surprise. "Hold on, Red-Eleven, I'll—"

UlforceVeedramon flapped his wings and lifted his body off of the ground to take the pressure off of his legs. He raised his LRAC device to his mouth. "Blue-Seven here!" he suddenly spoke up with newly discovered determination in his voice. "Request acknowledged! Moving to reinforce!"

There was a moment of radio silence.

"…U-UlforceVeedramon?" Alphamon's voice asked, momentarily shocked enough to forgo his call sign. "But you're hurt. You can't!"

"I can," UlforceVeedramon responded, glaring with resolve. "I'm the _only_ one who can!"

"But your leg, Blue-Seven," Alphamon protested.

"I'll use my wings," UlforceVeedramon answered stubbornly, flapping his wings and shooting out of the medical bay and soaring down the wide corridor. "I'm the only one who's fast enough to make it there in time! I can be there in twenty minutes. Can you and Red-Three hold for that long, Red-Eleven?"

"Affirmative, but your leg. The g-forces might—"

UlforceVeedramon soared to the end of the corridor and made a sharp turn at the stairs, flying up them with deft aerial manoeuvres. "Hang tight! I'm heading to the armory for my equipment. Blue-Seven out!" He switched off his LRAC and cut the communication to avoid hearing Alphamon and Examon's protests.

He narrowed his eyes and made a direct flight to the building's exit. "_Hang on, Dukemon, Examon_," he thought to himself. He made sharp turn at the foyer that caused him to wince. The swerve was hard enough to put pressure on his injured leg and sent a jolt of pain up his body. UlforceVeedramon ignored it and made his way outside.

"_I'll back you up. I won't be a burden any longer…_"

* * *

"Final Elysion!"

Dukemon raised the radiant Aegis as the symbols on the shield lit up one at a time. The shield glowed with bright holy light that lit up the darkness around him before it pulsed with energy. A beam poured from the Aegis and tore horizontally across the ground.

GrandisKuwagamon deftly lunged into the air, beating his wings rapidly to avoid the torrent of energy. He gracefully flew up and started making a direct route for Dukemon as the beam passed below him. The beam exploded into the mountainside and sent rocks toppling down, causing Bolgmon to drive full speed to get out of the way.

Dukemon sneered and raised kept his eyes on GrandisKuwagamon as the beam subsided. Instead of waiting for the insect man to come to him, he decided to take him on directly. Dukemon dashed forwards and lunged into the air, driving the Gram towards GrandisKuwagamon.

The black mercenary spun his body in the air and narrowly dodged the stab. He flew past Dukemon, down along the length of his arm, and then righted himself in the air. Once he was behind the Royal Knight, he drove his Gran Killers towards Dukemon's back.

Sensing the action, Dukemon grunted and threw his left arm behind him so that the Aegis covered his caped back. The clawed gauntlets scraped along the Aegis with a horrible screeching noise and a flurry of sparks. Dukemon drove his feet into the grass and skidded while turning around to face the mercenary. Getting into a crouch, Dukemon thrust his lance towards the insect.

With surprising flexibility, GrandisKuwagamon bent back so that the lance passed over his upper body. Dukemon used the opportunity to rush forwards and ram GrandisKuwagamon with his shield. The blow knocked GrandisKuwagamon off his feet, but not before he snapped his forceps shut, narrowly missing the top of Dukemon's head.

The mercenary was sent skidding along the grass, but he was only down for a second before he did a backwards flip and got back to his feet in a fighting stance. He lowered his body and raised his Gran Killers. His red, compound eye glanced past Dukemon to see a light in the distance. GrandisKuwagamon smirked and flew straight up into the air.

Dukemon looked up at him suspiciously, raising his guard. "Huh?" he asked, surprised when GrandisKuwagamon didn't come back down.

"Ultimate Thunder!" Bolgmon called out from behind him. He released two orbs of lightning from his spinning arm cannons. The spheres pulsed out, connected by a single strand of electricity like a bolas. The lightning spun towards Dukemon, crackling and sparking dangerously.

Dukemon spun around and sneered as the oncoming attack. He raised the Aegis as the electricity surged towards him. While he managed to block one of the orbs of lightning with the shield, the other one coiled around him and sent electricity shooting up his armoured form. The crimson Royal Knight momentarily seized up and snarled with pain.

GrandisKuwagamon grinned and saw his opportunity. He rushed down towards Dukemon and drove his Gran Killer towards him.

Through his pain, Dukemon noticed this and forced himself to act. Despite his twitching muscles, he spun around and slashed his Gram towards the descending insect.

The mercenary was forced to alter his course and flip over the slash to avoid getting hit. GrandisKuwagamon landed behind Dukemon and drove his leg backwards, kicking out the back of Dukemon's knee. Dukemon's leg buckled and he fell to a knee. However, the Royal Knight acted quickly by throwing his shield arm behind him, driving the steel rim of the shield into GrandisKuwagamon's side.

GrandisKuwagamon grunted with pain and was sent staggering away from Dukemon. He nearly fell to the ground but he stabbed a Gran Killer into the earth to stop him. He grabbed a clump of grass and dirt in his hand before catching himself and standing upright. Both he and Dukemon spun around to face each other as they stood meters apart.

"You've got some moves for a mercenary like you. I'm impressed," Dukemon grudgingly complimented him, although not lowering his guard for a moment.

"Save your condescending praise, pretty boy. You Royal Knights aren't as great as you think you are," GrandisKuwagamon spat, throwing it back in his face. "You're just pomp, ideals, and a nice suit of armour."

Dukemon narrowed his eyes. "If that's true, you shouldn't have any problem beating me," the crimson knight responded.

"You're right," GrandisKuwagamon answered. Without warning, he threw the clump of dirt he was holding straight into Dukemon's visor. The dirt exploded on contact with the helmet and showered his eyes and face, obstructing his vision.

"Damn it!" Dukemon uttered, recoiling and growling, trying to blink the dirt out of his eyes.

GrandisKuwagamon grinned and saw his opening. He darted forwards and plunged his Gran Killers towards Dukemon's unprotected abdomen. The Royal Knight saw him approach through his blurred vision, and side-stepped while pushing the Gram outwards. He managed to use the lance as a barrier to keep the mercenary from getting too close, but GrandisKuwagamon still managed to cut along his side, digging into the crimson belts a bit.

Dukemon pushed him away and then spun around to drive his boot into GrandisKuwagamon, kicking him away. "Royal Sabre!" he called out, sending white energy spiralling around the Gram and culminating at its tip. An arrow of light burst from the Gram and descended on GrandisKuwagamon.

The black insect brought his Gran Killers in front of him like an 'X' to brace himself for the attack. The beam blasted into his thick gauntlets with incredible, burning force. Although he was spared the worst of the damage from the attack, the shock was still heavy enough to send him flying across the grass.

GrandisKuwagamon came to a sliding stop and rolled onto his back. He lay there and panted for no more than a moment before sitting up, his Gran Killers smoking from the blast. "I hardly felt that…" he taunted, standing back to his feet.

Dukemon wiped the dirt out of his eyes and stepped forwards. "Who are you working for?!" he called out, glaring as he approached.

"Whoever wants to pay us!" GrandisKuwagamon responded defiantly. "Oh, and you might wanna look out."

"Anti-Ground Ultimate Thunder!" Bolgmon yelled from the air.

Dukemon looked above him to see Bolgmon hovering in the sky, aiming his arm cannons down at him. He started firing a salvo of beam bullets from his cannons like Gatling guns. A barrage of energy blasts came raining down on him, strafing the ground and kicking dirt up everywhere.

Dukemon acted quickly, raising the Aegis over his head like an umbrella. He grunted with effort as the powerful beam blasts pelted his shield and he strained his arm to resist them. The fusillade of beams tore up the ground around him.

GrandisKuwagamon started dashing towards the suppressed Royal Knight and signaled Bolgmon to stop, who was beginning to lose aerial propulsion anyways. Bolgmon stopped firing and began to descend towards the ground and GrandisKuwagamon rushed into the smoky haze that Dukemon was within.

When the barrage stopped, Dukemon was about to act, but GrandisKuwagamon burst through the smoke in front of him. The insect mercenary drove his spiked knee into Dukemon's gut and then opened his blade-like mandibles wide. "Grandis Scissors!"

Despite the pain, Dukemon reacted quickly. He raised the Aegis in front of him right as the pincers snapped shut, causing them to harmlessly hit the edges of his trusty shield. With his opponent directly in front of him, but too close for him to use the Gram, he started pouring energy into the Aegis. "Final Elysion!"

"Shit," GrandisKuwagamon swore, watching the shield glow with energy directly in front of his face. He drove his boot into the shield and kicked off of it, flying back into the air.

Instead of following through with the attack, Dukemon swept his arm out and threw the shield like a discus. The Aegis spun towards GrandisKuwagamon and went right between his mandibles, hitting him painfully in his face. GrandisKuwagamon let out a cuss of pain and fell out of the sky, but managed to land on the ground on a knee. Dukemon then levelled his lance with him. "Royal Saber!" he shouted, firing a beam of radiant power towards GrandisKuwagamon.

The insect mercenary dove out of the way in time but was sent reeling from the resulting explosion.

Meanwhile, Bolgmon hit the ground and floored it across the grass. While GrandisKuwagamon was busy with Dukemon, he turned his attention to Examon, who was contending with Blitzmon.

"Lightning Blitz!" Blitzmon spoke as he flew through the air. A bolt of lightning surged from his horn and snapped through the sky towards Examon.

Examon pulled up one of his Caledflwch wings and used the chrome digizoid coating as a shield, causing the electricity to dance along the metal. The dragon winced at the numbing surge but soon swept his wing out and aimed the Ambrosius at the approaching Blitzmon.

"Hahaaha! Ultimate Thunder!" Bolgmon shouted out from below, a malevolent grin on his face as he aimed his spinning cannons at Examon. "Eat this, lizard!" The cannons surged with electricity and he fired the lightning orbs towards Examon.

Examon noticed out of the corner of his eye and immediately flapped his wings to fly up and avoid them. He watched the electric bolas pass below him and streak into the night sky. The Royal Knight spun in the air to aim his Ambrosius down at Bolgmon.

"Avalon's Gate!" he spoke, firing a shell from the lance down towards Bolgmon. The shell casing broke open midway during flight and released a multitude of anti-personnel ball bearings towards Bolgmon.

Bolgmon raised his cannon arms to protect himself from the scattershot, which tore into the ground around him and ricocheted off of his metal body. "It'll take more than pellets to take me down, dumbass!" Bolgmon shouted up at him. "Now come down here so I can tear those wings of yours off!"

Examon was about to fire at him again, but then he remembered about Blitzmon. He spun towards the blue and yellow humanoid bug but was surprised to see that he was already upon him. Blitzmon closed in on him, his hands and wrists cloaked in electricity.

"Thor's Hammer!" he shouted. He raised his clasped hands over his head and brought down the electricity-charged fists down on Examon like a hammer. The fists slammed into Examon's face and sent a shock of electricity through him.

The draconic Royal Knight winced with pain as he was pushed down through the air. Reflexively, he turned the Ambrosius towards Blitzmon and fired a beam from the weapon. Blitzmon swerved to the side with extreme agility, enough to dodge the brunt of the shot. The laser seared across his armoured shoulder however, burning through it but missing flesh.

"Megaton Punch!" Blitzmon retaliated, shooting down at nearly lightning speeds and levelling a heavy punch with Examon's armoured chest. Although the armour absorbed much of the blow, Examon was forced back through the air.

Examon grunted and caught himself before aiming his lance again. "You aren't normal. A Blitzmon shouldn't be able to give a Royal Knight this much trouble."

Blitzmon grinned and hovered in place, letting lightning spark along his body. "Don't be fooled, lizard. I have enough strength to become a RhinoKabuterimon. Speed is just more my style than pure defence and firepower. Between my years of training and my X-Antibody, I'm more than a match for any Ultimate level Digimon," he explained. "Underestimate me all you want."

Bolgmon unleashed a cackle of bloodlust as well. "Ditto for me! Now try some of this! Field Destroyer!" He planted himself against the ground and aimed his cannon horn up towards Examon. He fired a beam powerful enough to push him down into the earth. The torrent of positrons streaked through the air towards Examon.

Examon grunted at the thick, all-consuming beam. Not positive he could avoid it, he cloaked his Caledfwlch wings around his body. The beam slammed into the chrome digizoid with crushing force. Examon snarled as he held against the blast, feeling the laser heat his wings to painful levels as it parted around him. He could tell from the sheer pressure of the beam that getting hit by something this strong might very well be a death wish. This Bolgmon was in the same level of Ultimate as well.

Finally, the beam weakened and subsided, allowing Examon to unfurl his smoking and pained wings. The Chrome Digizoid metal around them glowed a dim orange from the heat. He had also been pushed back in the air a considerable amount by the blast.

"_I need to gain altitude,_" he thought to himself, flapping his wings and beginning to rise into the air.

"I don't think so," Blitzmon stated, sensing Examon's intentions. "Lightning Blitz!"

Examon saw a bolt of lightning pierce through the air towards him. He swooped to avoid it, narrowly missing the electrified stream as it shot above him.

Bolgmon drove out of the ground and started to build electricity up in his cannon arms again. He took aim at Examon and smirked darkly. "Ultimate Thunder!" he shouted, unleashing a dual blast of lightning from his cannon ports.

Examon saw this second blast of electricity shoot towards him, prompting him to flap his wings hard and shoot into the sky to avoid it. He snarled with annoyance. These two mercenaries worked well as a team. "Pendragon's Glory!" he said, aiming the lance at Bolgmon and firing a high-powered laser from the Ambrosius.

The thick laser tore through the air and plummeted down onto Bolgmon. The armoured insect braced himself for the attack as the beam swallowed his form and vaporized the ground around him. When the beam subsided, he was still standing, although his body was smoking and his armour was fractured in some places.

Bolgmon growled and drove out from the smoke and dust with an enraged look in his eyes. "Now you've pissed me off, lizard!" he shouted furiously. "I'm gonna choke you with your own tail!"

Examon ignored the threat and quickly turned towards Blitzmon, who shot towards him to take advantage of his distraction. He was prepared this time and angled his lance with Blitzmon right as the mercenary came close. "Avalon's Gate!" he shouted, unleashing a shell from the Ambrosius nearly point blank into Blitzmon's chest.

The shell burst open and coated Blitzmon's front with ice, knocking him back through the air. Examon then rushed forwards and drove his clawed fist into Blitzmon's face, throwing him away.

Finally getting a moment of reprieve, Examon panted and looked around, surveying the situation. He expected Bolgmon to target him soon and he assumed that Blitzmon would quickly recover. "Dukemon!" Examon called out, looking over at his friend to see how he was doing.

He saw that Dukemon was still in a brutal melee with GrandisKuwagamon. The insect pulled his hair and Dukemon responded by bashing him away with his shield and then following up with a lance strike to GrandisKuwagamon's thick carapace. GrandisKuwagamon slashed Dukemon's bicep with his Gran Killers, drawing three light cuts underneath the fabric. Dukemon winced and lunged into the air, driving his boot into GrandisKuwagamon's mouth.

Once there was distance between them, Dukemon unleashed a beam from his lance towards GrandisKuwagamon. Staggering from the blow, the insect Digimon just barely managed to jump to avoid the blast, though the resulting explosion threw him away further.

Dukemon panted and sweat dripped down his body. He turned to Examon. "Yeah?!" he called back.

Examon fired a high explosive shell down at Bolgmon as the insect tore across the grass, but the tank Digimon took a sharp turn to avoid the shell. The explosion rippled into the air and nearly knocked Bolgmon off of his treads. The dragon Royal Knight grunted and turned back to Dukemon. "How are you holding up?!" he asked.

"Okay!" Dukemon responded. "Didn't expect these guys to be this tough!"

"Me neither! I have my claws full right now! I think I can hold them off, but-"

"Behind you, Examon!" Dukemon called out to him.

Examon spun around and saw Blitzmon surging towards him with a sparking horn. "Lightning Bomber!"

The dragon gritted his teeth and raised his lance to retaliate. "Avalon's—

"Shining V-Force!"

A golden laser streamed through the sky and slammed into Blitzmon's side. The mercenary unleashed a surprised shout and was thrown out of the sky by the blast.

As the mercenary fell to the ground, Examon lowered the Ambrosius and turned his head. He saw a cobalt blur shooting towards them through the night sky.

Within moments, UlforceVeedramon appeared nearby. Clad in full armour, he stopped his flight and hovered in the air. His cast-bound leg hung limply and he panted with exertion but he managed a grin when he looked at Examon. "Reinforcements have arrived!" he declared.

Dukemon looked over with shock. "Ulforce?!"

UlforceVeedramon flashed him a half-smile and gave him the V-sign with his fingers. "I'm supposed to be in bed, you know; I really shouldn't be saving your butts like this."

Dukemon managed a slight grin and started running over towards the two Royal Knights.

At the same time, Black Pincer Company was also regrouping. Bolgmon helped Blitzmon stand up and GrandisKuwagamon landed nearby.

"Damn it," GrandisKuwagamon hissed, clenching his fists. "There's three of them now. What d'you say? We each take one?"

Blitzmon grimaced at the situation. "No… We should retreat. We lost our numerical advantage and I don't know if we can face them one-on-one in a straight up fight," he explained. "I don't feel good about our chances."

"What?" GrandisKuwagamon asked incredulously. "We can't run! And look at that guy!" He pointed to UlforceVeedramon. "He's in a cast! Just kick his bad leg really hard!"

"He's got a point, Blitzie," Bolgmon said.

"He's the fastest Royal Knight out of all of them," Blitzmon argued. "There might be more of them on the way. They came here to take us down, so that's what they intend to do. We should run and fight another day."

GrandisKuwagamon narrowed his eye. "Yeah, but… our hideout! We can't abandon it! All our money's there!" he protested.

"All our stuff too!" Bolgmon agreed.

"You think I don't know that?!" Blitzmon fired back with uncharacteristic anger. "We don't have a choice! We don't have time to get it. The longer we stay here, the more screwed we are!"

"Damn!" GrandisKuwagamon swore angrily, realizing the truth in Blitzmon's words but not wanting to admit it. "I can't believe this. And I just got that new dartboard too. ...Looks like we've got no choice."

"Damn it! Those fucking Royal Knights! How did they find out about us?! They're going to pay for this!" Bolgmon raged, glaring hard at the three Royal Knights in the distance. He began to build energy up in his nose cannon and he raised the tracking system on his back to get a lock on them. "I'm gonna fry those bastards…"

Meanwhile, the Royal Knights gathered themselves. UlforceVeedramon and Examon hovered a few meters above the ground while Dukemon looked up at them. "Are you sure you should be here, Ulforce?" Dukemon asked, looking at his leg with concern.

"No," UlforceVeedramon admitted with a slight grin. "But I couldn't just sit around while you two were in danger."

"If you're going to help us fight them, you should stick to strafing, Ulforce," Examon advised him.

"Yeah, I guess," UlforceVeedramon said.

Dukemon was about to speak, but he suddenly frowned when he saw energy brimming from Bolgmon's horn. "Look out, guys!" he announced, gripping the Aegis and raising it up.

"I'll handle this," UlforceVeedramon told them, flying forwards.

"DIE!" Bolgmon shouted in a savage rage. "Field Destroyer!"

His two comrades stood back as a pillar of energy ripped from his cannon. The positronic beam roared as it hurdled towards the three Royal Knights, tearing up the ground and vaporizing everything in its path.

UlforceVeedramon jumped in front of Dukemon and Examon, who came up behind the cobalt dragon knight and pushed against him to help him brace for the impact. "Tense Great Shield!" he called out, extending a barrier from his V-Bracelet that swept out around the three Royal Knights.

The beam slammed into the barrier and tore against it. The shield held firm as tendrils of positrons split out around the shield and obliterated the ground around them. UlforceVeedramon put all of his pressure onto his good leg, but he was able to stand firm thanks to Dukemon and Examon behind him. They pushed his body and kept him from being pushed back, forcing them to dig their feet into the ground to do so.

The laser finally subsided and there was a massive, smoking trench leading from the Royal Knights to Black Pincer Company near the base of the mountain. The three Royal Knights slackened momentarily and UlforceVeedramon retracted his barrier. Once he did, Dukemon raised the Aegis towards the mercenaries, Examon aimed the Ambrosius, and UlforceVeedramon began to build up energy into the golden crest

They watched as GrandisKuwagamon slide-evolved into his larger GranKuwagamon form.

"Do they still want to fight?" UlforceVeedramon asked, preparing to attack.

Dukemon narrowed his eyes at the three mercenaries. To his surprise, he watched as GranKuwagamon grabbed hold of Bolgmon, and Blitzmon jumped onto his winged back.

"Zone Black Hole!" GranKuwagamon said bitterly, tearing a rift in the fabric of space. "Later, suckers!"

Dukemon's eyed widened. "They're trying to escape! Examon!"

Examon's gaze narrowed. "Avalon's Gate!" he said, firing at shell at GranKuwagamon. The shell was loaded with a paralyzing virus that would keep GranKuwagamon from moving.

However, as soon as he fired, GranKuwagamon was already moving with his passengers. He flew through the spacial rift and disappeared within the dark abyss. As soon as the rift closed, the virus-loaded shell shot through the air, exactly where he had been standing.

"Damn it!" Dukemon swore with frustration. "They got away!"

Examon grimaced. "Sorry…" he apologised for not firing quickly enough.

"It's not your fault…" Dukemon said with a disappointed sigh. He turned his gaze towards the mouth of the cave where Bolgmon had fired the first shot from. "Well, at least there's still their hideout."

UlforceVeedramon grinned a bit. "Yeah. That's still a victory. Maybe we'll find something useful," he pointed out, flapping his blue and pink wings so that he could hover off of the ground.

"Let's check it out, guys," Dukemon said to the others. He looked up at UlforceVeedramon. "Do you need any help?"

Examon looked at him too. "How's the leg? Did the g-forces cause you problems?" he questioned.

UlforceVeedramon shook his head. "I only need help walking," he replied to the first question before looking at Examon. "My body can handle those speeds. My leg might be a little swollen right now though. No big deal."

"If you're sure," Examon replied. He began walking across the battle-torn grass, towards the cliffs of the Dragon Mountains.

Dukemon walked along beside him. "It's too bad they got away. They were tough, but I think we could have taken them down," he stated.

"We've deprived them of their hideout, at least," Examon replied as he walked along the deep trench that the beam blast had created.

"And I'm sure the UDC will thank you for getting a few mercs out of their territory," UlforceVeedramon said, flying along at a leisurely pace so that he didn't get ahead of Dukemon and Examon.

Examon smiled a bit. "I don't know about that…" he answered resignedly.

Dukemon turned and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Examon sighed softly and rubbed the back of his head. "Nothing really…" he responded dismissively. As they began to approach the hideout entrance, Examon took a step forward. "I'll go in first. You help UlforceVeedramon, Dukemon. I don't think there's enough room for him to fly in there."

Dukemon looked up at UlforceVeedramon a bit uncertainly. "Uh… Is that okay with you?" he asked him, not wanting to step on his toes again.

UlforceVeedramon appeared sheepish. "Yeah, it's fine," he answered, landing beside Dukemon and balancing on one leg.

Dukemon placed his left arm around UlforceVeedramon's back, underneath the base of the dragon man's wings. UlforceVeedramon responded by placing his arm over Dukemon's caped shoulders so that he could stand comfortably.

Examon led the way inside, making his way down the dark entrance tunnel. He noticed an electric lamp lying on the ground, so he picked it up and turned it on to light the way. The dragon Royal Knight ventured forth inside the hideout, being careful in case of potential traps. However, it didn't look like there were any.

Dukemon and UlforceVeedramon followed behind him, treading cautiously. There was an uncomfortable silence between them.

Ahead of the three was a large room, lit up by a single lantern on a table. Examon walked ahead and entered the room, looking around. "They have a couch," he observed. "And a dart board…"

"Not what I was expecting from an evil hideout," Dukemon admitted, following him inside with UlforceVeedramon.

"Even mercs need to relax," UlforceVeedramon pointed out.

Examon looked to the tunnel on the other side of the room. "Why don't I go ahead?" he suggested. "You two can look around here."

"Sounds fine with me," Dukemon agreed, glancing around at the room. "If there's any trouble, call out."

Examon nodded and walked across the room to the tunnel leading deeper into the hideout. Once there, he peered down the dark tunnel and walked inside. Fortunately, he was roughly around the size of Bolgmon, so he was able to fit through the tunnels without too much effort.

Meanwhile, Dukemon helped UlforceVeedramon sit down on the couch. The blue Royal Knight leaned back against the sofa and glanced at Dukemon. "Thanks…" he sheepishly said.

"No problem, Ulforce," Dukemon responded. He began to turn so that he could look around the room.

"Uh, Dukemon…" UlforceVeedramon spoke up, stopping him.

Dukemon turned and looked at him curiously.

The Royal Knight looked away from Dukemon's gaze and gazed down at his lap in shame. "I'm… sorry," he said, wincing as he spoke. "I didn't mean what I said… About you and…" He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I don't know what I was thinking."

Dukemon stopped and turned towards UlforceVeedramon with surprise. "It's… It's okay, Ulforce," he responded, offering a half smile.

"No, it's not… I shouldn't have lashed out at you," UlforceVeedramon said ashamedly. "I was angry at my situation so I took it out on you… I hate that I used the Digital Hazard as a cheap shot. You know I didn't mean it, pal..."

Dukemon smiled more genuinely. "I didn't exactly handle the situation great myself… Tact was never my strong point," he admitted.

"Not mine either," UlforceVeedramon said, grinning as well. He sheepishly offered his hand to Dukemon. "So… Yeah. Sorry for being an ass."

The crimson knight took his hand. "I'd shake it if I wasn't worried about dislocating your shoulder," he teased.

UlforceVeedramon chuckled and lightly shook Dukemon's hand.

Dukemon let go and placed his hands on his hips, looking at the cobalt knight curiously. "So… What made you have a personality swap?" he asked him. "Was it getting beaten by Suijinmon?"

UlforceVeedramon pulled his hand back and scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Not really…" he responded. He closed his eyes. "I guess I felt guilty…"

Dukemon frowned and sat down on the footrest across from UlforceVeedramon. "Guilty…?" he asked quizzically.

"Yeah… Like I was holding all of you back," he admitted, looking at Dukemon and giving him a forced smile. "I think if I'm not helping out or doing something productive, I feel like I'm a burden."

The smile disappeared and he sighed. "All those days lying in bed, doing nothing while you all were preparing for a war… I felt useless," UlforceVeedramon explained. "I felt like I was dragging the rest of you down with my injuries. If I can't help the Order out then…" He paused. "I just feel guilty if I can't contribute in some way. Even if it's something as small as a joke to lighten the mood." He smiled resignedly. "It's dumb and conceited, I know. You guys would be perfectly fine without me."

"It wouldn't be the same without you, though," Dukemon told him with an amicable smile. "You're an important member of the team, Ulforce. You're never a burden. Dumb jokes and all."

"Hell, you're making me blush, Dukemon," UlforceVeedramon said with a laugh, rubbing the back of his head, though he really was tinting a bit. "...Hey, I never said my jokes were dumb!"

The two knights laughed and Dukemon began to walk around the couch. "Okay," he said, walking over to the nearby desk. "I'd better start looking around for stuff."

On top of the desk was a map of the Free Area, bought from a cartographer. Below the more official map was a crudely drawn map of Castle Albion. Scribbled on it were arrows indicating possible approaches. Dukemon took note that there was a circle around where MetallifeKuwagamon's room was located inside the castle.

Dukemon glared at the piece of paper. "…So, it really was them…" he muttered.

UlforceVeedramon looked over from the couch. "Huh?" he asked him.

"Black Pincer Company," Dukemon explained. "They were the ones who attacked us."

UlforceVeedramon sat up in his seat. "What?!" he demanded. "Them? But I thought…"

Dukemon winced. "So did I… Dorbickmon said that they were hired to play us off the Metal Empire. They wanted us to think it was the Metal Empire who attacked us. And we fell for it…"

"It's not like it made much of a difference. The Metal Empire attacked us without any prompting. We're at war whether we like it or not," UlforceVeedramon said bitterly. "This won't change anything for Chaosdramon."

"You're right… Still, I don't understand who's benefitting from this," Dukemon spoke. "And how did they know about MetallifeKuwagamon? We've kept his involvement with us a secret. Only the Warrior Ten know about him, and they know not to mention him to anybody. It doesn't make sense."

"I'm sure the Metal Empire suspects that we've been harbouring him," UlforceVeedramon reasoned. "We can't rule out the idea that somebody from the Metal Empire is their client. Maybe somebody who wants an excuse to go to war with us, or maybe it's just Chaosdramon's way of making it seem like he isn't the aggressor."

"It's possible…" Dukemon said with a sigh. "Either way, we need to tell the others."

"Dukemon," Examon's voice called out from the tunnel he walked down.

Dukemon turned towards the passage and saw Examon emerge. "Did you find anything?" he asked him.

Examon nodded. "A lot of documents. A list of jobs they've taken… contracts… bookkeeping for their earnings and expenditures," he explained. "And also…"

"What, Ex-sama?" UlforceVeedramon asked him.

"I also found their stockpile. There's a lot of money there… Probably from ill-gotten means," Examon explained.

"Interesting…" Dukemon said. He turned to UlforceVeedramon. "Ulforce, I want you to fly back to the castle. Examon and I will look around and secure this place. Tell the others what we've found and tell them to send a team so we can clear the place out. There might be more information that we missed."

UlforceVeedramon grinned. "Do I have to…? I'm not ready to face the wrath of the nightmare doctor yet," he joked.

Dukemon smirked. "You'll be fine, but I can't guarantee he won't strap you down for the next week," he replied, walking around the couch. He offered his hand to UlforceVeedramon. "I'll walk you out."

"Okay, okay," UlforceVeedramon complied, taking his hand and getting pulled up. "Wish me luck, Ex-sama."

"Good luck. And thanks for showing up," Examon told him.

"My pleasure," UlforceVeedramon said, putting his arm over Dukemon's shoulders. He gave Dukemon a meaningful look of appreciation.

Dukemon responded with a warm grin. "Okay, let's go…" he said, beginning to help UlforceVeedramon walk up the tunnel leading outside. "And… I have something I want to tell you and the others at some point."

UlforceVeedramon was intrigued. "Sure thing," he said to him. A smile formed on his face. "Maybe if I'm still in one piece after the others are through with me."

Dukemon laughed and helped UlforceVeedramon outside. "Just lay on that Ulforce charm."

Examon managed a smile as he watched the two Royal Knights disappear up the dark tunnel. He closed his eyes and thought to himself. "_Even if there's not a place for me in the UDC anymore, there's still a place for me with the Royal Knights… I can relax, knowing that_…"

With that thought, he went back to his duty of searching the captured hideout.


	21. Chapter 14: Forlorn Hope

(Author's Notes: Here's Chapter 14. Enjoy!)

**Chapter 14: Forlorn Hope**

Duftmon stood at the apex of a small hill.

A soft wind blew through his blond hair from behind him, causing it to lightly blow against his back. He rested his hands on the hilt of his sword, whose tip stuck into the ground. Meditatively, his green eyes surveyed the grasslands below. Apart from the incline he was on, the terrain was largely flat and nondescript. There was a series of small hills in the distance, much like the ones around him. The sides of the plain were flat and predictable, much like the field itself. He had chosen this area.

This was to be their battlefield.

Several days had passed since Examon and Dukemon's encounter with Black Pincer Company. They had returned to the Royal Knights with what they had found, and their hideout was taken under control and cleared out. Despite the fact that there was good evidence that it was the mercenaries and their unknown client that attacked Castle Albion, it didn't change the fact that the Metal Empire had attacked the Royal Knights before. It also didn't change that fact that the Metal Empire had moved into the territory to the west of the Mamemon Kingdom, with full intent to attack the Mamemon Kingdom itself. The Royal Knights were still at war.

Under OuRyuumon's command, the Strike Forces had gone ahead and set up camp north of the Champion River. Duftmon, along with Dukemon, Craniamon, Dynasmon, and RhodoKnightmon, arrived yesterday afternoon. The battle group was to intercept a sizeable D-Brigade advance force that was trying to take control of the hills to the south of the Mamemon Kingdom. The Royal Knights needed to stop them so that they wouldn't be able to flank the small country.

The battle was to be today. He could already see the D-Brigade getting into formation on the opposite end of the field. They had accepted Duftmon's challenge. Standing on the hill opposite to him, he could just barely make out the figures of the enemy commanders.

Duftmon watched as the Strike Forces got into formation in the fields below. The Strike Forces were sub-divided into two groups: the Ground Strike Forces and the Aerial Strike Forces. Every so often, depending on the battle, there were special groups assembled from the Order's members, such as a long-range bombardment detachment or a group to serve as countermeasures for a particular type of Digimon. For this particular battle, Duftmon deemed it unnecessary.

At the moment, Duftmon had divided the Ground Strike Forces more or less evenly in a standard formation. The strongest troops were at the center and they were the brawn of the fighting force whose job it was to advance and break the enemy lines. Slightly weaker but more manoeuvrable contingents made up the left and right wings of the formation, whose job it was to flank and counter-flank. Meanwhile, the Aerial Strike Forces flew to the rear of the Ground Strike Forces. Their job was to provide aerial cover, bombardment, high-manoeuvre flanking, and air superiority.

In addition to the Strike Forces, Duftmon also borrowed a team of Shield Guards to act as the vanguard for the Strike Force's center. Their job was to protect the Strike Forces from attacks using their high defence capabilities. Duftmon also took a handful of scouts for scouting the enemy and light skirmishing.

As much as he watched his own forces get into position, Duftmon watched the movements of the enemy forces equally as much. He read the enemy's movements. The battle had started before a single attack was launched.

"Hmph," Duftmon calmly scoffed, closing his eyes. "Amateurish…"

Dukemon looked over at the tactician curiously. He was sitting on hill with his Gram and Aegis in hand. Also nearby was Dynasmon, who was cracking his knuckles and seemed to be eager to get the battle started. Further down the hill was RhodoKnightmon, who lazily relaxed in the grass and watched the clouds pass overhead. Not far off was Craniamon, who was alternating between doing stretches and practicing his combat form.

"What is?" Dukemon asked him.

"The enemy's formation," Duftmon responded, tapping his foot. "He's waiting for me to place the rest of you before placing his own troops. He honestly thinks that he can direct the tide of battle now, but he's really just reacting to me. With amateur tactics like that, he has already lost."

Dukemon stood to his feet and stretched. "You think so…?" the crimson knight mused. "Our formations seem pretty standard too, though."

Duftmon gave him a sideways look. "That is intentional; I am allowing for the greatest degree of flexibility from our soldiers. I expect the D-Brigade Commander to make a rookie mistake that we might be able to capitalize on. Our Aerial Strike Forces will be the key element in this battle; they will be able to take advantage of the mistake before the enemy is able to correct it."

"What makes you think the enemy commander will make a mistake?" Dukemon questioned the leopard knight.

"I suspect that it is either Fujinmon or Suijinmon in charge. While the D-Brigade excels in special operations, they are not yet proven in standard warfare. They have little practical experience on the battlefield, aside from their naval feats in the Pirate Wars. However, pirates aren't exactly what you would call 'challenging foes'," Duftmon explained. "Especially not compared to a master tactician and an experienced, well-trained army."

"Don't underestimate them, Duftmon," Dukemon said. "They wouldn't go to war if they weren't ready."

"The Metal Empire went to war because we dared to stand up to them. Now they have to brandish their rusty weapons and make a show of opposing us, because they know that their empire is built on flimsy ground. It is pure bluster without any real substance," Duftmon answered. The brown armoured tactician turned his head when he saw the patrol of scouts returning.

The Horusmon flew forwards and landed on the hill before them. His feathers were a bit ruffled, but he was otherwise fine. "Sir Duftmon," he spoke, bowing his head upon landing.

"What have you to report?" Duftmon questioned.

"We got into a minor skirmish with the enemy when we penetrated the enemy lines," the Horusmon responded. "We confirmed that the enemy commanders are Suijinmon and Fujinmon. It seems like Suijinmon has taken up the role of tactician."

"I expected as much," the tactician responded. "This battle is too concentrated so he will be sitting out. His firepower is useless here. Was there anything else?"

"There is actually…" Horusmon answered with a thoughtful frown. "We saw a large detachment of D-Brigade troops in the distance, far beyond those hills. About fifty in number. It was strange…"

Duftmon closed his eyes. "That is their rear guard," he answered confidently. "Standard tactics. Suijinmon is cautious and likely insecure about having a field battle. He wants to protect his rear so that he won't be surprised and made to look foolish in front of Chaosdramon after his last failure."

Horusmon bowed his head. "With the utmost respect, Sir Duftmon, I'm not sure about that… It looked like they were doing something. I couldn't tell what, but they were definitely doing something strange. I remember seeing a Breakdramon."

"Most likely it is a D-Brigade sub-commander," Duftmon said with a dismissive wave. "It is definitely their rear guard."

Horusmon frowned uncertainly but nodded. "Yes, Sir," he answered, flying off to meet the rest of the returning scouts.

Before Dukemon could say anything, he noticed OuRyuumon flying up towards them. The Captain's serpentine body snaked through the air as he flew over. After swooping down, the gold dragon landed in front of them.

"Duftmon," OuRyuumon said to him. "Does the formation of the Ground Strike Forces look good?"

Duftmon looked past him and nodded. "Spread them out a little bit more. Otherwise, it's fine," he stated.

"And the Aerial Strike Forces?" OuRyuumon asked.

"They will hold back for now. Have them provide bombardment for our advance and take care of the enemy fliers, but don't let them get too far ahead or break rank," the Royal Knight told him. "We will begin in twenty minutes."

OuRyuumon nodded and flew off to consult with his leftenants.

Dynasmon walked over and folded his arms. "Where do you want us?" he asked. RhodoKnightmon and Craniamon walked over to him as well.

"Dynasmon. You and Dukemon take the left flank. Go to the front of the wing. You'll see how Suijinmon reacts; he will counter you just as expected," Duftmon responded. He then looked past the two dragon men to Craniamon and RhodoKnightmon. "RhodoKnightmon, you take the center. Craniamon, you take the right flank."

"Huh?" Craniamon questioned, his eyes narrowing with displeasure. "You want me to take the flank? I should take the center. They'll be in the thick of the fighting."

"I feel like I would be best suited in Craniamon's place on the flank," RhodoKnightmon concurred. "I don't want to get bogged down in a heavy melee when I am better at using my speed our advantage."

"Rather, Craniamon wants to satiate his bloodlust and you want an easy job on the flank where the fighting is reduced," Duftmon curtly clarified. He looked at Craniamon. "I have placed you in these positions based on your abilities. You are on par with Sleipmon for the best defence capabilities. I need your skills to bolster the right flank's power and defence." He then turned his gaze to RhodoKnightmon. "And your high offence and versatility are required in the center. Both of you can handle that, can't you? I have a plan for this battle, you realise."

RhodoKnightmon lowered his gaze with annoyance. "Yes, I can, Duftmon."

Craniamon scoffed and looked away indignantly. "Fine. I still think it's waste of talent," he brusquely responded.

"Think that all you like. As long as you do your job like you are supposed to," Duftmon countered offhandedly. He placed the Shoumatsu no Tsurugi against his shoulder, tapping it against his armour. "It is almost time. Dukemon, Dynasmon, please get into your positions now. Make sure that the enemy sees you."

Dukemon exchanged looks with Dynasmon. "Alright," he agreed. "What about the force that Horusmon mentioned?"

"You mean the rear guard," Duftmon stated certainly. "In the worst case scenario, they will come to reinforce the main force in the late stages of the battle once the table has turned. In the best case scenario, the battle will be over before they have the chance to act."

"Well, okay," Dukemon said with a compliant nod. He turned to the larger dragon man beside him. "Let's go, Dynasmon."

Dynasmon cricked his head to the side, popping his joints. "Okay. Wish us luck," he said, beginning to walk down the hill.

"Keep your LRACs on and adjusted to the right frequency."

Dukemon and Dynasmon made their way to the bottom of the hill, where the large amounts of Strike Forces were getting into an orderly formation. They made their way through the lines and uttered encouraging words to the Digimon that they passed. The two Royal Knights walked out in front of the army and made their way over to the left flank.

As they did that in full view of the D-Brigade army on the opposite end of the battlefield, Duftmon gazed at the enemy forces. He grinned when he saw Suijinmon directing the remainder of his troops over to their right flank in order to compensate for the two Royal Knights on the Order's left flank. Duftmon knew that Suijinmon had been waiting to see where he would place the majority of the Royal Knights, and then placing the rest of his soldiers to bolster that side.

"As predictable as I thought. What a disappointment," Duftmon mumbled to himself, shaking his head. He glanced at the two remaining Royal Knights. "When you two get in position, we will begin our advance. Tell OuRyuumon."

RhodoKnightmon and Craniamon nodded. They began to stride down the hill towards the field. RhodoKnightmon walked through the lines to the center formation, while Craniamon walked along to the right flank.

The rose knight walked up beside OuRyuumon, who stood at the front of the army, beside Leftenant Grademon, who commanded the Ground Strike Forces, and Leftenant Shoutmon X4K, who commanded the Shield Guards. The dragon captain, the golden warrior, and the caped, shield-bearing mecha turned towards RhodoKnightmon.

RhodoKnightmon glanced at them and then looked forwards at the D-Brigade army. He could see them finishing up their formations. "We are starting now," RhodoKnightmon told them.

OuRyuumon looked over his shoulder at Duftmon, who continued standing on the hill to command the battle.

Duftmon raised his rapier over his head and then gracefully pointed it forwards, signalling to advance.

OuRyuumon looked forwards and drew his scimitars, pointing the Gairyu Udaijin ahead of him. "Advance!" he called out to the Strike Forces.

Shoutmon X4K followed suit with his glowing sword. "Go, Shield Guards! Don't let a single attack through!" he ordered, raising his silver shield in front of him and leading the advance ahead of the Ground Strike Forces.

Duftmon watched from the hill as the center of the army began to move forwards. The two wings moved in tandem with the center so that it wasn't exposed at any point. At the back of the Order's army was a Dondokomon who drummed on his head in order to set a rhythm for the march and adrenalize the Order's soldiers.

The tactician gazed across the battlefield to the enemy side. "Valiant effort, Suijinmon, but this battle was over before it even began..."

* * *

Suijinmon stood on the hill on the opposite end of the battlefield, watching as the Royal Knights began to advance towards them. He quietly raised one of his oversized, mechanical Accel Arms, signalling to the D-Brigade troops to begin their engagement.

"Good luck, troops. Commence bombardment," the red armoured machine spoke calmly.

The din of cannon and gunfire suddenly erupted. As the D-Brigade mechanized infantry began launching a salvo of munitions, the cacophony of metal and gunpowder deafened this side of the battlefield. Tankmon, Tankdramon, Megadramon and Gigadramon began firing their shells, bullets and missiles.

The frontline of the Order's army withstood the attacks using their thick shields and bodies, allowing the bullets to deflect off and the shells to explode in front of them without much damage. Meanwhile, the Aerial Strike Forces launched their own barrage of attacks to intercept the salvo of missiles before they could rain down on the forces below. A series of explosions blossomed and thundered across the sky as the munitions exploded.

As the first round of D-Brigade attacks faded, the Aerial Strike Forces responded with their own set of attacks, which blasted into the frontlines of the D-Brigade's aerial forces and the advancing ground troops. Suijinmon narrowed his eyes as he watched the colourful attacks explode across the landscape and some of his soldiers were deleted.

He closed his eyes and released a calming breath through his vents when he sensed Fujinmon land beside him on the hill.

The slender, green Digimon gracefully touched down beside the bulky, crimson tactician. Fujinmon's Critical Arms were activated and the two beam blades hummed from the energy they emitted. He turned his head and looked up Suijinmon. "Will you be sitting out of this battle, Suijinmon?" he asked the Waterfall Commander.

Suijinmon opened an eye and glanced down at Fujinmon. "Affirmative. It is up to me to see that this battle goes according to plan," he responded. "I would not be of much use in this situation anyways."

"Very well," Fujinmon responded, his green, wire-like hair blowing in the breeze. "The wind is against us. Where do you want me?"

Suijinmon glanced over to their right flank, opposite to the Royal Knights' left flank where Dukemon and Dynasmon were. "Go to the right with the others, please. Keep Dukemon and Dynasmon occupied."

"I can do that," Fujinmon calmly informed him. He looked over his shoulder. "By the way, the subterranean taskforce is progressing nicely."

"Good," Suijinmon responded, glancing over to his left flank, which was sparse in comparison to his right flank. "I will try to get the timing right."

Fujinmon nodded. "I will take my position, then," he said, floating up into the air. "Your plan had better work, Suijinmon. I don't plan on being in Chaosdramon's sights when he demands answers for a defeat." The Hurricane Commander gave Suijinmon a final look before flying off to join the right flank in their advance.

"Understood," Suijinmon answered, his gold eyes scanning the battlefield as explosions and flames erupted on both sides of the battlefield. "I hope this works as well."

* * *

"We're closing distance!" Shoutmon X4K called out as he continued leading the advance, blocking a burst of bullets with his shield in the process. "Prepare to fall back, Shield Guards! It's the Strike Forces turn! But let's give them a farewell shot first! BURNING STAR CRUSHER!"

The knight-like mecha swept his fiery Star Sword down and unleashed a massive wave of blazing energy across the grass and into the enemy lines. The blast enveloped two Tankdramon and caused them to crumple under the pressure and burst into data. The rest of the Shield Guard who were capable of ranged attacks also fired off their shots into the D-Brigade's lines. Once their parting attacks were gone, they stepped back and receded into the lines of the Ground Strike Forces.

OuRyuumon and RhodoKnightmon now stood at the head of the army, watching as the Aerial Strike Forces rained down on the D-Brigade's lines. OuRyuumon raised his scimitar over his head. "Okay! Hold fire, Aerial Strikes! Cover us and await orders! Ground Strikes, we're moving in to keep the D-Brigade from using all that damn firepower on us! They'll want to keep us at a range, but we need to close in and show them what it means to really fight!"

RhodoKnightmon nodded. "I shall get things started and cover your charge. Good luck, OuRyuumon. Stay safe for Alphamon, okay?" he said to him coyly. The rose knight then dashed out in front of them and charged the D-Brigade's lines, drawing their fire.

OuRyuumon blushed at his words and snarled angrily. "CHARGE!" he roared, flying forwards after the Royal Knight.

RhodoKnightmon gracefully sprinted across the grass, managing to avoid all of the bullets, tank shells and attacks, ripping up the ground around him. With acrobatic finesse, he lunged into the air and spun around while throwing his Pile Bunker forwards.

"Urgent Fear!" he called out, throwing his Pile Bunker into the front plating of a Tankdramon and unleashing enough pressure to rip straight through the Digimon's mechanical body.

Even as the shrapnel, oil and data was still dispersing from the blast, RhodoKnightmon began to extend his ribbon-blades out and strike around him with lightning speed. The blades stabbed into the surrounding Metal Empire soldiers and reduced them to data fragments.

Meanwhile, OuRyuumon caught up to the Royal Knight, shooting through the air as his body shimmered with a golden aura. "Ougai!" he shouted, sending himself crashing through the D-Brigade's ranks and obliterating those in his path with his swords and draconic energy.

His Ground Strike Forces were right behind them and they soon drove straight into the well-disciplined enemy with a series of attacks.

* * *

Meanwhile, Dukemon and Dynasmon were closing in on the D-Brigade's right flank with the rest of the Order's left flank running behind them. The two Royal Knights sprinted ahead to clear the path for their comrades behind them. Dukemon gripped the Gram lance in his right hand and held his Aegis tightly in his left. Meanwhile, Dynasmon's claws were brimming with elemental power and his body was enveloped in a bright, blue aura of Wyvern's energy.

Ahead of him, the two Royal Knights spotted Fujinmon leading the charge towards them. There were about a hundred Digimon behind him. Dukemon eyed Fujinmon and then looked at Dynasmon. "Do you want to take him or should I?" he asked the brawny dragon knight.

Dynasmon shot him a grin. "Go ahead. I'll have my claws full with all of the others," he responded, the adrenaline clear in his voice.

"You got it. Just shout if you need me," Dukemon said with a touch of levity to his voice.

Dynasmon laughed. "I should be telling you that, Duke!" he responded, flapping his wings and racing forwards. "Let's do this! Breath… of… WYVERN!"

His roar matched Wyvern's as the aura beast swept out from his body and flapped its mighty wings to shoot ahead of him. The dragon snarled and swooped forwards, crashing into the D-Brigade's right flank's heavily guarded lines. A good portion of Sealsdramon, Tankdramon, and Assaultmon were vaporized immediately. The resulting explosion caused temporary disarray in the D-Brigade's ranks, but thanks to the army's extreme discipline, the ranks were quickly closed and an onslaught of counter-fire ensued.

Fujinmon elegantly flew to the side to avoid the nearby explosion. He felt the heat and energy impact against him, but he kept himself steady in the air. The Hurricane Commander narrowed his eyes and began spinning his body, drawing powerful gusts of wind. "Marut Cyclone!"

The green cyborg whirled his body around and whipped up blasts of wind that he hurled towards the Royal Knights' ranks. Dukemon raised his shield as the violent gusts of wind swept towards him. The buffeted the Aegis strong enough to blow the Royal Knight back several meters, though he just barely managed to stay standing as his boots skidded through the grass. The other bursts of wind cut into the Order's ranks and sent Digimon flying through the air.

"I might just try that too!" Dynasmon snarled, flying forwards and outstretching his claws in front of him. "Dragon's Roar!" From the gems on his palms, he unleashed two blasts of concentrated wind. They swept into the D-Brigade's ranks, blowing the lighter Digimon away violently.

Dukemon narrowed his eyes and resumed his charge towards Fujinmon. As he dashed, he gathered radiant, white-blue energy at the tip of his lance. With a grunt, he lunged into the air and thrust the Gram forwards. "Royal Sabre!" he shouted as he unleashed a burning arrow of holy energy from the weapon.

The blast streaked through the air towards Fujinmon, but the Hurricane Commander was swift enough to dodge it. Fujinmon jetted towards Dukemon, poising his two Critical Arms and preparing to strike. "You'll have to do better than that!"

"I intend to!" Dukemon countered, lunging into the air and matching his charge.

The pair clashed with Fujinmon's beam sword striking against the Aegis while Dukemon tangled the Gram against the D-Brigade Commander's other Critical Arm. They broke off from the stalemate and momentarily pulled back. Then each opponent went in for an aggressive stab. Dukemon bashed the energy blade aside while Fujinmon parried his lance thrust.

As the two Ultimate-level Digimon dueled, Dynasmon surged into the D-Brigade lines, throwing a massive punch that sent the mechanized soldiers flying. A Gigadramon attempted to fire two missiles down at the Royal Knight, but Dynasmon looked up in time to notice the barrage. He aimed his palms and fired a laser from each of them, detonating the two missiles in midair.

Dynasmon then lunged into the dissipating fire and smoke of the explosions and closed in on the Gigadramon. Grabbing the serpent by the tail, he swung him around a couple of times before releasing him and sending him flying into the D-Brigade's ranks.

No sooner than when he let go did Dynasmon begin to attract ranged fire once again, with a couple of shells exploding against his chrome digizoid armour. The Royal Knight was knocked back a few meters, but he spread his wings out to stop himself. He grunted and dusted himself off with a hand. "This might be a tough fight after all…"

* * *

Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the battlefield, Craniamon was leading the right flank against the D-Brigade's left. They were at about the same point as Dukemon and Dynasmon's group, but were facing less resistance, much to Craniamon's inward disappointment.

"God Bless!" he shouted, bringing up a barrier in front of himself and the Order soldiers behind him in order to block a particularly heavy salvo of missiles. The munitions exploded against the barrier and kicked up smoke and dirt in front of them.

After a few seconds, the barrier fell and Craniamon dashed forwards. An Assaultmon some distance in front of him began opening fire on the Royal Knight with his various machine guns. As he ran, Craniamon raised the Avalon in order to deflect the hundreds of bullets aimed at his body. Cascades of sparks showered from the black shield, but Craniamon pressed onwards. Once there was a break in the fire, Craniamon sprinted forwards and stabbed the Claiohm Solais through the Assaultmon's body. He then ripped the spear out and slashed it horizontally across two nearby Cyberdramon.

Completely absorbed in the battle now, Craniamon's red eyes glanced around for his next target. He saw a MagnaGarurumon unleash a laser from his cannon towards him. Craniamon quickly brought up his shield and held against the attack, letting the beam part around his defence. The mechanical wolf swerved to the side while firing missiles from his missile pod, trying to get around the shield.

Craniamon grunted and jumped away as a missile landed at his feet. Upon landing, he held his double-headed spear over his head and started spinning the weapon rapidly. "End Waltz!" A tunnel of wind and electricity began to form, catching the remaining missiles up within the folds of air. They spun around before the electricity caused them to detonate in bright flashes of light. At that point the vortex caught the MagnaGarurumon and a few of the D-Brigade aerial Digimon, throwing them around the supersonic cyclone violently.

Once they were dealt with, Craniamon took a moment to breathe and survey the situation. He noticed that the amount of soldiers on the D-Brigade's left flank, while relatively substantial, was noticeably weaker than those at the center and the right flank. "This is barely a challenge at all," Craniamon muttered. "There's so many more enemies in their center and right flank. Stronger ones too. Somebody screwed up here and I have to pay for it."

"Craniamon!" Duftmon's voice spoke up on the LRAC.

Craniamon temporarily placed the Avalon shield into his black digizoid armour and raised the LRAC to his visor. "Yeah? What is it?" the violet Royal Knight asked with annoyance. "I'd say I'm busy fighting right now, but that'd be a lie."

"Don't get too far ahead of our center or left flank. Maintain a position relative to theirs, understood?" Duftmon said to him authoritatively.

"Fine, but it's barely a challenge over here on the right flank," Craniamon responded, unaware that there was a Sealsdramon using optical camouflage who was sneaking up behind him with a combat dagger. "At this rate, we'd be put to better use reinforcing our center or pushing forward harder to make the flank crumble and putting pressure on their center."

"Maintain a gradual advance and keep pressure on their flank. By all means, destroy their left flank, but the actual job of flanking the center will be that of the Aerial Strike Forces. They will deliver the decisive blow that will take Suijinmon out at the knees," Duftmon ordered.

"Can't I be involved in that? I haven't even worked up a sweat," Craniamon protested, still not reacting to the cloaked Digimon behind him. The Sealsdramon appeared behind Craniamon, preparing to stab him in the neck. Just he lunged, Craniamon offhandedly punched the Sealsdramon over his shoulder, breaking the Digimon's visor and causing him to crumple to the grass. "It's insulting," he went on to say nonchalantly.

"I don't care. Keep in formation," Duftmon told him. "Message complete."

Craniamon rolled his eyes and rushed forward, slashing the Claiohm Solais into the D-Brigade ranks in front of him.

* * *

Duftmon watched from the hill as the Royal Knights and their forces fought on the battlefield. He carefully watched the distribution of enemy soldiers and the relative success of each section of the battle.

The battle was going slowest on the left flank where Dukemon and Dynasmon were, due to the high concentration of D-Brigade troops and the presence of Fujinmon. Things seemed to be going as expected at the center; there was a push and pull, but the Royal Knights were slowly gaining ground.

Duftmon's eyes rested on the right flank where Craniamon was. He could clearly see that the D-Brigade forces were weaker there and quickly ceding. "_Suijinmon, you fool… By moving your troops away from your left flank and moving them to your right flank to bolster against Dukemon and Dynasmon, you have severely compromised your formation. That flank is weak and it won't be long until it crumbles, leaving the rest of your army vulnerable,_" Duftmon mused as he stared at the D-Brigade's left flank, which was quickly losing ground and soldiers to Craniamon and the Ground Strike Forces.

"It is time to end this," Duftmon said to himself with smug finality. He raised his hand so that he could speak into the LRAC around his wrist. "Leftenant HippoGriffomon, do you read me?" he inquired.

The white gryphon flying at the front of the Aerial Strike Forces looked down and raised his paw up to his beak. "Confirmed, Sir Duftmon. What are your orders?" he asked into the LRAC around his ankle.

"Now is time for the Aerial Strike Forces to act," Duftmon informed him. "Hook around the right flank and deliver a swift, decisive blow to the D-Brigade's left and center. End this here."

"Understood, Sir," HippoGriffomon responded. He turned his eagle-like head to his aerial troops. "Come on! We're going on a flanking run and hitting them where it hurts! Follow my lead and watch out for anti-air fire!"

Over-sergeant Paildramon, HippoGriffomon's second-in-command, nodded and turned to the rest of the Aerial Strike Forces. "You heard him. Advance and stay in formation. Be mindful of your surroundings," she elaborated.

With those words, the gryphon leftenant soared quickly to the right and began to circle around the battlefield at a wide angle. The hundred-some Aerial Strike Forces followed his lead, jetting through the sky after him in a disciplined formation that favoured their left side. They flew along the right side of the field, passing over the right flank of the Strike Forces.

Duftmon watched from his vantage point as the Aerial Strike Forces manoeuvred to begin their assault. Once they broke through the D-Brigade army's central lines, the army would crumble and be forced to either retreat or face destruction.

The tactician folded his arms and closed his green eyes certainly. "You were a fool to think you could match me… That first battle in Saversburg was no more than a fluke caused by Sleipmon's idiocy. Remember that, Suijinmon…"

* * *

On the opposite hill, Suijinmon calmly watched as his forces lost ground and suffered casualties on their left flank. He gazed at the Order's Aerial Strike Forces as they flew to meet up with their land-based allies on the left. He knew that this was to take advantage of the weakening flank.

Suijinmon closed his eyes. "Good… He fell for the bait, after all," he rumbled.

The Waterfall Commander's eyes snapped open, the gold optics hardening. He waited until the majority of the Aerial Strike Forces were in the middle of the battlefield as they circled around to attack them.

"The tunnelers should be in place. It is time to turn things around," Suijinmon murmured. He raised his giant Accel Arm into the air.

He brought the steel limb down like a hammer, causing it to smash into the grass and soil of the hill. The impact sent vibrations shooting through the ground, hard enough for the ground to tremor.

Once the thunderous crash had subsided, Suijinmon calmly retracted his arm and watched the battle continue.

"Now for Phase 2…"

* * *

Craniamon grunted as he drew the Claiohm Solais from the MagnaGarurumon's chest. As he narrowed his eyes, he glanced around perceptively.

For a moment, he looked up at the sky. He could see HippoGriffomon and the Aerial Strike Forces progressing overhead as they flew towards their destination. As they soared, they fired attacks at the enemy fliers, felling them with ease. Craniamon was a bit annoyed that they got to have all the fun.

However, Craniamon took a few steps and crouched down, strengthening his guard. Something wasn't right.

He looked at his surroundings guardedly. The Royal Knight could feel vibrations in the ground. The earth was definitely trembling beneath his feet. At first, he had assumed it was just the usual concussion of attacks hitting the ground or the vibration of tank treads. However, the vibrations were too constant and too strong for either of those.

Craniamon grunted and gripped his polearm and shield tighter. He turned his head to a nearby MetalGreymon of the Ground Strike Forces. "Hey! Do you feel that?" he called over to him.

Before Craniamon could get a reply, a sharp burst sounded out to his right. This was followed by a roar and a loud, mechanical drilling sound.

Craniamon spun around and looked with incredulous eyes as the gigantic body of a Breakdramon suddenly burst out from underground, sending a wave of earth into the air. The giant, mechanical, dragon beast lumbered from the ground, and towered over the Order's soldiers. As soil fell from his giant body, dozens of D-Brigade soldiers began to pour out of the underground tunnel that the Breakdramon had dug. It was exactly to the right of the Order's right flank, exactly where the majority of the Aerial Strike Forces were. The D-Brigade reinforcements marched out in an orderly fashion and began attacking the surprised Order soldiers, deleting several in the process.

The violet Royal Knight's red eyes glared up at the Breakdramon. "What the hell…?"

The Breakdramon unleashed a roar and began to swipe his giant arms at the Aerial Digimon.

HippoGriffomon looked over his shoulder with a stunned expression at the appearance of the sudden influx of Digimon. "What?!" he demanded. "Over-sergeant Paildramon, redirect fire to the right! Sir Duftmo- AAH!"

He was interrupted when one of Breakdramon's arms crashed down on him, throwing the gryphon to the ground violently.

"HippoGriffomon!" Craniamon called out. He narrowed his eyes. "Strike Forces! Hold your ground and fight back!" he ordered them. "Paildramon, you're in charge now that HippoGriffomon's down."

"Yes, Sir," Paildramon responded, glaring. She pivoted in the air to face the new threat and aimed her hip cannons towards the organized swarm of reinforcements. "Desperado Blaster!"

Beam blasts began ripping from the dual cannons and started to tear through the swell of reinforcements, deleting a few Sealsdramon and Troopmon. She narrowed her eyes when the holes in the ranks were quickly filled. Paildramon turned to her fellow Aerial Strike Force troops. "Regroup and hold the line! Lay down heavy fire!" she ordered. The dragon Digimon grunted and shot to the side when the Breakdramon tried to stab one of his drill-tipped tails into her. After evading, she turned and began unleashing a barrage of beam bullets into the metal appendage. "Desperado Blaster!"

With the mechanical titan momentarily distracted, Craniamon then vaulted into the air to attack the Breakdramon. "Over here, ugly!" he called out so that the giant Ultimate level focused on him.

The Breakdramon swung one of its crane arms at Craniamon, but the knight jumped over the swipe and used the arm to propel himself higher. He lunged towards the Breakdramon's face, but the giant mechanized dragon activated his drill nose and bore down on Craniamon.

Craniamon raised the Avalon, causing the drill to screech against the metal and send sparks shooting out as it tried to drill through. Although Craniamon could feel himself getting pushed back, managed to get a good swipe against the Breakdramon's face before getting thrown to the ground.

"D-Damn it…" Craniamon grunted, righting himself on the ground. "This isn't good… Duftmon!"

* * *

"Duftmon!"

The tactician in question stared incredulously at the Breakdramon and his hundred-something reinforcements that had burst from the ground. His previously smug and assuming expression had morphed into one of stunned shock and disbelief. He watched as the Breakdramon and began to wreak havoc on the Aerial Strike Forces and the Ground Strike Forces over on the right flank. The wave of reinforcements began to surround them and cut them off.

"Duftmon, what was that?!" RhodoKnightmon asked over the LRAC.

"Duftmon, what the hell is going on at the right flank?!" Dukemon demanded. "Is that a Breakdramon?!"

The bewildered tactician didn't respond. He was in a state of disbelief.

"Im…possible…" he whispered, his green eyes wide. "He… He…"

"DUFTMON!" Dukemon shouted over the LRAC. "Do you – rrgh! – r-read me?!"

Duftmon was snapped out of his trance. He quickly raised the LRAC to his mouth, his eyes not leaving the battlefield for a second. "Y-Yes!" he stammered. "I read you!"

"What happened?!" Dukemon asked him roughly, his voice haggard and panting. His grunts of effort could be heard over the communicator; it was clear that he was still in the middle of fighting Fujinmon and the D-Brigade as he talked.

"I—" Duftmon was about to say that he wasn't sure, but he caught himself just in time. "Reinforcements tunneled underground to launch a surprise attack on our right flank!" he explained, his voice missing the calm, superior demeanour that is usually held. "The Aerial Strike Forces and Craniamon's group are fighting them."

"How are they doing?!" Dukemon asked him urgently.

"What the hell is happening to my forces?!" OuRyuumon snarled over his own LRAC.

Duftmon looked over at the right flank. He could see the reinforcements surrounding them. The Aerial Strike Forces had been stopped in their tracks and were getting hit hard. The Ground Strike Forces were trying to hold their own but they were getting pushed back. He winced. "They…"

"We're surrounded!" Craniamon spoke up. After a moment, he grunted angrily. "I… I'm having trouble with the Breakdramon. I think I can take him, but… we're taking a beating here. Don't know how long we can last."

"What should we do, Duftmon?" Dynasmon also asked over the LRAC.

Duftmon didn't reply. He stared at the Breakdramon with grimacing eyes, watching as he slammed a giant crane arm into another Order soldier. "_How could this have happened? How could I be made to look like such an incompetent fool?"_

"Duftmon, respond!" Dynasmon shouted over his audio communicator. The tactician still didn't answer.

* * *

Dukemon glared as he briefly looked at the LRAC on his wrist. However, he hardly had time to say anything else before Fujinmon was upon him again.

"It's rude to ignore your opponent!" Fujinmon told him, shooting towards Dukemon at high speeds. He held his Critical Arms out in front of him, over his head, and began to spin his body like a drill.

Dukemon grunted as Fujinmon tore towards him, trying to drill through his defences. He raised the Aegis to block his charge and he could feel the heat of the dual beam blades on the metal of the shield. Despite being able to hold against the savage attack, he didn't want to risk doing so for too long. "Nothing personal! Gram Slash!" He swiftly stabbed the Gram at a wide angle, striking Fujinmon's armoured side with the tip of the Gram.

While not powerful enough to break through Fujinmon's metal body, it was forceful enough to send the Hurricane Commander flying through the air. With Fujinmon temporarily out of the way, Dukemon could focus on Duftmon and the deteriorating situation on their right flank. He raised his wrist communicator.

"Duftmon!" he shouted into the device. No reply. He snarled. "Damnit, Duftmon! You've gotten us out of worse situations than this! Focus!"

The words seemed to have an impact, as Duftmon responded this time. "I am thinking!" he replied, irritation in his voice. "Give me a minute!"

"We may not have a minute!" Craniamon's voice growled over the LRAC, his words somewhat distorted by the sound of the Breakdramon's drill. "They're all over us. A lot of wounded. I can't do anything about it 'til I kill this Breakdramon!"

"Try and hold them off!" Duftmon told him.

Dukemon glanced over at the opposite side of the battlefield. He could just barely see that the D-Brigade reinforcements were gaining ground over their right flank. He knew that the situation was bad. He wanted to minimize as many friendly casualties as he could.

His attention was drawn away when he saw Fujinmon shooting towards him again. The green cyborg Digimon soared towards him and performed a forwards flip. He brought his two beam swords down on Dukemon.

The Royal Knight grunted and blocked the strike with his shield. "Royal Sabre!" Dukemon countered. He pressed the Gram against Fujinmon's chest and unleashed a mighty beam from his lance, square into Fujinmon's body. The Hurricane Commander shouted with pain and anger as he was thrown across the ground.

After stabbing a blade into the ground to stop himself, Fujinmon swept his other Critical Arm out and released a concentrated blast of wind. "Marut Cyclone!" he spoke, launching the heavy gust of wind towards the crimson knight.

Dukemon grunted and tried to shield the blast, but it was powerful enough to knock him off of his feet and throw him back through the air painfully. The Royal Knight winced and prepared for the landing, but he felt something catch him from behind.

He looked over his shoulder and saw Dynasmon there. Dynasmon gave him a nod and put him down on the ground. "Things aren't going well," he observed.

"I know," Dukemon responded, looking down at his LRAC. "Craniamon. What's going on?"

"I took a few chunks out of the Breakdramon, but we're still getting overwhelmed," Craniamon grunted. "We're getting pushed into the center. What should we do, Duftmon?"

"Damn it…" Duftmon said, the reluctance clear in his voice. "Retreat!"

"Retreat?!" Craniamon demanded incredulously.

"It is a tactical withdrawal! It'is the only way to salvage this!" Duftmon told them. "Pull back on all sides!"

"We can't pull back; we're cut off!" Craniamon explained irately. "If our center pulls back, then the D-Brigade center will advance and we'll be completely encircled!"

"The center will support you as you break through!" Duftmon insisted.

"It won't work," Craniamon tersely explained.

"We'll do our best to help your flank, Craniamon," RhodoKnightmon told him. "Make a steady withdrawal."

"We will, but we'll need more than that, Rhodo," the violet knight explained.

Dukemon narrowed his eyes as he stared at the LRAC. After a breath to solidify his resolve, the crimson knight spoke up. "Leave it to me."

"What?" Dynasmon asked sceptically.

"Pardon?" Duftmon questioned as well.

Dukemon raised the Gram and looked towards the D-Brigade forces. "I'll break deep through their lines and cause disarray from the rear. They'll be forced to turn their attention to me. I'll cover the retreat; just get everybody out of here," he explained steadfastly.

"What? You plan to act as a decoy?" Duftmon challenged incredulously.

"Are you nuts, Dukemon?" Craniamon demanded.

"I'm doing it," Dukemon responded stubbornly. "It's the only way."

Duftmon frowned on the other end of the LRAC. "Perhaps, but…"

Dynasmon stared at Dukemon. He grinned and shook his head. "I'm going with him," he announced.

Dukemon looked at his comrade with surprise. However, instead of denying him, he gave him a grateful nod.

"This is idiotic," RhodoKnightmon stated.

"Idiotic but necessary," Dynasmon answered. "We'll be okay. Just get your asses out of here before we lose any more soldiers. This will buy enough time to escape with the wounded."

"…Very well," Duftmon stated with recognition. "Give us as much time as you can."

"We will," Dukemon responded.

"What? Are you actually agreeing to this, Duftmon? It is beyond foolish!" RhodoKnightmon asked in amazement.

"They are right. It is the safest option," Duftmon informed him. "It has the highest chance of success."

"Not for them," Craniamon muttered disapprovingly.

"They volunteered. They are aware of the risks," Duftmon stated, closing his eyes. "Sound the retreat!"

The tactician lowered his LRAC and looked towards the distant flank, eyeing Dukemon and Dynasmon with a faint wince.

Dukemon turned around to the Ground Strike Forces behind him. "The retreat order has been sounded! Fall back!" he ordered them. "Maintain your lines and cover each other as you pull back!"

The crimson knight watched as the Order soldiers obeyed dutifully, although with some reluctance. They maintained a steady stream of fire towards the enemy D-Brigade ranks as they pulled back. Dukemon turned around and saw that the D-Brigade flank was beginning to move towards them. He raised his lance and shield, preparing himself.

Dynasmon looked at Dukemon and grinned, Wyvern's aura already brimming around his body. "You ready, Dukemon?" he asked him with adrenaline-fueled excitement in his deep, growly voice. "Time to give these guys a shock."

"I'm ready when you are," Dukemon told him, raising the Gram and coursing energy around its shaft. He raised the weapon and levelled it with the D-Brigade troops.

Dynasmon smirked and his pupils shrunk with primal excitement. He raised his claws and aimed the gems on his palms. "Let's do it. Dragon's Roar!"

"Royal Sabre!"

In tandem with each other, the two Royal Knights unleashed three beams straight through the organized ranks of the D-Brigade's right flank. The beams swept through them, vaporizing a dozen D-Brigade soldiers and opening up a path straight through to the opposite side of the battlefield.

"Let's go!" Dukemon shouted, dashing forwards into the opening.

"I'm with you!" Dynasmon assured him, flapping his wings and following overhead.

Fujinmon watched incredulously as the two Royal Knights tore straight through the D-Brigade's ranks. "What?!" he demanded. "What are they doing?"

Dukemon grunted and struggled forwards, stabbing his lance through Digimon that tried to attack him, and bashing others away with his shield. Likewise, Dynasmon punched away Digimon who tried to attack him directly, and launched elemental beams from his hands into their ranks.

Fujinmon narrowed his eyes and gave chase. He soared after the two Royal Knights, who seemed intent on making it to the rear of the D-Brigade army.

Suijinmon watched from the hill as the two Royal Knights tore through his right flank, trying to get as far as possible. He stared at them incredulously. "What do they think they're doing…? Are they insane? Or simply that reckless…?"

Dukemon used his shield to plow through the last of the D-Brigade soldiers and burst out through the rear of the flank. Dynasmon was right behind them, plowing through the soldiers with his bare claws. The two Royal Knights dashed towards the base of the hill that Suijinmon was positioned on. Ignoring him completely, they turned their attention to the rear of the D-Brigade's center and flanks.

"Time to really get their attention," Dynasmon stated, Wyvern's aura intensifying as a broad grin grew on his face.

Dukemon nodded and dug his feet into the ground, aiming the Aegis. His silver and gold shield began to glow with holy splendour. As the light intensified, the triangle designs on the face of the Aegis started to light up, one by one.

Meanwhile, Dynasmon summoned his primal draconic energy from his body. Wyvern emerged from his body with a roar, flapping his wings and shooting into the air.

"Final Elysion!

"Breath of Wyvern!"

A massive beam pulsed from the Aegis and coursed through the back of the D-Brigade's center and left flank. Wyvern snarled and flew alongside the beam, sweeping through the D-Brigade's ranks and crashing straight into the middle of them. A massive explosion of light blue energy tore through their lines, and Dukemon's beam swallowed up the Metal Empire soldiers and obliterated them.

When the smoke cleared, dozens of D-Brigade soldiers had been deleted. Suijinmon was left calmly simmering. He narrowed his eyes and raised his Accel Arm up. "Fujinmon! Troops!" his deep voice boomed. "Attack those Royal Knights! Leave the others for now."

The D-Brigade troops, now totally aware of the two Royal Knights behind them, began to prioritize Dukemon and Dynasmon over the retreating Order forces. The hundreds of troops began to pour back towards the base of the hill, while simultaneously covering their own retreat so that the Order soldiers didn't take advantage.

"Accel Arm!" Suijinmon grunted, bringing his mighty arms down onto the hillside and releasing high powered shockwaves.

"Marut Cyclone!" Fujinmon responded from the opposite side, unleashing super-compressed blasts of winds towards the two Royal Knights.

Dukemon and Dynasmon noticed the incoming attacks and acted quickly. They lunged out of the way as the shockwave tore through the ground where they were standing. The two also managed to avoid the bursts of wind, which sliced by them, blasting against the edges of their armour, and exploding into the ground. The two Royal Knights landed and looked around to see the D-Brigade army starting to converge on them.

Dynasmon shot Dukemon a grin as they quickly started to get surrounded. "This is where things get interesting!" he exclaimed, crouching down and readying his claws.

Dukemon smirked and nodded, raising his Gram and Aegis. He glanced into the distance and saw that the retreat seemed to be going well. He could feel relief at that much, at least.

* * *

Duftmon watched from the hill as the Strike Forces retreated forwards him. They made their way around the hill rather than going over it, as there were many Digimon who were injured and needed to be carried. The tactician helped to organize the retreat, standing upright and holding himself with dignity, even in the face of failure.

"Yes, meet up with the supply group at the temporary camp at our bridge crossing. Prepare first aid and send for stretchers," Duftmon ordered a scout, who promptly flew southwards ahead of the retreat.

OuRyuumon flew through the sky and came to a stop over the hill. There was blood dripping from his body, but it was hard to tell whether it was his own or an enemy's. He lugged Leftenant HippoGriffomon over his back, who was slumped against him and unconscious. The Strike Forces captain growled and pointed in the direction of the retreat. "Keep it moving, Strike Forces! Nice and orderly!" he ordered. "If you can walk on your own, help those who can't!"

He looked down and saw Duftmon. The dragon flew down and landed in front of him, partially so that he could readjust the gryphon on his back. "Duftmon!" he exclaimed. "What do we do next?"

Duftmon turned and looked at OuRyuumon. "Continue the retreat. We are making for our camp south of the Champion River. I'll have a scout get more physicians from Saversburg," he responded with willful calmness.

"What?!" OuRyuumon demanded in disbelief. "What about Dukemon and Dynasmon?! We're going to back them up, right?!"

Duftmon stalled. "…Back them up _how_?" he asked, his voice carrying a sense of futility. "Half of the Strike Forces are no longer fit for battle. Tell me, how can we launch a counterattack like this?"

OuRyuumon growled and narrowed his adrenaline-filled, violet eyes. "All we need to do is give them an opening to retreat! We can't just leave them!"

"I'm with OuRyuumon," Craniamon exclaimed, marching over while hauling a wounded Cyberdramon and Lighdramon under each arm. "Leave it to us."

"That may be a risky endeavour, given the amount of D-Brigade troops still standing…" RhodoKnightmon stated, walking over as well.

"Retreat," Duftmon insisted. "If we don't use this opportunity to do so, they will have given us this chance in vain."

OuRyuumon scoffed. "That's just a fancy way of saying, 'Fuck 'em; I'm saving my own ass,'" he countered disdainfully.

"Yeah," Craniamon agreed. "What about Rule Three of the Royal Knights' Code? 'A Royal Knight never leaves another Royal Knight in his time of need'?" he stated pointedly. "We're supposed to abandon our comrades and leave them for dead?"

"That's all well and good, but it isn't practical!" Duftmon retorted firmly. "You could end up in the same situation as them. Besides… they are most likely worth more to the Metal Empire alive than dead…"

"Oh, _that's okay_ then!" Craniamon sarcastically said.

RhodoKnightmon sighed. "As much as I hate to admit it, Craniamon, Duftmon is right. We have no choice but to retreat for now…" he explained. "We have to place our trust in Dukemon and Dynasmon. They are depending on us to get the others to safety and prepare for what comes next. We cannot let them down."

"Maybe we should ask them over the LRAC," Craniamon said defiantly.

RhodoKnightmon gave him a resigned look. "You already know what they would say. They would tell us to retreat," he informed him.

Craniamon scoffed and looked away. "It's too easy," he muttered bitterly. Before continuing up the hill, he shot Duftmon an icy glare. "Alphamon will be hearing about this…" he assured him before walking by him with the two wounded soldiers.

Duftmon was silent.

RhodoKnightmon gave the tactician a nod before passing by him. OuRyuumon snarled in frustration before spreading his wings and flying off with his leftenant, heading to the front of the retreating forces.

Once they were gone, Duftmon clenched his fists and stared into the distance. He could still see the flashes of Dukemon and Dynasmon's attacks, but they were beginning to get more infrequent. He was able to see that they were now completely surrounded. The tactician hoped that they would be smart enough to surrender.

Duftmon turned away bitterly and walked up the hill. Once at the top, he descended down the other side.

* * *

Dukemon and Dynasmon stood back-to-back as they found themselves completely surrounded. There were numerous cracks in their armour as well as cuts on their bodies. Around them was grassland scarred with heavy fighting. It was filled with craters, furrows and deep cuts.

No matter which way they turned, there were D-Brigade Digimon aiming at them. Ultimate-level Digimon made up the front of the encirclement. Even the sky above them contained D-Brigade soldiers, namely Fujinmon, who hovered in place, ready to strike.

Suijinmon locked eyes with Dukemon, who narrowed his own defiantly.

"You have achieved your objective; you distracted us for enough time to allow your comrades to get away," Suijinmon pointed out calmly. "There is no point in dragging this out even longer."

Dynasmon raised his claws in a defensive posture and glanced over his shoulder at the Waterfall Commander. "What are you gonna do? Try and kill us?" he asked, chuckling a bit despite breathing heavily. "You'll have a hell of a time bringing me down for good."

"I would prefer if it didn't have to come to that. Drawing this fight out any longer would cost me many more soldiers," Suijinmon reasoned logically. "I would rather you surrender peacefully."

"Surrender, huh?" Dukemon questioned sceptically.

Fujinmon touched down in front of Dynasmon, although not lowering his swords. "It would be in your best interests. Unless you think that you can beat all of us…" he pointed out, his voice clearly carrying undercurrents of victory.

Dynasmon gritted his teeth and placed his winged back against Dukemon's caped one. They all knew that the two Royal Knights were in a bad situation. There were still a lot of Digimon around, including numerous strong ones like Fujinmon and Raijinmon.

"Please do not prolong this. Surrender is the easiest option for all of us," Suijinmon explained, trying to appeal to logic. "Even for two Royal Knights, the chances of a successful escape are slim. I think you realise that."

"There has been enough bloodshed today, don't you think?" Fujinmon questioned.

Dukemon exhaled behind his visor. He lightly elbowed Dynasmon and turned his head, looking over at his comrade. "What do you want to do?" he whispered to him so that the D-Brigade couldn't hear them.

Dynasmon glanced at Dukemon. "I dunno…" he whispered back. "We probably have a better chance if we do what they say… What do you think?"

Dukemon nodded. "Yeah… I think you're right. It's not a great option, but it's not a great situation we're in, either," he said.

"So… We're doing it?" Dynasmon asked quietly.

"Yeah…"

Dynasmon nodded and stood up straight.

Dukemon took a step forwards, prompting the D-Brigade soldiers to tense up. Instead of attacking, Dukemon released the Gram and Aegis, allowing them to fall to the ground. He removed the LRAC from his wrist and then crushed it underfoot. He sighed and raised his hands.

Dynasmon released a breath, crumpled his LRAC in his palm, and raised his claws as well.

"We surrender."

The D-Brigade troops relaxed noticeably.

Suijinmon closed his eyes and sighed with relief. "Thank you. Now, please cooperate…"

* * *

It was night by the time the remaining three Royal Knights returned to Castle Albion. It had been a long, sombre, and somewhat awkward ride on the Locomon. Duftmon had been sitting in the corner of the train car, lost in his thoughts. Craniamon had been seething below a thick layer of frost. RhodoKnightmon tried in vain to make conversation, but became well aware that he had neither a receptive audience nor a suitable situation to do so.

OuRyuumon and the Strike Forces had stayed behind in their temporary military camp to the south of the bridge. They received medical aid from the Order's and Saversburg's physicians, and many of them were not fit to travel. They also had to make sure that the bridge they constructed was secure.

The Royal Knights, on the other hand, needed to tell the others what had happened, particularly with regards to Dukemon and Dynasmon. A strategy meeting would be required.

Once they arrived, Duftmon, RhodoKnightmon, and Craniamon walked down the great hall, towards the council room. The Royal Knights had been summoned for a meeting upon the arrival of the three returning knights.

Upon arriving at the large doors, Craniamon took the initiative to push them open. The three walked inside and saw that all of the Royal Knights were sitting there, waiting. There was an aura of defeat around the three that only increased when they saw their comrades looking at them.

Alphamon stared at them directly from the Empty Seat on the opposite end of the table. All of the Royal Knights noticed immediately that Dukemon and Dynasmon were mysteriously absent. Looks of shock, confusion, and worry began to appear on the faces of the Royal Knights. Alphamon lowered his gaze.

"…What happened?" he asked them.

None of the three Royal Knights sat down in the five vacant seats. They felt as though they were on trial for what happened.

Before any of the others were able to respond, Duftmon took a step forwards. "The battle… was a failure," he announced.

The shroud of worry grew thicker across the council room. Omegamon furrowed his gaze. "Where are Dukemon and Dynasmon?" he asked nervously, his voice echoing. He said what everybody else was thinking.

Craniamon grunted and glared at Duftmon for a moment before folding his arms. "Taken prisoner…"

Incredulous reactions erupted from around the table.

"What?!" Gankoomon demanded. "How?!"

Omegamon's expression morphed into a bitter grimace. "It can't be…"

Alphamon gently closed his fist. "What exactly happened…?" he questioned, trying to remain calm at the news.

Duftmon calmly closed his eyes and folded his arms behind his back. "There was a failure of leadership," Duftmon responded.

Craniamon nodded in agreement, pleasantly surprised that Duftmon was taking responsibility.

"Craniamon utterly failed to maintain our right flank in response to a surprise ambush from D-Brigade reinforcements," Duftmon declared with calm resolution. "Because of that, our flank collapsed and was surrounded. This prompted Dukemon and Dynasmon to make a foolhardy rush deep into enemy lines. We used this time and distraction to withdraw our troops from the battlefield, but Dukemon and Dynasmon were encircled."

Craniamon's blood red eyes widened and he turned towards Duftmon incredulously. "…What did you just say?" he questioned, his voice brimming with fury. "Did you just have the chrome digizoid balls to stand there and say that _we_ were responsible for _your_ screw up?"

Duftmon looked at Craniamon with a look of sincere innocence. "It's the truth," he stated matter-of-factly. "You were in charge of the right flank."

Craniamon strode up to the tactician and towered over the leopard knight intimidatingly. "_You_ were the one who made the damn plan in the first place. _You_ were the one who gave the go ahead for Dukemon and Dynasmon's decoy plan. _You_ were the one who underestimated Suijinmon and brushed off the scout's report about reinforcements! Don't think I didn't hear you!"

"Enough," RhodoKnightmon chastised them, his demeanour completely serious. "If we are going to tell the others what happened then we need to tell them the _truth_."

Duftmon was unperturbed by Craniamon's icy menace. Craniamon glared at Duftmon but backed off and turned to the other Royal Knights. "Yeah, tell them the truth, Rhodo," the violet Royal Knight said pointedly.

Alphamon's brows furrowed. "Please…"

RhodoKnightmon nodded. "The battle had been going well initially. We were gaining ground for awhile and delivering heavy damage to the D-Brigade. Craniamon was on the right. I was on the center. Dukemon and Dynasmon were on the left. The D-Brigade placed a heavier concentration on their right flank, leaving their left sparsely defended. When their left flank began to break, Duftmon ordered the Aerial Strike Forces to circle around and deliver a decisive blow at the D-Brigade's core. When they were on the move, a large amount of D-Brigade reinforcements led by a Breakdramon burst from the ground and began wreaking havoc on our right," the rose knight explained. "They apparently drilled an underground tunnel. As Craniamon said, a scout had mentioned seeing a large amount of D-Brigade troops far back behind their army and said that they were doing something suspicious, but Duftmon stated that they were the army's rear guard. Anyways, our flank was taking heavy damage and was surrounded. This prompted Duftmon to call for retreat. In order to free up our troops so that they could retreat, Dukemon and Dynasmon insisted on breaking through the D-Brigade's line and attacking them from behind. They acted as decoys so that we could retreat."

"Of course. Blame the tactician whenever the battle goes wrong. It is never the ones carrying out the orders," Duftmon sarcastically spoke.

RhodoKnightmon gave him a look. "It was the truth."

Alphamon frowned at Duftmon and rose to his feet. "Is this true, Duftmon?" he asked him.

Duftmon scoffed and looked away, as if unwilling to address the challenge.

Alphamon narrowed his crimson eyes. "Duftmon."

Duftmon turned and locked eyes with Alphamon. "Craniamon should have held that flank. Dukemon and Dynasmon shouldn't have done something so reckless and stupid," he fired back defensively. "If you want to blame anybody, blame them!"

"Enough!" Alphamon thundered angrily. "The one who's looking to blame people is _you_, and I've frankly heard enough blaming out of you to last me a whole cycle…"

The Royal Knights exchanged glances. It was rare to hear Alphamon get that angry, even with Duftmon.

"It isn't my fault that the battle went wrong!" Duftmon insisted, glaring back at Alphamon. "So, it must be _somebody's_ fault."

Alphamon matched his gaze. "If it is anybody's fault then the king's share of it seems to land at your feet," he stated strongly. "It sounds like the only reason that Dukemon and Dynasmon took such drastic action is because _you_ made a tactical error."

"Pardon me?!" Duftmon protested, stepping towards the table.

"You wouldn't even consider the fact that Suijinmon might have a secret advantage," Craniamon said, his tone adversarial. "You got cocky. And you screwed up RhodoKnightmon's and my placement as well."

"I refuse to hear that from _you_!" Duftmon acerbically retorted. He turned and glared at Alphamon. "I have led our forces to victory on the battlefield time after time! You have just been waiting for an opportunity to pin a failure on me! You have a personal grudge against me, Alphamon!"

Alphamon narrowed his eyes angrily. "I'm not looking to blame you, Duftmon! But when you start throwing false accusations at your comrades without ever looking to yourself, I have to say something," he explained to him sharply. "This isn't like Saversburg where you can point to Sleipmon and say that he made a mistake. In fact, Sleipmon actually took responsibility after the battle, which is more than can be said for you right now."

"I did nothing wrong!" Duftmon maintained adamantly. "The tactical theory was sound! How was I to know that they were burrowing underground?!"

"You ignored reconnaissance information," Alphamon stated. "You made a mistake. And now Dukemon and Dynasmon have been taken prisoner. And we lost… how many?"

"Eight were deleted. Quadruple that were injured," RhodoKnightmon informed him.

Alphamon winced and nodded. He looked at Duftmon. "Well?" he asked him, anger still lacing his words. "You honestly accept zero responsibility for the battle?"

Duftmon folded his arms, looking away with a grimace. "It wasn't my fault…"

Alphamon clenched his fist. "It's never your fault, is it?"

Omegamon looked at Alphamon. "Alphamon…" he said dissuadingly.

"No, Omegamon," Alphamon replied firmly. "Duftmon is a Royal Knight. He needs to learn that he has to take _responsibility_ for his actions."

Duftmon narrowed his eyes and looked at Alphamon. "Pardon…?"

"You are our tactician, Duftmon. The best tactician we have ever had, actually," Alphamon told him. "The Royal Knights – the whole Order – place our trust in you when we agree to go along with your tactics. Just like they trust in me when I send them into battle..." He looked at Duftmon with a deep gaze. "Don't abuse that trust. And don't turn your back on your responsibilities."

Duftmon glanced away, his resolve beginning to weaken. "I'm not…"

"That's exactly what you're doing when you blame others for your own shortcomings," Alphamon forthrightly explained. "You made a mistake in this battle, Duftmon. I don't know if you are actively trying to shift the blame or if you honestly believe that you did nothing wrong. Either way, you have to accept the truth."

The leader of the Royal Knight walked around the table and stepped up to the tactician. As a sign of good will, he placed his hand on Duftmon's shoulder. "I'm not looking to blame anybody, Duftmon. 'You win some, you lose some,' as they say. Sometimes we lose; it's a fact of life. It's impossible to win every time," he told him. "And I know it isn't easy to admit that you made a mistake… especially not for you… However, you can't keep blaming others for your faults."

Duftmon grimaced and looked away from his gaze. He didn't even want to look at any of the other Royal Knights. "I… I understand…" he answered weakly.

Alphamon nodded warmly, tempering his earlier fire with understanding. "Good…"

Duftmon opened his mouth to speak, but he thought better of it and stopped himself. The leopard knight turned around, towards the exit. "I… will take my leave now," he explained, his back to the Royal Knights. "I need to write up an after action report. …A factual one."

Without another word, he walked out of the council room and closed the doors behind him.

Craniamon scoffed. "Serves him right…" he muttered, folding his arms. "By 'facts' does he mean 'Duftmon facts' or 'everybody else facts'?"

"Craniamon…" Omegamon urged him, trying to keep the peace after the argument. It was hard enough being without Dukemon and Dynasmon without also being at each other's throats.

Alphamon sighed. "It isn't easy for Duftmon to admit that he's wrong," he pointed out. "Sorry about that, everyone. I try not to get angry like that, but it needed to be said sooner or later. I didn't enjoy it… but it was time he realised."

"I'm surprised it took this long," Gankoomon nonchalantly said aloud. "It's about time someone put him in his place."

"Look who's talking," UlforceVeedramon said with a soft chuckle, his pair of crutches leaning against the table.

"I can't help but feel kind of bad for him though…" Sleipmon admitted, looking towards the door.

"What do we do about Dukemon and Dynasmon?" Magnamon asked with a worried frown.

"I don't know yet," Alphamon admitted, his brows furrowed with concern and thought. "It's too early to come up with a rescue plan… We'll get them back somehow, though. I promise."

* * *

An hour passed and the council meeting had long since adjourned. The Royal Knights agreed to take up the issue again the next day. There would be a lot to discuss and it would be better to do so when everyone was rested.

Duftmon holed up in his room, away from everybody else. His whole room was neat and orderly. It contained a creaselessly-made bed, a series of bookshelves full of alphabetically-arranged books of his personal collection, and a dresser full of precisely-folded clothes.

He sat at his desk, which was tidied to perfection. His fingers typed away at the keyboard and he stared at his computer. The tactician dutifully wrote his after action report, from the battle preparations until the end of the battle. He was absorbed by the process. He had hardly looked up from the screen since beginning.

There was a knocking at the door of his bedroom. "Hey, Duftmon!" UlforceVeedramon's voiced called out. "Are you in there?"

Duftmon didn't reply. He just continued typing the battle account.

UlforceVeedramon tried the doorknob, but found that it had been locked. He attempted to knock on the door again. "Duftmon! Come on, open up! Are you alright?" he asked from the other side of the door.

Duftmon closed his eyes and momentarily stopped typing. However, seconds later, he continued to ignore him and kept writing.

UlforceVeedramon sighed and stepped away from the door. He leaned on the crutches under his shoulders and looked at Omegamon and Sleipmon, who were with him.

"No reply?" Omegamon asked.

"No. I told you, Sleipmon," UlforceVeedramon said to the large beast Digimon. "He always does this when he's angry or upset. He gets in a pout and closes himself off; Duftmon can give a cold shoulder as bad as Craniamon. It's worse than your Odin's Breath."

"It was still worth trying…" Sleipmon said with a shrug. "I thought he might appreciate the gesture, at least."

"Duftmon? Nah…" UlforceVeedramon responded. "He's not into that emotional stuff."

Omegamon rubbed the back of his neck. "He probably just wants to be alone. I doubt he wants to see us right now. It's understandable…" he reasoned. He looked away and sighed, unable to help but worry about Dukemon and Dynasmon.

"I guess…" UlforceVeedramon agreed. "He and Alphamon have had some arguments before, but that was the first time Duftmon had ever been put on the spot like that. I mean, I don't blame Alphamon, but it was tough to watch."

Sleipmon sighed. "Yeah… Maybe I'll try again before I go to bed," he explained.

Omegamon nodded. "Let's leave him alone for now," the white armoured Royal Knight suggested.

"Okay," UlforceVeedramon responded, using his crutches to walk down the corridor.

As the three Royal Knights walked off, Duftmon continued to write his report. The last thing that he wrote was 'Under my orders, the Aerial Strike Forces proceeded on their flanking manoeuvre. We were caught unawares when D-Brigade reinforcements…'

Duftmon stopped writing. He stared at the Digi-letters, stalling on what top put next. He closed his eyes and put minimal amount of pressure on the keys as he thought about the battle and, more importantly, his own role in it. He began to type but then suddenly stopped and slammed his finger onto the delete key.

"Damn it!" he uttered, driving his fist down onto the desk with a resounding thump.

Duftmon opened his eyes and grimaced, placing his face in his hands as he leaned forward on his elbows. "Damn it…" he whispered. "He's right… It… It was my fault…"

He winced as he stared into his palms. "How could I have been so damn foolish…? It was such a simple oversight… It could have been so easily avoided…" he spoke with pain in his voice. "I just dismissed those reinforcements out of hand because I assumed…" Suddenly, he balled his fists up tightly. "I _assumed_… Never assume in tactics… It's so basic…"

He grimaced further when he thought deeply about his words. "I assumed that Sleipmon would kill Suijinmon. I assumed that Suijinmon was incompetent. I assumed Dukemon and Dynasmon would act rationally if something went wrong."

The tactician lowered his hands and stared down at his lap. "_My own fallacies lost us that battle… I was just too proud to admit it to myself_…" he thought bitterly. He closed his eyes and reflected on Tactimon's words to him. "_Was Tactimon correct…? Have I been doing something wrong this whole time…? Do I actually need to take Digimon into consideration instead of just tactical inputs? But… that's preposterous… The whims of a single Digimon can't decide the outcome of a battle… Can they…?"_

Duftmon grimaced and clutched his head. He felt beaten down and he was getting a splitting headache. He had enough of thinking about the battle. He saved the progress of his report and turned off his personal computer, leaving him sitting alone in the dark.

He walked over to his bed and got inside of it, uncharacteristically forgoing his usual night time routine. Listlessly, he pulled the covers over his head and buried himself underneath them.

Duftmon meditated on his actions, unable to hide them from himself any longer. "_How could I possibly be such a failure…?_"


	22. Chapter 15 Part 1: Steel Will

(Author's Notes: I've been pretty busy, but expect more regular updates from now on, probably. By the way, I'm retroactively referring to "Huckmon" as "Hackmon" because people can't seem to decide which one is the more official version. When I go back and edit ADiSA and the previous Holy War chapters, I'll make this change too. Anyways, enjoy! I appreciate all the comments.)

**Chapter 15: Steel Will (Part I)**

"Dimension Scissor!"

GranKuwagamon skimmed through the night sky towards a Royal Knight patrol. A bright arc of energy discharged from his long, black pincers and streaked through the air. It cut at the fabric of space as it soared.

The Megadramon scout it was aimed at, in turn, launched a volley of missiles from his cannon arms. "Genocide Attack!"

The sickle-shaped blast cut into the missiles, causing a chain of explosions that lit up the darkness. The Megadramon lowered his gaze and kept his cannons pointed towards the fading explosions.

"Grand Death Screw!" a voice hissed from behind the Megadramon.

He quickly looked over his shoulder and saw stunned to see GranKuwagamon behind him somehow. "How did he-?!"

GranKuwagamon spun his body like a black, horizontal tornado, tearing through the air like a drill. His whirling body slammed into the Megadramon's back and tore through him with his pincers and claws. The Megadramon released an agonized roar as GranKuwagamon bore through him and reduced him to data.

A JewelBeemon, who was the leader of that scouting team, sneered at the loss of his teammate. "Retreat!" he ordered the two remaining scouts – a Pegasmon and a Yanmamon.

However, it was too late.

"Mjölnir Thunder!" Blitzmon shouted from within the forest below. He slammed his sparking fist into the dirt and unleashed a high-powered blast of electricity. The spear of lightning coursed upwards and engulfed the Pegasmon scout. The attack shot through him and he burst into data particles as well.

"Catastrophe!" GranKuwagamon spoke, wheeling around through the air and descending on the nearby Yanmamon. The dragonfly Digimon attempted to speed away, but GranKuwagamon quickly caught up with him. He grabbed the Yanmamon in his pincers and unleashed a swath of dark energy that disintegrated the Digimon completely.

JewelBeemon watched furiously as his two remaining scouts were deleted. "Damn it…" he growled. Knowing that he had to make it back to base, he turned around and began shooting through the dark sky at full speed. He had to tell the Royal Knights what happened here.

He saw GranKuwagamon approaching him so he slashed his spear down at light speed. "Spike Buster!" he called out, unleashing a shockwave that pushed the giant, ebony beetle away. With the mercenary temporarily distracted from the blast, he tried to use the opportunity to get a lead on the mercenaries and out-fly them.

"Hahahah!" Bolgmon cackled from below the forest canopies. "Where do you think you're going?! Field Destroyer!"

A high output beam burst through the trees and streaked into the sky, lighting up the night. JewelBeemon turned and saw the beam hurdling towards him. "No!" he yelled, trying to brace himself before the laser washed over his body and vaporised him.

The blast continued on into the clouds above before diminishing with a hiss of residual energy. The Order patrol was gone.

Once certain of their destruction, GranKuwagamon slide-evolved back into his GrandisKuwagamon form. With his red eye, he cast a lingering look across the dark landscape to make sure there was nobody that they missed. After a few moments, the bug mercenary turned away and proceeded to fly down to the forest floor to meet with the other two members of Black Pincer Company.

GrandisKuwagamon touched down on the mossy ground and released a breath. "That's done…" he said as Blitzmon and Bolgmon made their way over to him. He adjusted the Gran Killers over his wrists.

"At least we don't have to worry about them finding our hideout anymore," Bolgmon said, rolling over the forest floor on his tank treads, his horn cannon still smoking.

"I wonder why that is!" GrandisKuwagamon said accusingly, shooting the larger Digimon a glare. "Oh, that's right. Because they already found our hideout, ransacked all of our stuff, and made sure we can never go back there. All thanks to a certain, trigger-happy dumbass!"

"Change the record already!" Bolgmon fired back. "They were looking for us! They were going to find our hideout anyways!"

"Maybe, but you didn't have to paint a huge friggin' bull's-eye on us. We could have escaped with our money and stuff," GrandisKuwagamon insisted. "Do you know how much money we lost?!"

"Yeah, I do! Blame the damn Royal Knights, not me!" Bolgmon argued.

Blitzmon folded his arms and leaned against a nearby tree. "We've completed this job. Our reward should help to put a dent in our losses," he explained. He looked at GrandisKuwagamon. "But we might have to stay on this contract for longer than we intended, if we want to make back the money we lost…"

GrandisKuwagamon narrowed his eye and looked away. "That's a nice idea, but will the client still need us now that we've been found out? If the Royal Knights know what we've been doing, there wouldn't be any point in us trying to play the two groups of tin cans off of each other," he pointed out.

"We don't know for sure that we've been discovered," Blitzmon countered. "Maybe they just wanted to take us down because we're mercenaries. The client could still use us."

"That's exactly what's happening. We're being used," GrandisKuwagamon argued. "I don't like being used, even if it's for a profit. I mean, I know, we're mercenaries and I don't expect people who use our services to have our best interests in mind, but I don't want to end up being somebody's scapegoat just because they dangle cash in front of us. This guy will cut us loose as soon as we stop being useful to him. Hell, maybe he was the one who tipped off the Royal Knights."

"Now you're being paranoid, Grandis," Blitzmon said.

"I'm being realistic," GrandisKuwagamon replied. "Somebody sold us out to the Royal Knights. They didn't just come across our base by accident."

Blitzmon sighed with annoyance. "Maybe. It doesn't matter. We need the money," he stated emphatically. "We're not a big operation, so we can only take on jobs one at a time. We just lost almost all of our reserve money and we don't know when we're getting our next job. For now, we should keep working under this contract until we make back some of what we lost. It's our only steady flow of income right now. We didn't escape the gutters just to wind up back there again."

"Yeah, and we didn't escape death that day just to do something to get us deleted," GrandisKuwagamon countered. "We're not up against gangs or adventurers here. We're up against big players with big armies. I just don't want to press our luck too much."

"We'll be fine, Grandis," Blitzmon assured him. "Let's just see what Wizardmon says once we tell him we've finished this job. Then we can gauge what he wants to do."

"I'm with Blitzie," Bolgmon said, folding his cannon arms. "If the Royal Knights are going to be on our asses anyways, we might as well get paid for it."

GrandisKuwagamon turned away and looked into the dark forest with a reluctant gaze. "…Fine. We'll do that," he agreed. "It depends on what he wants us to do."

Blitzmon glanced at GrandisKuwagamon. "There's gotta be a way for us to make some money on the side, though..." he mused.

"Yeah…" GrandisKuwagamon agreed, thinking to himself.

"We shoulda kept one of those scouts alive and ransomed him off to the Royal Knights," Bolgmon suggested with a nonchalant shrug.

Both GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon turned and looked at each other with enlightened expressions. Dark grins formed on their faces and they turned to Bolgmon.

"You know, Bolgie… That's surprisingly not a bad idea…" GrandisKuwagamon exclaimed with a grin.

* * *

"Bless Fire!"

The rapid sound of gunfire cracked across the castle shooting range. Sistermon Noir aimed her two Anthony guns and unleashed a storm of bullets towards BaoHackmon, who was poised fifteen meters down the shooting range. The swift popping of the automatic fire resounded as the bullets tore from the machine pistols.

Wearing his red, goggled hood over his head, BaoHackmon narrowed his golden-yellow eyes and dug his four feet into the grass before dashing off. The bullets impacted the ground where he was standing and sent tufts of grass flying up in his wake. BaoHackmon darted to the left as fast as he could, hearing the whirr of bullets shooting behind him. Sistermon Noir began to lead him by shooting in front of him. BaoHackmon winced as a few bullets ricocheted off of his armoured body, prompting to him to skid to a stop and sprint in the opposite direction.

The dragon ducked his head and kept his body as low as he could while he ran. The bullets impacted around him and his face was sprayed with dirt. His gaze hardened and he lunged into the air to avoid the projectiles. With impressive agility and flexibility, he somersaulted in the air and dove back towards the ground as Sistermon Noir raised her guns to shoot at him in mid air.

As soon as he landed, he dashed in the opposite direction, using the claws of his fore feet for boost and his bladed hind legs for control. He dipped his head as a bullet whizzed past his snout. He seemed to be faring pretty well against the assault.

However, Sistermon Noir halted her fire and adjusted her aim before firing another burst. This time, the bullets slammed into BaoHackmon's side. BaoHackmon released a gasp and was knocked onto his side.

Imperialdramon: Dragon Mode, who had been watching the whole thing, winced at the impact.

"S-SIS!" a voice squeaked disapprovingly. "What in Yggdrasil's name are you doing?!"

"Yuh-oh. Busted," Sistermon Noir muttered, lowering her smoking machine pistols and turning around. The black-garbed human Digimon saw her younger sister running over.

"H-How many times have I told you not to shoot at BaoHackmon?!" Sistermon Blanc demanded, although visually looking more worried than angry. She held a hand to her mouth and looked over at BaoHackmon. "Are you okay, BaoHackmon?" she asked, walking over to him.

"I'm fine…" BaoHackmon insisted, wincing and pulling himself to his feet.

"Chill, sis," Sistermon Noir replied, tapping her shoulder with one of her guns. "I loaded them with rubber bullets. They weren't real ones."

"You still could have taken his eye out if you weren't careful," Sistermon Blanc reprimanded her older sister.

"I'm always careful!" the older sister replied with her usual chipper tone as she holstered her weapons. "You're such a worrywart."

"It's fine, Blanc-chan," BaoHackmon insisted as he steadied himself on his feet. "I asked for this. I wanted to train hard."

Imperialdramon Dragon Mode walked over to them and looked at BaoHackmon. "You did a pretty good job dodging those bullets too," he complimented his friend.

BaoHackmon sighed and shook his head. "Not really, Peri," he responded with disappointment. "It wasn't good enough. I was too slow to react."

"Yup! That's for sure!" Sistermon Noir teased him.

Sistermon Blanc and Imperialdramon shot her a look. "It's not easy to dodge bullets at that close of a range," Peri insisted. The large dragon smiled encouragingly. "I sure couldn't do it and I'm an Ultimate-level."

"And I'm just an Adult-level. Thanks for the reminder," BaoHackmon muttered, dipping his head deflatedly.

Imperialdramon winced. "Oh, come on. I didn't mean it like that. I'm saying you did great!" he insisted.

"I screwed up at the end. How am I ever going to get as good as the Royal Knights at this rate?" he said with a sigh. He kicked at the ground with frustration. "Gankoomon-sensei doesn't let me go on any missions."

"Well, duh," Sistermon Noir said. "If Gankoomon thinks you're not ready, then you're not ready."

BaoHackmon glared at this. "But I _am_ ready! All I do is train in the castle! How am I ever going to get any real combat experience if nobody ever lets me out of these walls?!" he complained.

"Huh. And to think, you were practically salivating the first time we came to Castle Albion," Sistermon Noir pointed out, closing her eyes and nonchalantly putting her hands behind her head. "How quickly they get cynical."

"That's not what I mean!" BaoHackmon insisted with frustration. "I love it here, but I feel like I'm not improving fast enough! Sensei seems like he's always too busy to train me anymore. With everything that's going on lately, I'm getting forgotten about! It's not fair!"

"We can still train you…" Sistermon Blanc suggested, twiddling her fingers.

BaoHackmon sighed and pulled his red hood back so that it rested on his caped back. "I know. And I appreciate it. But… I need to see some actual combat if I want to improve. That's what Sensei and the Royal Knights did. I can't stay sheltered like this forever, and I can't expect them to take time out of their busy schedules to teach me."

"So, if that's how you feel, take some initiative," Sistermon Noir suggested bluntly. "Do something instead of whining about it, kiddo."

"N-Noir!" Sistermon Blanc complained at her goading. "B-BaoHackmon, you should really just be patient… You can't just get strong overnight. And you've improved a lot since you first started training."

BaoHackmon sighed and stared at the ground.

Imperialdramon Dragon Mode looked at him empathetically. "She's right. Just give it time," he suggested. "Come on, BaoHackmon. Let's go get something to eat."

"Fine…" BaoHackmon responded, beginning to walk along the grass from the shooting range. He and Imperialdramon walked around the training grounds and headed for the courtyard road that led the way to the main building's entrance.

As the two dragons started to walk past the large barracks buildings, Imperialdramon looked down at his friend as they plodded onto the stone road. "So… What's bothering you?" Imperialdramon asked him curiously.

"It's like I said, Peri," BaoHackmon replied, scuffing his claws against the ground as he walked. "I feel like I'm not getting better. I know I have the ability to improve, but I don't have the right outlet. Sensei doesn't let me do anything, and now I'm just a useless hanger-on to the Order." The teen dragon growled a bit at his own words.

"Nobody sees you that way," Peri assured him.

BaoHackmon looked up at the larger dragon Digimon. "_I_ see myself that way," he explained. "I want to be a Royal Knight, not just Gankoomon-sensei's apprentice forever!"

Imperialdramon sighed. "Give it time…" he told him.

"How much time, Peri?" he asked rhetorically. "Noir-chan's right. If I don't take action myself, then who will? I can't expect others to improve myself for me. I have to do something."

"Like what?" the large, blue dragon asked sceptically. "If you want, I could put in a recommendation with my over-sergeant for you to join the Reconnaissance Squadron…"

"Thanks, but that's not really enough…" BaoHackmon responded. "I need to prove myself, somehow."

"Don't do anything reckless, BaoHackmon. Nobody in the Order needs that right now, after what happened at the battle…" Imperialdramon said with a sigh.

BaoHackmon winced at the mention. He felt terrible about the news that Dukemon and Dynasmon had been taken prisoner. Morale in the Order wasn't great at the moment. BaoHackmon looked away as he and Peri walked down the road, past the blacksmith and the various shops that had permits to sell inside the castle. "Don't remind me…" he muttered grimly.

Peri looked at BaoHackmon inquisitively. "…Does that have something to do with this sudden mood change?" he asked him. "I bet it does…"

BaoHackmon grimaced as he walked up to the entrance of the main building and opened the pair of double doors. He walked inside the entrance hall and made his way up towards the foyer. "Okay, I guess it does. I'm worried about Dukemon-shishou and Dynasmon-shishou," he admitted. "They got taken prisoner after saving the Strike Forces, and now it's like nobody's doing anything to try and rescue them."

Imperialdramon walked up the few stairs and onto the landing that led to the foyer doors. "Be patient. You know full well that the Royal Knights wouldn't just forget about them. Rule Three of the Royal Knights' Code, remember? It takes time to prepare a rescue operation, you know."

The caped dragon sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I know… I guess I _am_ being impatient. I… get like that when I'm worried…" he admitted. "I just hate that I can't be of any help to anyone…"

"After we get some lunch, let's do something to take your mind off it," Peri suggested. "Why don't we spar? You owe me a rematch after you kicked my butt last time."

BaoHackmon smiled a bit and walked into the foyer. "Yeah, sure…" he complied.

As the two walked into the marble, octagonal entrance area, they could hear voices coming from the closed, double doors on the other side of the foyer. BaoHackmon raised an eyebrow and walked over to the doors, listening in inquisitively.

Imperialdramon blinked and walked over. He watched as BaoHackmon pressed his ear up against the door to try and hear the conversation. The dragon could hear Gankoomon speaking with Alphamon, Omegamon, and Magnamon.

"And what the hell's with Duftmon?" Gankoomon asked. "He's been disappearing and acting weird for days."

"He took the loss pretty hard," Magnamon answered."

"Yeah? Whenever I try to talk to him, but he just passes by without even acknowledging me. At first, I thought it was just him being his usual arrogant self. But I tried insulting him to get a rise out of him and he _still_ didn't respond. I didn't even get an eye roll or a huff."

"It's just his way of dealing with it," Omegamon responded. "He isolates himself from others. He buries himself in a book after arguments or stressful situations. It's a means of forgetting about it. He eventually calms down and gets on with it."

Alphamon sighed. "It's been a few days though… Maybe I was too hard on him…" he suggested remorsefully. "I shouldn't discount his feelings just because he doesn't show them often."

"It needed to be said, Alphamon," Magnamon assured him.

Gankoomon scoffed and folded his arms. "Duftmon's a big boy. He should know how to take a little criticism."

"Even so, I should probably talk to him and clear the air," Alphamon said. "Both on a personal level, and based on the fact that we need his help with coming up with a potential rescue plan."

"Well, good luck," Gankoomon told him. "You might have to grovel."

Alphamon smiled a bit behind his helmet. "It wouldn't be the first time…" he responded resignedly.

"More importantly, what are we going to do about Dukemon and Dynasmon?" Magnamon asked, frowning deeply and worried about his friends. "What do you think the Metal Empire plans to do with them?"

Alphamon sighed and scratched his forehead. "I'm not sure… Take them back to Facture, maybe? I don't know how worried we should be… Will they receive an amiable imprisonment or will it be a vindictive one? Will they be interrogated for information?" he asked aloud with a grimace. "It's hard to tell with the Metal Empire. I at least suspect that they won't be ransomed to us; the Metal Empire has no need for money, and I doubt they would want to release two Royal Knights in the middle of a war."

Omegamon winced and nodded. "We need to get them back somehow," he said, his tone worried and gloomy. "We have to make sure that they're alright."

The black Royal Knight looked at Omegamon sadly. He knew that the white knight was particularly worried about Dukemon and Dynasmon, even though he tried to hide it. "We will, Omegamon."

"Don't worry about them. They're tough," Gankoomon stated casually. "We'll figure something out."

BaoHackmon couldn't help but frown at his sensei's lack of urgency towards the situation.

"I suppose…" Magnamon responded, although he sighed and rubbed his eyes, obviously not having had much sleep. "We need to think of something quick though… I want to get them back… We can't leave them to the Metal Empire much longer," he stated adamantly. He lowered his clawed hand and frowned. "…And there's also that other thing. Black Pincer Company's mystery client who's supposedly paying them to attack us and make us think it's the Metal Empire."

Alphamon narrowed his eyes as he thought about it. "That is worrisome… The spies and Dorbickmon are working on it, but, apparently, it isn't an easy trail. I don't like the idea of some Digimon working in secret, trying to create chaos in the Digital World for unknown reasons."

Gankoomon shrugged and placed his hands in his pockets as if the situation were simpler than they were making it out to be. "Whoever it is, we'll just trash them," he said aloud, walking towards the doors leading to the foyer. "That's what the Royal Knights do, right?"

Alphamon couldn't help but smile at Gankoomon's confidence. "When you put it like that, it sounds so simple, Gankoomon."

The red haired Royal Knight looked over his shoulder at the Lord of the Empty Seat and flashed him a smirk. "It _is_ that simple," he responded.

As Gankoomon approached the doors leading to the foyer, he placed his foot against them and roughly pushed it open, hard enough to hit BaoHackmon and send him crashing to the floor. "…Huh? BaoHackmon?" he asked, looking at his squire sprawled out on the marble floor of the foyer. At first, he arched an eye inquisitively, but then he frowned with realization. "You were eavesdropping…"

Imperialdramon Dragon Mode immediately arched his back to stand up as straight as a quadrupedal dragon could. "We're sorry, Sir Gankoomon!" he apologized, bowing his head. "We were just going to lunch and—"

BaoHackmon groaned and stood to his feet, rubbing his cheek. "What was that about Black Pincer Company, Sensei?" he asked his teacher curiously, unapologetic for eavesdropping. He looked over at Alphamon, Omegamon, and Magnamon. "Sir Alphamon-shishou," he said extra-formally. "What's going to be happen with Sir Dukemon and Sir Dynasmon?"

Gankoomon placed his fist on BaoHackmon's head and pushed downwards. "Nothing you need to know about, kid," he answered in a rebuking tone.

BaoHackmon frowned and pulled his head away. "S-Sensei!" he complained, blushing with embarrassment as he glanced at the other onlooking Royal Knights. "I'm not a child!"

"And you're not a Royal Knight either, so leave this stuff to us," Gankoomon said to him firmly.

BaoHackmon looked up at him defiantly, a nerve obviously getting struck by the comment. "…How am I ever going to become a Royal Knight if you keep treating me like this!" he protested. "You won't even let me go on a single job outside of the castle! I'm not helping the Order at all!"

Gankoomon moved his arms out of his jacket, fists lightly clenched. However, he positioned his arms so that he folded them across his chest. "Okay then… You want to help the Order? Go eat lunch, go to the cafeteria kitchen, and go help the staff clean the dishes," he said in a no-nonsense voice.

The teenage dragon was stunned into incredulous silence. He looked up at Gankoomon, his gold eyes wide, disbelieving and questioning, and his mouth partially open, as if asking if Gankoomon was joking. "…Are you serious, Gankoomon-sensei?" he asked in partial amazement. "You want me to clean the _kitchen_? I helped sweep the damn hallways last week; you expect me to get better by constantly making me help the maintenance staff? I want to be a warrior, not a maid!"

"You want me to stop treating you like a child? Then stop whining like one and take some responsibility!" Gankoomon scolded him, taking BaoHackmon by the hood and lifting him off of his front legs so that he was at eye-level with him. He stared at him sternly. "Unless you think that throwing a tantrum like a little kid is a good way to prove that you're Royal Knight material, that is…"

BaoHackmon clenched his jagged, draconic teeth and uttered a snarl. He stared back at Gankoomon defiantly. The dragon was very aware of the stares of Alphamon, Omegamon, and Magnamon. He could feel his face heating up from the sheer embarrassment of Gankoomon treating him like a child in front of them. His stare of defiance momentarily lapsed into a grimace, but his resolve hardened again and he pushed Gankoomon back, forcing the Royal Knight to release him.

BaoHackmon dropped to the ground and he glared at Gankoomon with a flushed, furious expression. "How am I supposed to take on responsibility when you won't let me?!" he shouted. "I'm mature enough and I'm strong enough to do more than I'm doing now! You always talk about not liking authority, but you love having authority over me! You're such a hypocrite, Sensei!"

"What?!" Gankoomon demanded, growing furious and clenching his fist at the tone that his student was taking with him. "What the hell did you say?"

BaoHackmon snarled and lowered his gaze with Gankoomon. Now he just wanted to embarrass Gankoomon as much as he had been embarrassed. "You heard me. I think I know why you're holding me back. You're worried about the student outshining the master!"

Gankoomon lashed his arm out with a swift, decisive strike across BaoHackmon's metal cheek.

BackHackmon's eyes widened as the slap caused his head to jerk to the side. He could immediately feel a numb pain in his cheek. Gankoomon gritted his teeth and retracted his hand, which bore a bloody cut across the back of his hand from the impact with BaoHackmon's firm, jagged face.

For a moment, BaoHackmon was stunned. It wasn't from the slap; Gankoomon had disciplined him physically more times than he could remember. It was the fact that he did so in full view of his heroes. He could see Alphamon, Omegamon, and Magnamon wince and look away awkwardly. The perception they must have of him now… It was this that caused BaoHackmon's emotions to flare up.

BaoHackmon's eyes began to shimmer and glisten as tears began to form in the corners of his eyes. However, he refused to show any weakness. He hardened his gaze and slowly turned his head back towards Gankoomon, who he looked up at with a defiant glare. "Still treating me like a kid, huh, Gankoomon-sensei…?" he spoke, his voice rebellious, yet quivering a bit. "Well… I'll show you how far I've come…"

The dragon shut his eyes and looked away. "I'll prove it!" he yelled. BaoHackmon snarled and ran off down the hallway, just as a tear was able to escape his eye.

"B-BaoHackmon!" Imperialdramon called after him. He hastily saluted Gankoomon and the others before trying to give chase.

Gankoomon released a breath and raised his hand to rub his forehead. After a moment, he turned around and looked at the three Royal Knights. "Teenagers…" he said dismissively.

"Will… he be alright?" Magnamon asked, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah, Hackmon knows how to take a hit," Gankoomon explained, flexing his sore fist, which oozed drops of blood down his fingers.

Omegamon glanced at Magnamon. "Well… we should get going. We need to speak with Captain Knightmon." Omegamon winced a bit. "Then I want to check on Grani…"

Magnamon nodded and began walking. "Good luck with Duftmon, Alphamon…"

Omegamon placed a hand on Gankoomon's shoulder as he passed by him. The two walked across the foyer and began heading outside.

Alphamon watched the two leave before turning his attention to Gankoomon. "…Are you okay?" he asked him.

Gankoomon looked down at his bloodied hand and raised it. "Huh, this? It's nothing," he insisted with a dismissive wave that sent a drop of blood onto the floor. "I just forgot how tough Hackmon's scales are."

"I didn't mean physically," Alphamon said, folding his arms and looking at Gankoomon with an inquisitive yet caring look.

Gankoomon shrugged nonchalantly. He walked down the great hall for a few paces before suddenly stopping behind Alphamon.

"…When he was younger, he used to look up at me with wide eyes… full of admiration," he muttered. "…The way he looked at me today, I've never seen that before…"

"I see…" Alphamon turned around and placed his hand on Gankoomon's jacket-covered shoulder. "…I noticed that you called him 'Hackmon'," he pointed out with a slight smile.

Gankoomon grunted. "…Did I?" he mumbled, raising his non-bloody hand and scratching the corner of his mustache with a finger. "…Maybe the kid's right. Guess I do sometimes treat him like he's still a Hackmon." He released a soft breath. "The fact is… he's changing more than I like to admit… He's growing up. What happened there was proof of it… He never would have dreamed of speaking to me like that before."

Alphamon removed his hand from Gankoomon's back. "We all change. We grow and evolve; it's the nature of Digimon," he explained. "It's up to us to make sure that BaoHackmon changes for the better… He has so much potential." Alphamon walked up beside Gankoomon and looked at him. "He's your student, so I don't want to impose, but… maybe it is time that you give him some more responsibility. I know that you challenge him heavily in your own way, but he needs to experience new and different things if he wants to grow and become stronger. That's how the rest of us grew."

Gankoomon scratched the hair on the back of his head as he thought about what Alphamon said. "Yeah… Maybe. To be honest, I've been thinking about it, but… the kid still has a lot to learn. Not just about combat, but about the world. I know he's got the capability, but I don't know if he has the maturity."

"He seems to have a good head on his shoulders… Think about it, Gankoomon," Alphamon advised him. "He might surprise you."

"Yeah, he might," Gankoomon admitted. "…I'll think about it, Alphamon."

He turned and raised his bleeding hand. "I guess I better go patch this up before I get anymore blood on Imperialdramon Paladin Mode's nice floor. …Don't you have a sour-faced tactician to visit?"

Alphamon smiled and nodded. "Yes, I do," he responded. "I'll see you, Gankoomon."

Gankoomon nodded and parted ways with Alphamon, who made his way to the left staircase in the nearby foyer.

Alphamon walked up the stone staircase to the second level of the castle. Once reaching the top, he walked out from the wide set of stairs, into the hallway on the bedroom wing. The Aloof Hermit looked down the long corridor towards Duftmon's bedroom. From what he could tell, the door was closed, but he wasn't sure if that meant that the tactician was inside or not.

The black Royal Knight began to head down the hallway. He began to near Duftmon's room, but he was interrupted when a tall, gold figure appeared in his view. OuRyuumon walked down from the staircase that led up to the third level, where the captains' quarters were. The Strike Forces captain stopped when he saw Alphamon.

"OuRyuumon?" Alphamon greeted, walking up to him. "I had heard you were back..."

"Huh, Alphamon? Hey…" he acknowledged in response. "I just got back this morning." He looked off to the side, his violet eyes narrowed with bitter contemplation. "It doesn't feel right though…"

"The Strike Forces need to recuperate here for a bit," Alphamon reassured him. "Now that the Saversburg military repaired the bridge that the D-Brigade destroyed, the Strike Forces don't have to protect the temporary one that they built."

"Yeah, but still…" OuRyuumon muttered, frowning deeper.

Alphamon smiled at him. "…We'll get them back," he told him, knowing what OuRyuumon was thinking. He was worried about Dukemon and Dynasmon. To be honest, Alphamon was concerned as well, but he couldn't let it show. Back when Omegamon had been captured by DarkKnightmon, his worry had a negative effect on the rest of the Order. He had to be calm and composed about the situation.

OuRyuumon looked at Alphamon. "Yeah… Good," he responded, folding his arms across his gold chest. It was through this action that Alphamon noticed the bandage around OuRyuumon's forearm.

Alphamon looked at the wound. "You're hurt… May I?" he asked, gently taking OuRyuumon's arm in his hands and inspecting the bandaged limb.

"Oh. It's just a cut…" OuRyuumon assured him, looking down at the wound as well. "Standard for a battle. No big deal."

"I'm glad to hear it…" Alphamon responded with a touch of relief to his voice. He looked up at the tall dragon. OuRyuumon returned the look and their eyes locked for a few, quiet moments.

After a moment, both Digimon looked away sheepishly. Alphamon lightly released OuRyuumon's arm and glanced at him. "Um, OuRyuumon…" he began uncertainly.

At this, OuRyuumon smiled sweetly. "We should focus on getting Dukemon and Dynasmon back…" he suggested to him.

Although he was initially surprised, Alphamon returned the smile. "Yes… Yes, you're right…" he agreed.

OuRyuumon raised his claws and ran them through his violet hair, trying his best to appear cool. "So, uh… Where are you headed? Might tag along."

"I'm going to talk to Duftmon," Alphamon responded with a knowing grin.

"…On second thought, I think I have some things to do," OuRyuumon said with a smirk.

Alphamon chuckled. "I didn't think so," he replied. "Don't overdo it, OuRyuumon. Give that cut some time to heal."

"Yeah, okay," the serpent dragon responded. "Might see you later if I'm not busy with Strike Forces stuff. Don't have a whole lot of time now that HippoGriffomon's stuck in bed."

Alphamon gave him a nod. "Just do what you need to do. The Strike Forces need you right now," he said to him.

"Yeah, okay…" OuRyuumon answered, beginning to pass Alphamon.

The black knight watched as the tall dragon made his way past him. "Wish me luck," he added.

OuRyuumon grinned and walked past him. "Good luck. You'll need it," he told his friend before heading down the stairs behind him.

The leader of the Royal Knights smiled over his shoulder as OuRyuumon walked down. Once he was gone, Alphamon became serious once again when walked down the corridor towards Duftmon's room.

The black knight stopped in front of the door to the tactician's bedroom and gave it a few firm courtesy knocks. "Duftmon?" he asked. "Are you in there?"

There was silence. Alphamon was just about to raise his hand to knock one last time, but before his knuckles could reach the door, he was interrupted. "Please, come in," Duftmon's voice said from beyond the door.

Alphamon tentatively opened the door and walked inside of Duftmon's room. He saw the slender Royal Knight sitting on the edge of his bed. The blinds were closed over the windows, so the room was dark except for a lamp on the nearby desk.

Duftmon was staring down at his book, but he looked up once Alphamon entered. He had a tired look in his eyes. "Yes, Alphamon?" he questioned contemplatively.

Alphamon frowned and walked over to the bed, prompting Duftmon to place his book down and stand up. "You seem tired, Duftmon…" he observed. "Are you alright?"

"My sleep routine has become dishevelled…" the tactician admitted faintly. "I keep thinking about the battle. I have thought about nothing but that battle for the past few days…"

Alphamon winced and rubbed the back of his neck. "Duftmon…" he spoke gently. "I'm… sorry for coming down on you so forcefully. If it seemed like I was laying most of the blame at your feet, that wasn't my intention."

Duftmon closed his eyes and folded his arms, bowing his head. "Don't be ridiculous, Alphamon… It _was_ my fault. The responsibility for the outcome of that battle was entirely mine," he admitted after turning and looking away.

The black Royal Knight stood and looked at Duftmon in shock. Alphamon was stunned at this admission of fault from Duftmon. Such a thing was almost unheard of. It made it clear to Alphamon just how serious the situation was.

"Duftmon… I hope we didn't make you think that…" Alphamon said to him diplomatically. "You know as well as anybody that the situation in battle can change rapidly. It was a small oversight. The tide of battle is fluid and chaotic, so you can't take it to heart."

Duftmon winced. "It was a massive, battle-ending oversight. A gigantic blunder… To assume that those reinforcements were their rear guard…" He shut his eyes and clenched his fists. "It was my own fault, Alphamon… I have been thinking about it for days, and that is my conclusion. I should not have blamed the others for my shortcomings…"

Alphamon sighed and took a step towards him. He placed a hand on Duftmon's winged shoulder comfortingly. "Don't blame yourself, Duftmon…" he said to him, although inwardly thinking that he never thought he'd have to say that to the tactician.

"What am I supposed to do, then?" Duftmon asked, turning his green eyes away from Alphamon. "Refusing to blame myself was precisely what I did before. I dismissed the blame onto others. However, the truth of the matter is that I'm to blame…"

The leopard knight narrowed his eyes reflectively. "I made a mistake… I… I don't know what to do with mistakes, Alphamon…" he admitted sullenly.

Alphamon rubbed his shoulder. "…You learn from them so that you don't make the same mistake twice," he said to him.

Duftmon turned and looked at Alphamon. "…How?" he asked him with questioning, insecure eyes. "I need to know… What am I doing wrong, Alphamon…? I have been thinking about it constantly, but…"

Alphamon's gaze softened as he looked into Duftmon's eyes. "I don't know if I can answer that, Duftmon…"

The blond haired Royal Knight turned his head and looked down, sighing. "…I've been thinking hard about what Tactimon said to me in Saversburg. He says that I'm too impersonal… That I treat others like pawns…" he spoke. Duftmon closed his eyes. "I… realize that I am not the best Digimon when it comes to social situations and interpersonal relations… Other Digimon seem to get annoyed by me."

"Well…" Alphamon admitted. "If I can speak honestly, you do sometimes come across as superior and disdainful…"

"I _did_ gather that much…" Duftmon responded, some of his sarcasm still lingering despite his beaten down mood. "However… what Tactimon said keeps resonating for some reason… He sounded so convinced, as if he could see a glaring flaw within me that I couldn't. Sleipmon, as well… They said that I distanced myself from my forces… that I was too focused on logic. They said that I have to take them into account for my tactics to succeed." Duftmon grimaced with frustration. "But I _have_ taken them into account! I placed Craniamon, RhodoKnightmon, Dukemon, and Dynasmon based on where I needed their strengths!"

Alphamon looked at Duftmon with thoughtful eyes. "…If I may, Duftmon… That might be it. You placed them based on where _you_ needed them to be. You, as a tactician, needed them placed in certain positions, based on the objective strengths and weaknesses of their abilities, correct?" he asked him.

"Exactly… As I always do. So, what is the problem with that?" Duftmon replied, genuinely confused.

"Well… I wouldn't say there's something inherently wrong with that…" Alphamon admitted. "But… there is more to a Digimon than just their abilities. They are more than just a set of skills. I've noticed that whenever you wanted to add an additional Royal Knight to our ranks, you wanted them to fit a certain role… Examon for long-ranged support for example, or Sleipmon for mid-ranged attacks and agility. I think that's the point where your interest in other Digimon ends: anything beyond how they can be useful for the Order."

Duftmon frowned and thought about his words.

Alphamon gripped Duftmon's shoulder before removing his hand. "There is so much more to Digimon than that. They have personalities, styles, methodologies, preferences… They might not always match up with your own views."

Duftmon grimaced and looked away. "Why do you think I…?" he sighed and cut himself off.

Alphamon smiled. "You do have to take those variables into account…"

"…Variables…" Duftmon murmured distastefully.

"Yes… I know you hate them. You like everything to be ordered and structured in a certain way. Your cleanliness, your rigid schedules, your detailed plans… They're all methods of preserving order and eliminating variables, aren't they?" Alphamon asked him.

The brown-armoured Royal Knight frowned at his words. "…I… suppose?" he offered noncommittally. "I have never thought about myself like that…"

"I have thought about you a lot. I've thought about each and every one of you, Duftmon," Alphamon explained kindly. "It's my responsibility to get to understand all of you. These social connections are paramount to the wellbeing of the Order… I learned that after I failed with DarkKnightmon…" Alphamon sighed and then turned to look at Duftmon. "Dynasmon and Dukemon are the sort of Digimon who would risk themselves if it meant saving others. Craniamon prefers to be in the thick of the fighting, challenging strong opponents. RhodoKnightmon likes to have space to move freely," he explained. "I know that you can't create tactics to suit a single Digimon, but you do have to take these things to heart when you are asking them to go into battle. Digimon can't be forced into a certain role. They are individuals... I do think there is truth in the idea that you have to understand the Digimon you're commanding. That's how I try to operate, at least."

Although wincing at the idea, Duftmon nodded. "I… I see…" he responded. "So that's what Tactimon meant…" Duftmon turned his head to look back up at Alphamon. "I… don't think I can do that. I can't… _do_ what you do, Alphamon. I am unable to talk like this… and make those connections. I cannot simply change overnight, even if what Tactimon said about me is true."

"Nobody expects you to, Duftmon," Alphamon told him warmly. "Nobody can change just like that… However, you recognize that you need to do something differently. That's a big step…"

"Mhm…" Duftmon replied broodingly. "I… simply do not wish to give the Order a bad name…"

"You don't have to worry about that, Duftmon," Alphamon reassured him.

Duftmon nodded. He briefly locked eyes with Alphamon and opened his mouth to say something. After a moment, he looked away, thinking better of his words. "Your input is…" He turned his face away sheepishly.

"Appreciated… Alphamon."

Alphamon couldn't help but smile. He gave Duftmon a light pat on the back. "You're welcome…" he said. "Can we expect you to help formulate a rescue plan? You _are_ our tactician after all…"

At this, Duftmon stood up a bit straighter. "Of course…" he replied, turning back to face Alphamon.

Alphamon nodded. "I'm glad to hear it," he said, beginning to turn to leave. "But perhaps you should have a nap first."

"Perhaps…" Duftmon stated, closing his eyes.

"I'll see you soon," Alphamon said to his fellow Royal Knight.

Duftmon nodded quietly.

Alphamon looked at Duftmon for a moment before turning back to the door. He walked away and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

BaoHackmon sat alone in one of the alcoves of the castle's first floor corridors. He was seated on a cushioned bench, where he sulked and thought about what had happened. He hated that Gankoomon embarrassed him in front of the Royal Knights. He was made to look weak and child-like. It was his goal to become one of the Royal Knights, but if Gankoomon kept treating him like that, they would never be able to respect him as an equal, let alone think he was prepared to take on the responsibilities of a Royal Knight. It burned him up inside.

The armoured dragon grimaced and rested his chin on the soft, red fabric. He wanted to prove them wrong somehow. He needed to prove that he was capable.

His thoughts were distracted when he noticed one of the torches cast a shadow down the hallway. He glanced over with his gold eyes and saw Grani floating down the corridor.

BaoHackmon lowered himself against the seat more, partially worried that Grani had been told about what had happened to him. However, Grani didn't even look at him. The Zero ARMS just floated past the alcove that BaoHackmon was in, not even acknowledging that he was there.

This struck BaoHackmon as strange. Grani had extremely good eye sight, so there was no way he didn't see him. It was as if he was distracted. There seemed to be a sombre aura hanging over the Reconnaissance Captain's form. BaoHackmon frowned and peered out of the nook, glancing down the hallway as Grani hovered down it.

He watched as Karatenmon turned a corner and headed towards Grani's direction.

"Hey, Grani," Karatenmon called out to him. The raven man cocked an eyebrow with curiosity when Grani didn't respond. "…Grani?"

Grani still failed to reply. He kept heading towards the spymaster while completely engrossed in his thoughts. The way he was going, Grani was going to end up crashing into Karatenmon.

"Woah, there. Stop, Grani!" Karatenmon stated just as the avian dragon was about to fly into him. He raised his taloned hands and gently placed them on Grani's wings, gently stopping him before he could collide.

Grani blinked and looked up from the ground at the sudden obstruction. "Karatenmon…?" he asked. He looked away sheepishly, embarrassed by his carelessness. "My apologies. I didn't notice you there. I was… thinking."

Karatenmon grinned a bit and removed his hands from the Zero ARMS. "You nearly crashed into me and I was walking right towards you. You must have been thinking awfully hard," he pointed out. The crow Digimon's smile vanished. "…Are you okay?"

Grani sighed dismally. "I… was thinking about Dukemon," he admitted. "I am… worried about him…"

The corners of Karatenmon's mouth turned down. "Oh… Sorry, Grani. I should have guessed," he answered sympathetically.

"You have nothing to apologise for," Grani assured him with a deflated calm. "I just can't help but feel frustrated. I wasn't there to help him. I'm angry that he went and did something so reckless…"

BaoHackmon overheard their exchange. He winced at the mention of Dukemon. He, too, wanted to get both he and Dynasmon back. He respected the two Royal Knights greatly, and he hated that they had been taken prisoner by the Metal Empire. He stayed in the alcove, listening in while also keeping himself out of sight.

"You know him better than anybody, Grani. If there was a chance that he could help his friends, Dukemon would risk anything," Karatenmon stated with a faint smile.

"That is part of what annoys me," Grani explained. "It is hard to be too angry with him when he is doing something noble." The Zero ARMS sighed and dipped in the air a few inches. "I just wish that he thought about the consequences of his actions before he lets his impulses take over. He can be so reckless…"

"It's possible to think and deliberate too much, though," Karatenmon debated. "Sometimes you just have to act in the moment if you think it's the right thing to do."

Grani looked up at Karatenmon with a bland, exasperated stare. "How come I always get stuck with the foolish, impulsive, disobedient ones?" he asked dryly.

Karatenmon grinned and rubbed Grani's head with his hand. "You need us to balance out your analytical, rule-abiding stoicism."

Grani scoffed and pulled back. "I'm not sure that I can agree with that," he responded. Despite his humour, after a few moments, Grani began to grow worried again.

The avian spy captain picked up on this. "Don't worry, Grani. We'll get him back," he assured him, his voice optimistic and reassuring. "I've already sent some of my spies and infiltrators. It's possible that they might be able to rescue them without a big operation."

Grani closed his eyes and released a soft, sceptical breath. "If you're in charge, I suppose we have nothing to worry about," he stated with playful sarcasm. However, after a moment, he looked up at Karatenmon with subtle appreciation. "Thank you, Karatenmon."

Karatnemon offered a kind smile. "Of course…" he told him. "Just don't worry about him. Dukemon will be okay."

A faint, hardly noticeable wince graced Grani's blue eyes. "No… That isn't all. Something happened…" he explained to the spymaster.

At this, Karatenmon frowned. "What? With Dukemon and Dynasmon?" he asked.

"No… I received news from MailBirdramon. Apparently one of our patrols went missing last night. It was a four-Digimon patrol and not a single one has returned…" Grani explained. A breath escaped his beak. "They've been deleted… Most likely by Black Pincer Company."

Karatenmon's eyes hardened. "What? Black Pincer Company?" he asked.

Grani nodded bleakly. "Yes… Judging by the coordinates where the patrol last made contact, it is likely that the mercenaries were heading north after we captured their hideout from them," he explained. "Dorbickmon said that they had been hired to take down one of our patrols. I should have guessed that they would still follow through after we took their hideout from them. I was careless… I should have managed the patrols more carefully." The Zero ARMS bowed his head and winced.

"You can't blame yourself, Grani. They could have attacked at any point," Karatenmon assured him. "Besides, we don't know for sure that they were deleted. We should send a team to investigate. What were the coordinates?"

"Zeta-Lambda sector. Exact coordinates unknown. Perhaps around the forest there. The Forest of Memories," Grani replied informatively. "However, if we send a team, we need to make sure that it's strong enough to engage those three Digimon. They are deceptively powerful. I don't want to endanger the investigation team in case they're ambushed."

"Fair enough," Karatenmon agreed. "Let's head to the war room and discuss how to handle this."

"We should let one of the Royal Knights know as well," Grani stated.

BaoHackmon's eyes hardened with resolve as he listened in on Grani and Karatenmon. "_Zeta-Lambda, huh…? If I can find Black Pincer Company first, then there won't be any danger. I can take those three down; I just have to be smart about it. I'll prove it to Sensei. I'll prove it to the Royal Knights that I have what it takes_." he thought to himself. "_I'll take down those three criminals and show off what I'm capable of in the process_…"

He laid in wait as Grani and Karatenmon made their way down the corridor away from him. Once they were gone, he walked out of the alcove with a new found resolve in his eyes. He had a mission and he fully intended on carrying it out to its conclusion.

The dragon raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side. Now he just had to figure out where Zeta-Lambda sector was…

* * *

BaoHackmon waited outside of the cafeteria. He didn't really want to go inside in case any of the Royal Knights were in there, but he knew that Imperialdramon: Dragon Mode was probably in there. He tapped his foot eagerly as he waited for his friend to come out; he knew that Peri was a slow eater.

Just as he was going to risk venturing inside, he saw a large, familiar mass of blue, white, black, and red pass through the spacious doorway. BaoHackmon sprung into action.

"Peri!" he greeted, grabbing one of Imperialdramon's forelegs with his own and began to pull the dragon, who was over twice his size, down the corridor.

"Gah! BaoHackmon?" Imperialdramon Dragon Mode exclaimed with surprise, not expecting to see him again so soon. He allowed himself to be pulled and he looked down at the white dragon. "Are you okay? I was worried."

"Yeeaaah, I'm fine," BaoHackmon assured him. "I just needed to vent by going a couple rounds with the punching bag. Don't worry about it."

"That's good," Peri answered. "So… Where are we going?"

"The library. I need your help," BaoHackmon explained, pulling him around a corner to the right, heading to the stairs that led to the basement level. "You're recon, so you know maps and geography and stuff, right?"

"Yeah, that's the first thing we're taught," the large dragon responded. "Captain Grani made us memorize all of the different sectors on the continent. Names and landmarks too. It was hard work."

BaoHackmon grinned. "Good. I was hoping you could teach me a few things," he said.

Peri looked at him curiously. "Does this mean you're considering joining Recon after all?" he wondered.

"I dunno. I'm just looking into it. It'll be useful information to know, no matter what I do," BaoHackmon explained noncommittally. "Everybody in the Order should know about geography."

Peri blinked and turned to look down at his friend. "I never thought I'd hear you say that…" he said with a grin. "It sounds like Sir Gankoomon hit you harder than I thought."

BaoHackmon rolled his eyes as he pulled Peri into the expansive library. "Very funny. So, where are the maps at?" he questioned.

"The map copies are over in this corner. Don't rip any," the helmet-wearing dragon explained, making his way over to the corner where the collection of maps was stored.

"I won't. I'll get us a table," BaoHackmon said, making his way over to one of the tables in the front area of the library. He found a table large enough to place a map on and sat beside it, waiting for Imperialdramon to return.

Peri walked to the table, holding a rolled up map in his tail. He spread out the map and angled it so that BaoHackmon could see it easily. "I got one of the ones of the whole continent."

"Great!" BaoHackmon exclaimed, smiling broadly. He tilted his head and looked at the map before him. "So… For example… If I wanted to find Zeta-Lambda sector, how would I do that?"

"That's a good place to start," Imperialdramon Dragon Mode explained, sitting down so that he could raise his forelegs. He pointed with the spike protruding from his oversized claws. "First, you look at the axes. There's the X-axis and the Y-axis, and they're both labelled from alpha to omega. So, if you want to find somewhere that you know the coordinates of, first look at the X-axis, so zeta…" He pointed to the left side of the map.

BaoHackmon followed along, only half-interested. He was more concerned with finding the actual location rather than actually learning this stuff.

"Then you follow it along until you reach lambda, which would be around here…" Peri stopped his claw near a forest to the north-west of the Free Area. "See? So, Zeta-Lambda sector is around the Forest of Memories. Right here."

BaoHackmon gave the map a look over, to see where Splendour's Reach was relative to the Forest of Memories. After studying the map for a few more moments, the dragon grinned, confident that he could get there. "Okay, thanks, Peri!" he said to him, walking away from the table and heading towards the library exit.

"Huh?" Peri asked, blinking and looking over at BaoHackmon started to leave. "Where are you going? We only just started!"

"I just remembered that I have a job I need to do!" BaoHackmon called back as he walked out into the corridor. "Don't wait up!"

"BaoHackmon!" Imperialdramon called after him. The young, Ultimate-level dragon sighed when he didn't get a response.

BaoHackmon ran up the stairs to main floor. He knew that if he wanted to get to the Forest of Memories before dark, he'd have to leave right now. He bolted down the halls as he made his way to the exit. His metallic limbs clinked against the smooth, stone flooring with every step. BaoHackmon ran down a long corridor towards the foyer.

Just as he neared the end of the corridor and approached the marble entry way, he saw Gankoomon emerge from the stairs on the opposite side of the foyer. Gankoomon stepped out and began to get in his path, looking at his student calmly.

BaoHackmon's golden eyes hardened, some of his residual anger flaring up again. "Get out of my way!" he said harshly, making a sharp turn to the left. The dinosaur Digimon ran into the entrance hall, dashing down it towards the exit.

Gankoomon frowned. "BaoHackmon!" he shouted after him.

BaoHackmon knew that if Gankoomon knew what he was up to, there would be no way he would get away with it. "Just leave me alone, Sensei!" he called back over his caped shoulder. Although he really was still angry at Gankoomon, he played it up as an excuse to get away from him. He just hoped that Gankoomon wouldn't try to follow him.

Gankoomon released an irritated sigh as he watched BaoHackmon run outside. He always did this whenever they had an argument. Gankoomon decided that it was better to just let him cool down. He knew that they'd probably just end up having another fight given the nature of their temperaments at the moment.

He turned and continued down the castle corridor. Little did he know, BaoHackmon had other plans.

* * *

The hours went by and the afternoon had completely passed. The sun had almost set, and the sky was a blackish-blue hue. Stars flickered over head, and two half moons were positioned on opposite ends the sky.

BaoHackmon jogged along the grassy plains in intermittent bursts. He wanted to move quickly, but he didn't want to tire himself out, knowing that he would have to fight Black Pincer Company. He had taken the Locomon Rail a third of the distance and then travelled the rest by foot. It had taken him all afternoon. Luckily for him, he was in peak physical condition, and Gankoomon had taught him pathfinding and tracking skills. He was fairly sure that he was on the right track.

As he ran, his hooded, crimson cape fluttered against his back. BaoHackmon jogged up the side of a small hill and stopped at the crest of the mound. Sure enough, he sighted something from the vantage point. He grinned at what he saw.

In the near distance was a sprawling forest filled with spread out trees. He was sure that it was the Forest of Memories. Due to the darkness, it was hard to make out much of anything other than the outlines of the canopies. The dinosaur Digimon squinted his eyes and looked around the landscape. He sniffed a bit and took in the scent of the area.

"_I smell smoke,_" BaoHackmon noted to himself. He looked around the area carefully. He could just barely make out several, singed tree branches strewn around the ground a dozen meters from the base of the hill he was on. "_Looks like there was a fight here…_"

The dragon frowned and began to walk down the hill towards the patch of grassland between the hill and the edge of the forest. Once he was down there, he looked around cautiously. He was able to see a large gap in the tree canopy. It looked as if something had vaporized the trees there.

BaoHackmon narrowed his eyes and ducked his head down, scanning the area alertly. "_This must have been where the patrol was deleted… Black Pincer Company can't be too far away…_" he thought to himself as he carefully advanced towards the forest.

He could smell smoke. It smelled fresh. The armoured dinosaur made his way to the edge of the forest. He leered into the darkness of the woods. In the distance, he could see a faint glow of light.

BaoHackmon cautiously stepped inside the forest. He was pretty sure that it wasn't one of those random flames or patches of light that sometimes floated through forests. It looked more like static fire. He suspected that it was a campfire.

The dragon narrowed his eyes as he quietly headed towards it. He knew he needed to stealthy. "_It must be Black Pincer Company…_" he thought to himself.

BaoHackmon crept forwards through the forest towards the distant flame. A chill crept down his scales as the weight of what he was doing finally sank in. He began to wonder if he could really manage fighting Black Pincer Company or not. He began to breathe a bit heavier and he could feel a tightening feeling in the pit of his stomach. He began to doubt himself.

Despite BaoHackmon's fears, he pressed on as quietly as he could. To be a Royal Knight, one had to be brave. He knew that he needed to trust in his capabilities, even if he had doubts. He steeled his willpower and pressed forward, remaining ever vigilant. He figured he might have a fighting chance if he could take on each of the three mercenaries one-by-one. He knew he needed to scout out their campsite before making a move.

The dragon Digimon released a quiet breath and moved with his body close to the ground. He was mindful of his feet and made sure not to step on any noisy twigs or hit any stones.

As he drew nearer to the flames, he ducked behind a tree and some shrubbery and glanced out cautiously. BaoHackmon could see a campfire burning in the middle of a gap in the forest. However, to his surprise, there were no Digimon near the fire. The area was deserted.

BaoHackmon arched an eyebrow with confusion. "Huh?" he whispered to himself. He didn't know why there would be a campfire lit if there was nobody there. An uneasy feeling began to loom over him.

He looked all around him carefully. There was nobody there. All he could see was darkness. BaoHackmon winced and stepped out from behind the tree. He began to wonder if he should go back to the castle. He was seriously considering it.

It was then that a cold chill swept down his back. The dinosaur's gold eyes widened with terror. He could sense a presence standing directly behind him.

BaoHackmon slowly turned his head, daring to look over his caped shoulder.

GranKuwagamon stood directly behind him. The giant, black insect smirked, entertained by the look of stunned horror that formed on BaoHackmon's face. "Surprise," he greeted. GranKuwagamon swung his massive arm around and drove his clawed fist into BaoHackmon's plated side.

BaoHackmon was thrown through the air and his back slammed into the trunk of a tree. He released a winded cough and then fell to the ground, barely managing to land on his feet. The dragon winced at the numb pain in his back but forced himself to stand up straight and look at his opponent.

To his shock, GranKuwagamon was already rushing towards him, coiling his arm back and poised to strike. BaoHackmon snarled and leapt into action. He lunged to the side and rolled out of the way right as GranKuwagamon unleashed a mighty punch. His claws sheared through the tree with ease and caused the trunk to come crashing down with a thunderous crash.

BaoHackmon spun around and clenched his teeth. "Burn Flame!" he shouted, unleashing a torrent of flames from his maw towards GranKuwagamon.

GranKuwagamon narrowed his eyes when he saw the swathes of fire billowing towards him. He darted out of the way, narrowly missing getting enveloped by the inferno. He flew to the side and slashed his pincers forward.

BaoHackmon watched his movements and tried to blow more flames towards him. However, the dragon was stunned when GranKuwagamon seemed to disappear behind a tree; there was no way an insect Digimon that big could hide behind such a skinny trunk.

It was then that he realized that GranKuwagamon hadn't hidden. He teleported. Out of the corners of his eyes, he saw GranKuwagamon shoot out of a spacial rift nearby. The ebony bug closed in on BaoHackmon and drove his foot hard into BaoHackmon's cheek.

The dinosaur Digimon let out a cry of pain and was sent flying off of his feet. He winced when he hit the ground and skidded along it for several meters. Despite the pain in his face and the metallic taste of blood inside his mouth, BaoHackmon wasn't about to just give up. He rolled over and got to his feet, digging his limbs into the ground before shooting off across the forest floor.

"You don't know who you're dealing with, do you?" GranKuwagamon said to him, watching the Adult-level Digimon as he tried to resist him. "Did you really think you could mess with us? You realize that I'm an Ultimate-level Digimon, right? You're smart enough to understand what that means? Hell, maybe you're not."

"Shut up!" BaoHackmon shouted, dashing towards GranKuwagamon in an unpredictable charge. "I'm going to take you down, you oversized beetle!" The dragon dashed to the side and then zigzagged back towards GranKuwagamon. He lunged into the air and his front claws suddenly ignited, becoming wreathed in flames. "Fif Cross!" he shouted, slashing his claws down in an 'X' motion.

The flames slammed into GranKuwagamon's side. The insect narrowed his eyes at the fire against his carapace, but he seemed otherwise unaffected. He lashed his arm out and swatted BaoHackmon out of the air.

The dragon winced as he slammed into the ground and tumbled across it inelegantly. He came to a rolling stop and levelled a defiant glare at GranKuwagamon. He tried to straighten his legs and stand up once more.

At this, GranKuwagamon couldn't help but smile. "You've got guts, kid. It's just too bad you don't have any common sense," he told him, his large body becoming consumed with a dark-grey light. "Slide Evolution. GrandisKuwagamon."

BaoHackmon narrowed his eyes when he saw GrandisKuwagamon emerge in his lither but arguably more dangerous form. "…Great, so now you're even uglier," he said defiantly.

GrandisKuwagamon smirked and adjusted the Gran Killer gauntlets over his forearms. "Mouthy too…" he observed. He started buzzing his X-shaped wings and started zipping towards BaoHackmon, poised to strike.

BaoHackmon growled and lunged into the air, spinning his body around so that he could lash out with his bladed tail. "Teen Slash!" he shouted, slashing his tail blade towards GrandisKuwagamon.

GrandisKuwagamon caught the tail easily before the blade could strike him. He whirled around in mid-air and launched BaoHackmon towards the sky. "Do it!" he called out.

"Hahah! With pleasure!" Bolgmon shouted out ecstatically from nearby. He burst through a thick bush, driving at full speed. His cannons spun rapidly and brimmed with electricity. "One fried lizard coming right up! Ultimate Thunder!"

He launched two, interconnected electric spheres from his arm cannons. The lightning bolas whipped through the air towards BaoHackmon, who reached the apex of the flight.

Wincing, BaoHackmon watched as the two spheres of lightning spun towards him. He tried his best to brace himself, but the electricity wrapped around his body and surged through him. BaoHackmon let out a pained scream as the lightning shocked him. He fell to the ground in a heap, his body twitching and trembling.

"D-D-Damn… it…" BaoHackmon swore, growling in pain and protest. He winced in pain and tried to stand up on his legs, but his limbs buckled and he collapsed to the ground. The dragon Digimon narrowed his eyes and hissed again, once more trying to stand up, leg-by-leg.

"Hell, he's still trying to fight?" Bolgmon observed, rolling over to GrandisKuwagamon, who landed on the ground and watched BaoHackmon. "I weakened my shot so that I didn't accidentally toast him but it should still've been enough to lay him flat."

GrandisKuwagamon narrowed his eye and stared at BaoHackmon. He watched as BaoHackmon locked eyes with him and stared back at him with a look of fury and defiance. He leered at BaoHackmon's angry eyes. GrandisKuwagamon scoffed and shook his head. "Tch… Stupid kid… Should know when to give up…"

"I'm not… a kid…" BaoHackmon responded in a snarl, his voice scathing. He grunted with pain and effort, driving his bladed foot into the ground to try and steady himself. "I won't… give up… Not to… the likes of you…"

"Oh, shut up." Blitzmon appeared from behind a tree and walked up behind BaoHackmon. He casually drove an electrically charged fist into BaoHackmon's back, hard enough to knock him flat against the ground. This time, BaoHackmon didn't get back up.

"Thank you!" Bolgmon whimsically chimed out to Blitzmon, rolling over to him.

GrandisKuwagamon followed, approaching the beetle man and the unconscious dragon. The black insect stopped and folded his arms, looking down at BaoHackmon. He nudged his unmoving body with one of his black feet. "So… What d'you guys think?" he asked the two, deep blue insect Digimon with him.

"He can't be with the Royal Knights, can he?" Blitzmon stated. "There's only one of him and he's only an Adult-level. Not enough to investigate a missing patrol."

"He talks like a Royal Knight. He looks like a Royal Knight. He's even got the damn cape," GrandisKuwagamon pointed out. "You think he just wandered into the Forest of Memories this late at night? He's probably alone so that he didn't draw as much attention to himself while he investigated."

Blitzmon shrugged noncommittally. "Maybe…"

GrandisKuwagamon stared at the unconscious dragon. He turned towards the large, tank Digimon beside him. "Take him, Bolgmon. Bring him back to our real camp," he told him. "We'll find out how much this kid's worth…"


	23. Chapter 15 Part 2: Saviour

(Author's Notes: Here's Part 2 of Chapter 15. Like with Chapter 13, I changed the name of the second part. Read, review, and enjoy with a burning fire in your soul!)

**Chapter 15: Saviour (Part 2)**

_"__Oshishou-sama! Hinukamui-sensei! Watch this!"_

_Hackmon dashed across the ground, his red cape fluttering behind him as he ran. _

_"__Fif Slash!"_

_The young, white dragon leapt into the air and poised his keen claws. He swept his foreleg outwards and sliced his claws diagonally through the trunk of a tree. The claws cut all the way through the wood, so the tree ended up sliding down its trunk. The base of the medium-sized trunk impacted the ground and then slowly toppled over with a large crash._

_Hackmon turned around and looked at his master with a proud, expectant smile. He saw Gankoomon standing a few meters away, watching him with folded arms. The golden aura dragon, Hinukamui, watched from above Gankoomon as his draconic power rose up from the humanoid Digimon's shoulders. _

_Gankoomon didn't respond. His expression appeared stern and unmoved. He watched the tree fall over and glanced at Hackmon, his arms folded._

_At this, Hackmon's smile faded and his head drooped. He glanced away from his master, disappointed that he didn't seem impressed. He had practiced for weeks and he thought he had done a pretty good job, but now he began to doubt himself._

_However, after a moment, Gankoomon grinned and walked over. "…Good form, Hackmon. You've improved," he told his disciple, placing a hand on his caped shoulder._

_Hackmon beamed at his sensei's compliment. "It's thanks to your training, Oshishou-sama!" he replied happily. _

_"__Don't be so modest. You're the one that has to use that training to grow," Gankoomon assured him. "Right, Hinu?"_

_Hinukamui gave a throaty grunt of approval._

_"__Also, quit being so formal," Gankoomon told him._

_Hackmon smiled and laughed a bit. "I feel like I can take on Adult-level Digimon now."_

_Gankoomon grinned at his confidence and reached down to pat his head. "Don't get ahead of yourself. If you try to bite off more than you can chew, you might end up getting hurt. It's a hard thing to do, but you've gotta know your limits."_

_"__I've never seen you worry about your limits, Sensei," Hackmon teased, smiling up at him._

_Gankoomon lightly knocked his knuckles on Hackmon's head. "That's because you've never seen me take on someone I couldn't handle!" he responded matter-of-factly._

_"__That's because Sensei's so strong!" Hackmon declared, smiling and nodding to himself. "One day, I'm going to be as strong as you and the Royal Knights. Please keep training me!"_

_Gankoomon grinned and folded his arms. "I'm not sure I like being lumped in with your precious Royal Knights!" he declared. "But… Hmm… What do you think, Hinu? Should we keep training the kid?"_

_Hinukamui grinned and folded his arms with deliberation, before releasing an affirmative grunt._

_Gankoomon laughed. "Guess that settles it! You're in luck, Hackmon!"_

_Hackmon smiled broadly and leapt up to hug Gankoomon's waist. "Thank you, Sensei! I'll try really hard! You won't regret it!"_

* * *

BaoHackmon grimaced, his eyes tensing up and his teeth clenching as he began to wake up. He opened his eyes drowsily so that he could see where he was. The dragon found himself directly at ground level, his chin resting on some emerald moss. He released a grunt that caused dirt to puff up in front of his horned snout. After blinking some of the dirt away, BaoHackmon began to grow more aware.

In front of him, he could see that he was still in the Forest of Memories. It seemed to be daytime, which was clear from the eerie strands of sunlight that shone down between the spaces in the canopy. BaoHackmon realized that he was lying belly-down on the forest floor. The dragon stirred his sore body, attempting to push himself up from the dirty ground. He moved his hind legs first, scuffing his bladed feet against the earth.

Next, BaoHackmon attempted move his front pair of legs. His eyes widened with fear when he realized that he couldn't budge them an inch. It came to his attention that his fore legs had been pulled behind his caped back and tied together with rope. He struggled to try and get his claws free, but due to the shape of his feet and the tightness of the rope, he was unable to.

He grunted and looked over his shoulder to try to see his bound legs. He saw that the end of his tail was also tied with his ankles, so that he wouldn't be able to use the blade at the end to cut the rope, presumably. "H-Hey!" he shouted out in a mixture of anger and panic.

He glanced forwards again when he heard movement. BaoHackmon saw a pair of black, clawed feet step into his vision. The pair of legs stopped right in front of him, prompting him to look up.

GrandisKuwagamon stood over him, arms folded. He stared down at BaoHackmon with a single, intimidating red eye. BaoHackmon hated to admit it, but everything about the black insect was intimidating. "Look who's awake," GrandisKuwagamon said aloud.

"L-Let me go right now!" BaoHackmon demanded, glaring up at GrandisKuwagamon despite his nerves. He struggled on the ground, trying to pull his legs out from behind his back, but he could hardly move the strained limbs due to the awkward angle they were in.

GrandisKuwagamon lifted his foot and placed it on top of BaoHackmon's head, lightly pushing him further into the dirt. "I might be wrong, but from where I'm standing, you're not in much of a position to be giving orders, kid," GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically pointed out.

BaoHackmon glared and released a grunt from his nostrils that sent dirt shooting up from the ground in front of his snout. He felt some relief when GrandisKuwagamon removed his foot and took a step back, as if to make room.

The dragon's attention turned towards Bolgmon, who rolled over to him. His body stiffened with trepidation at the oncoming tank treads, but he relaxed temporarily when Bolgmon stopped in front of him. BaoHackmon looked up and again felt dread when he saw Bolgmon extend a long, metal needle from his right cannon arm.

Bolgmon looked down at him with an unhinged, entertained leer. "I strongly suggest that you behave yourself while you're still with us," the giant, tank Digimon told the prisoner, waving the sharp needle dangerously close to BaoHackmon's snout. "If you don't… you're not going to have a very good time…"

BaoHackmon winced and stayed quiet.

GrandisKuwagamon walked over and placed his hand on Bolgmon's arm, gently guiding it away from BaoHackmon. "Careful where you wave that thing. Don't want to accidentally poke his eye out," he said to him.

"Yet," Bolgmon said with a laugh, retracting the needle back into his arm.

BaoHackmon looked up at GrandisKuwagamon. "What are you going to do with me…?" he asked him, trying his best to cover his nerves. "…Delete me?"

GrandisKuwagamon leered down at the dinosaur Digimon. "…Heh. I could tell you were with the Royal Knights," he stated. Upon seeing BaoHackmon's expression of protest, GrandisKuwagamon explained. "Don't deny it. You came here to investigate that patrol that disappeared. If you were just an innocent traveller, you'd be confused and probably pissing yourself by now."

BaoHackmon grimaced and turned his head away slightly. He was too honest to try and deny it. He doubted he'd be very convincing anyways. "You didn't answer me…" he muttered indignantly.

"We're not going to delete you," GrandisKuwagamon explained. "We're ransoming your ass. Your Royal Knights ransacked our hideout and took all of our hard-earned cash. You're going to get us our money back."

"Not likely," BaoHackmon protested rebelliously. "I bet that 'hard-earned cash' was mostly stolen or gotten through ransom, extortion, and other dodgy jobs."

GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye. "Please. Spare me the sanctimony and the lecture. I'm not taking it from a jumped-up, cape-wearing lizard who can't even stand up," he nonchalantly responded, walking away with a dismissive shrug.

BaoHackmon levelled a glare at him and tried again to free his forelimbs. "The Royal Knights will rescue me… Just you wait!" he exclaimed with a renewed sense of confidence.

"It'd be easier on everyone if they just gave us our money back. No bloodshed, no hassle…" GrandisKuwagamon explained, looking over his shoulder at his captive. "I just hope those Royal Knights aren't as dumb as I think they are."

"The Royal Knights aren't dumb!" BaoHackmon shouted defensively, starting to bear his draconic teeth. "You're dumb if you think they'll let you get away with wiping out a Royal Knight patrol and capturing me!"

GrandisKuwagamon frowned and pointed at himself. He then looked over at Bolgmon. "We didn't wipe out a Royal Knight patrol…" he responded incredulously. "We were travelling through the forest when we came across the Royal Knights' patrol fighting with some Metal Empire patrol. It was pretty brutal. They took most of each other out, and then the two surviving D-Brigade soldiers escaped into the forest. Then they ran into us and we gave them a little bit of payback."

"Yeah. It was damn satisfying too," Bolgmon stated, glancing at the black insect and following up his lie.

BaoHackmon narrowed his eyes at them. "Please. You were just talking about how you wanted to ransom me to get your stuff back," he sceptically pointed out.

"Why would we wipe out a whole patrol if we wanted to ransom one of you for our money back?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him. "We would have kept one of them alive. All we did was take advantage of a convenient situation."

BaoHackmon frowned. "I guess…" he muttered, conceding that he had a point. He glanced at the humanoid, ebony insect Digimon. "Still… The Royal Knights will come get me. They'd never leave a member of their Order behind. They'll save me!"

GrandisKuwagamon couldn't help but let out a mocking laugh. "That's a cute thought…"

"If they don't bring us our cash, you better hope they do come rescue you," Bolgmon warned him.

The dragon Digimon stifled a grimace. He raised his head, though he could only move it a few centimeters from the ground thanks to his position. "Where's the other guy…? The one that hit me," he asked, looking around the campsite.

He had been so concerned with his own situation that he didn't really take in his surroundings. It was a different campsite from the one that he had initially come across; he assumed that that one must have been a decoy. There were two beds on the ground made of soft, thick leaves. There was also a campfire that was currently extinguished. Over near the beds were a few miscellaneous items and a box of food.

"Blitzmon's off making sure that our offer gets delivered to the Royal Knights," GrandisKuwagamon explained. He walked over and sat down at the base of a tree. He crossed his legs and pressed his winged back against the trunk. He turned his crimson eye towards BaoHackmon. "So… What the hell are you doing out here on your own? Who's the idiot here: you or whoever's in charge of you?"

BaoHackmon grimaced and looked away, forced to put his cheek against the dirt in order to do so. "Nobody ordered me to… I came out here to investigate on my own," he responded. The more he thought about it, the more ashamed and idiotic he felt. It was obviously a bad idea, but he was so worked up about proving himself to the Royal Knights, that he ignored his misgivings.

GrandisKuwagamon scoffed. "I dunno what you were thinking. I guess you're the dumb one, after all," he said to him, not caring that he was salting his wounds.

BaoHackmon didn't reply.

GrandisKuwagamon placed his hands behind his head, running his fingers through his orange hair. "Make yourself comfortable, kid; you aren't going anywhere for awhile…"

The dragon Digimon winced and placed his chin against the dirt. He realised that he didn't have much choice but to do just that.

* * *

"What the hell do you mean he wasn't in his room?!"

Gankoomon stormed down a corridor of one of the barracks buildings. He had a deep frown on his face and he was scowling enough for his teeth to show. Following behind him were the two Sistermons.

"It's like I said, Imperialdramon said BaoHackmon never showed up to their shared room," Sistermon Noir replied, her own brows furrowed.

Sistermon Blanc followed behind her older sister, using her as a shield from Gankoomon's anger. "Imperialdramon said he wasn't there all night. The bed wasn't even slept in," Sistermon Blanc offered meekly from behind Noir's shoulder.

The Royal Knight strode quickly out of the barracks, his white jacket blustering behind him. "Where the hell could he have gotten to?! He didn't leave the castle grounds, did he?" he muttered.

"Who knows? I hear you made him pretty mad," Sistermon Noir said with shrug.

Gankoomon shot her a dangerous look. Sistermon Blanc squeaked and hid behind Noir. "So did you, Sis!" she reminded her.

"All I said to him was to stop sulking and take some initiative," Sistermon Noir replied. "That was _before_ Gankoomon decked him."

The red-haired warrior rolled his eyes and made for the main building. "You girls ask around and see if anybody's seen him. I'll talk to the others," he ordered.

"Okay, gotcha," Sistermon Noir agreed, taking Sistermon Blanc and walking off towards the castle walls.

"BaoHuckmon's going to be sorry when I'm through with him!" he shouted, driving his fist into his palm as he walked up to the main building's entrance.

The Knightmon and Mystimon guards that flanked the entrance suddenly tensed up upon seeing Gankoomon storming towards them. They could easily tell that he was seething with rage. Even though Gankoomon hadn't been in the Order over a year, his hot-blooded anger was legendary. Neither of them wanted to do anything to upset him when he was like this. They quickly moved to open the main building's doors for him.

"I can open a door myself!" Gankoomon angrily shouted, walking past the guards and pushing the doors open hard enough to send them swinging against the inside walls.

"S-Sorry, Sir Gankoomon!" the two guards quickly exclaimed, bowing.

Gankoomon walked inside the entrance hall, his determination in every stride. As he made his way up the hall, he thought to himself with a sneer. His worry manifested as anger. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for what had happened yesterday, and he wondered if he had been too hard on BaoHackmon. He knew that although BaoHackmon acted tough, he had a sensitive heart underneath.

The Royal Knight walked into the foyer and looked around. He needed to find some of his fellow Royal Knights. Fortunately for him, he could hear voices coming from the great hall before him. Gankoomon opened the doors and walked into the vast, grandiose hall. He could see Alphamon, Omegamon, Duftmon, and Examon walking down the great hall towards the council room at the other end. Floating along beside them was Sparrowmon, one of the scouts.

"—and the courier who gave me that letter said a Blitzmon hired him," Sparrowmon explained, pointing to the open letter in Alphamon's hands.

"This is terrible news," Alphamon spoke with a dire expression.

Duftmon nodded. "As if we needed this on top of everything else at the moment," he agreed, folding his arms.

"We need to find Gankoomon and tell him," Omegamon said.

"Tell me _what_?" Gankoomon's voice rang out, echoing down the great hall.

The group momentarily froze. They looked over their shoulders to see Gankoomon marching down the great hall towards them. They could tell from his body language and the atmosphere around him that he wasn't happy. It tended to be painfully obvious where Gankoomon was concerned.

"Gankoomon…" Alphamon said, turning around fully in order to face him.

Gankoomon walked up and stopped in front of him. "What's going on, Alphamon?" he demanded.

"It's bad news, I'm afraid… It's about BaoHackmon," Alphamon explained with a light wince. He offered Gankoomon the letter they had received so that he could read it himself.

Gankoomon brusquely took the letter and began to read it. "Black Pincer Company?" he mumbled, reading on.

With each passing sentence that he read, he became angrier and angrier. His expression turned into a deep scowl, his teeth clenched tightly, and he gripped the edges of the letter tight enough to crinkle the paper. Upon finishing reading the final sentence, Gankoomon tore the paper apart viciously. "I'M GOING TO CRUSH THOSE BUGS!" he shouted, Hinukamui's flames dancing on his shoulders as his emotions flared.

"Don't be rash, Gankoomon," Alphamon told him, placing his hand on Gankoomon's arm.

"That's easy for you to say!" Gankoomon protested fierily, wresting his arm away from Alphamon's hand.

Alphamon gave him a cool, intense stare to rival Gankoomon's fiery passion. "Don't forget that two of my best friends have also been taken captive…" he reminded him in order to put things into perspective. "I know what you are feeling right now. We'll get BaoHackmon back, but we need to be smart about it."

Gankoomon grunted, his teeth still clenched, though he seemed to be trying to control his anger. "These Black Pincer guys are ruthless. I know how they operate."

Omegamon frowned. "Should we consider paying the ransom? It's not as if it's our own money," he suggested.

"That sets a dangerous and unacceptable precedent," Duftmon replied. "It would make us appear weak and it would encourage more kidnappings of members of our Order."

"I agree with Duftmon," Examon spoke. "We need to strike these mercenaries down and rescue BaoHackmon."

"That's easier said than done. Black Pincer Company is good at eluding us," Alphamon replied pensively. "And I don't think they're the type to make hollow threats."

Gankoomon growled. "How the hell did they even get BaoHackmon?!"

"One of the guards said she saw BaoHackmon leave the castle yesterday afternoon," Grani explained, floating over.

"Grani, sir!" Sparrowmon exclaimed, quickly saluting him.

"Did he run off after the argument with you?" Omegamon questioned, looking at Gankoomon and remembering their quarrel the previous day.

Gankoomon winced and clenched his fists. He recalled seeing BaoHackmon run outside when he last encountered him. "Yeah…" he admitted.

Zero ARMS: Grani stopped beside the Royal Knights. "I hypothesize that Black Pincer Company may have been the ones who deleted one of my patrols on the night before last. I was planning to send a team to investigate Zeta-Lambda sector today, but in light of this news…" He frowned and trailed off.

"It might be dangerous," Alphamon agreed. "However, it would be helpful to know where exactly they are."

"They may still be in the Forest of Memories," Grani suggested.

Duftmon folded his arms. "Perhaps we can send one of MetallifeKuwagamon's scout pods to investigate. They excel at forest-based stealth reconnaissance," he pointed out. "Once we figure out their location, we can formulate an operation to rescue BaoHackmon."

"Tch," Gankoomon scoffed, turning away and beginning to walk down the great hall. "He's my responsibility. Whatever happens, I'll find the solution."

Duftmon eyed Gankoomon as he walked away. "Don't be ridiculous. We need to be smart about this," he advised him. "Rushing in with nothing but emotions is sure to fail; we already have enough Royal Knights in danger at the moment."

Gankoomon shot him a piercing look over his shoulder. "And whose fault is that? Planning and strategy didn't exactly work there, did it?" he sniped.

Duftmon grunted and closed his eyes, not appreciating that reminder. "That doesn't mean that 'making it up as you go along' is a viable alternative," he responded calmly.

Alphamon frowned and looked at Gankoomon. "Duftmon's right, Gankoomon. Please don't go after them on your own," he beseeched him. "We don't want to put BaoHackmon in danger."

Gankoomon sighed and turned forwards, heading towards the foyer. "I won't!" he called back with frustration.

Upon walking out the doors to the foyer, he muttered, "…Yet."

Alphamon sighed and turned towards the others. "How has the scouting been going, Grani? Have they found Dukemon and Dynasmon?" he asked him.

"I'm afraid not," Grani responded with regret. "They have been taken into Metal Empire-dominated territory, so it is difficult for our scouts to safely penetrate the area. Given the nature of their eastward advance, it seems that the Metal Empire has convinced the Dual Chess Monarchy to give the D-Brigade freedom of passage through their territory. They are likely being taken to Facture."

"That is an accurate assumption," Duftmon agreed. "They require an active supply line from their territory. Perhaps we should send an envoy to the Dual Chess Monarchy, though I doubt they'll have much room to act."

"Perhaps." Omegamon looked at Alphamon. "We really have a lot to deal with lately…"

Alphamon nodded contemplatively. "We do… At least we're keeping busy," he said with a bit of irony. He began to walk down the great hall. "Let's go speak to Metallife about that scout pod. We can't take too long to act."

* * *

The afternoon passed and dusk overtook the Forest of Memories. The sun had set, and the sky was black with a couple grey clouds obstructing the moons and stars.

Darkness lingered over the makeshift camp, warded off only by the rippling flames of the campfire. GrandisKuwagamon sat cross-legged in front of the burning sticks and tinder. He stared into the fire with a deep meditative gaze. The reflection in his compound eye was that of a crimson inferno.

The snapping of a twig in the dark of the forest tore GrandisKuwagamon's attention away. He shot to his feet and readied his Gran Killers.

"It's me. I'm coming in," Blitzmon said, emerging from the darkness.

GrandisKuwagamon slackened and Bolgmon looked over from several meters away. "About time," Bolgmon said, irritated.

"What took you?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him edgily. "I was starting to think you got taken down."

"I picked up some more food," Blitzmon responded, holding up a bag. "You're welcome."

GrandisKuwagamon glanced over at BaoHackmon. The captive dragon was still lying on the ground a few meters from the campfire. He had his head against the dirt and pointed away from the mercenaries. GrandisKuwagamon walked by him and made his way over to Blitzmon, who walked up to Bolgmon.

"So? How'd it go?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him.

"They got our demands," Blitzmon assured him. "I wasn't followed."

"You weren't, but we were," Bolgmon replied, pointing with a cannon arm across the campsite.

As Blitzmon looked curiously, GrandisKuwagamon walked over to where Bolgmon had been pointing. He reached down and picked up a golden, six-legged, metal bug that was a little bigger than GrandisKuwagamon's palm. It had three holes straight through it from where GrandisKuwagamon had stabbed it.

The black insect brought it over to them and showed it to Blitzmon. "I found a recon drone spying on us," GrandisKuwagamon explained, tossing the deactivated drone to Blitzmon. "What do you think? Is it from the Royal Knights or the Metal Empire?"

Blitzmon narrowed his eyes and looked the scout pod over in his hands. "I doubt the Royal Knights have this kind of technology… It seems more like Metal Empire stuff," he suggested.

"That's what I said," Bolgmon said, glancing at GrandisKuwagamon. "But he didn't believe me."

GrandisKuwagamon ignored the large, blue tank Digimon. "If that's true, we're screwed. We don't need another D-Brigade team coming after us along with the Royal Knights," he stated, glaring off to the side. "I'm starting to think we should cut our losses and get our asses to Dark Point, ASAP. Regroup and take a few low key jobs until we're off the radar again."

"Don't be stupid, Grandis!" Bolgmon protested incredulously. "We've come all this way. We've got a ransom to collect _and_ we've got a payment on the way for dusting that patrol. We're not losing our entire hideout and coming up with nothing!"

"I'm with Bolgmon on this," Blitzmon explained, making it known to GrandisKuwagamon that he was outnumbered. "Most of our reserves were in that hideout. We can't afford to start from almost nothing. We need to build up some cash in any way that we can. That means doing things like this and continuing our contract with Wizardmon's client."

GrandisKuwagamon growled irritably. "Yeah? And what if they show up with twelve Royal Knights instead of the ransom payment?" he countered. "And that contract… Where does it end? The D-Brigade's onto us. The Metal Empire's onto us. The Royal Knights are onto us. We're too damn exposed. Can't you see that? What crazy job are they gonna make us do next?"

Bolgmon scoffed and folded his arms. "Shit, Grandis. When did you get to be such a wuss?" he asked with a grin.

GrandisKuwagamon shot him a narrow leer. "I'm not a coward. I'm being realistic," he explained emphatically. "How long do you think we're going to be able to keep this up for, huh? Not only are we going up against the self-appointed network security and number-one Yggdrasil-fanboys, but we're also up against the empire of military-grade tin cans who disappears you for looking at Chaosdramon the wrong way. Now, we're pretty damn good at what we do, but do you really think we should get sandwiched between that?"

"We'll be fine, Grandis," Blitzmon insisted, eyeing him as he folded his arms. "We just have to do this smart. Besides, we don't know what our client will want from us next."

"That's the damn problem," GrandisKuwagamon retorted. "You guys are too naïve to see it."

Blitzmon shook his head. "You're the one who's naïve, Grandis. If you think we'll be able to last on the money that we have in Dark Point…" he informed him. "I'm not saying there's no risk. But it's high risk, high reward."

GrandisKuwagamon grunted and folded his arms. "We have previous clients who know we can get the job done."

"Our goodwill will only last us so long," Blitzmon argued.

"We've got a contract right in front of us," Bolgmon protested. "You know how unsteady merc work can be, especially with a small company like ours. We've had a dry spell for the past few months. Who knows how long that's gonna go on for?"

GrandisKuwagamon scowled and glanced down at the ground. "…Fine, I'll go along with it for now. Just until we get our cash back," he conceded albeit reluctantly. "Just don't get greedy.

"We won't," Blitzmon said plainly. "It's the company we're thinking about, not ourselves."

"Good," GrandisKuwagamon said with a sigh. "So am I."

Blitzmon gave a swift glance to Bolgmon. "…Bolgmon, let's go scan the perimeter before we go down for the night."

"Yeah, sure," Bolgmon said, rolling into reverse so that he could turn around.

"Want me to come?" GrandisKuwagamon asked, eyeing the two blue insects as they turned away.

"Someone has to watch the campfire and the prisoner," Blitzmon reminded him.

"Sure," GrandisKuwagamon nonchalantly answered, turning around and walking away from the pair.

The black, humanoid insect listened as his two mercenary teammates made their way off into the forest. He glanced over his shoulder at them and proceeded to walk past the fire, over towards BaoHackmon.

The dragon Digimon was still lying on the ground with his face pointed away from the mercenary. GrandisKuwagamon had assumed that he was asleep, but as he approached the captive, he realized that that wasn't the case. GrandisKuwagamon could hear the sound of sniffling, and he also noticed subtle movements coming from BaoHackmon.

GrandisKuwagamon stepped up to the bound dragon and stood over him, looking down. To his surprise, he saw that although BaoHackmon's eyes were tightly shut, he wasn't asleep. In fact, he was quietly crying. The insect mercenary saw a tear dripping down his horned snout, and BaoHackmon was sniffing and clenching his face tightly.

The bug Digimon sighed with mild annoyance and incredulity. "Cripes. Seriously? For fucks sakes," he said to BaoHackmon. "What the hell are you crying for?"

BaoHackmon's face heated up with embarrassment and he opened a gold eye, red and irritated due to the tears, so that he could look up at the mercenary standing over him. Not wanting to show weakness in front of his captor, BaoHackmon quickly turned his head and wiped his cheeks against the nearby moss. "I'm… not crying," he insisted, although his shaky voice betrayed him.

GrandisKuwagamon folded his arms and looked down at him with an unconvinced expression. "Uh huh… So… what's that wet stuff comin' out of your eyes? Brain juice?" he asked sardonically.

BaoHackmon winced and looked away. "I got dirt in my eyes from lying on the ground," he insisted.

"Yeah, right," GrandisKuwagamon dismissively responded, using his foot to lightly nudge BaoHackmon's caped back. "What's the real reason? You didn't dislocate your shoulders trying to escape, did you?"

"N-No…" BaoHackmon replied, sniffing.

GrandisKuwagamon stepped over BaoHackmon so that the dinosaur Digimon was facing him. "In that case… I know the reason," the mercenary explained, looking down at him. "Honestly, kid. Grow a pair and take it. Deal with your bad decision. …What the hell were you thinking, coming out here on your own? What did you _think_ was going to happen when you came across us?"

BaoHackmon grimaced. "I don't know… I thought I could bring you guys to justice. I wanted to prove that I could… that I was strong enough…" he mumbled shame-facedly.

"Tch… Justice, huh?" GrandisKuwagamon muttered. "That's a nice idea… But what do you really know about justice?" he asked him. "That's the problem with the Royal Knights. They fill your head full of nice, idealistic concepts, but they hole themselves up in their castle without knowing how the world really works. They think they can just step in whenever they want and bring 'justice' to 'evildoers' or some shit. If any of you knew anything, you'd know the world isn't so black and white."

"You're wrong!" BaoHackmon fired back defensively, glaring up at GrandisKuwagamon. "The Royal Knights aren't out of touch with the world at all! Their ideas aren't nonsense! They travel the world, talking to all sorts of different Digimon!"

"That's what you think, huh? Funny, I never saw them when they were really needed," he responded with a bitter tinge to his words.

BaoHackmon let out a grunt. "Then you didn't look hard enough!" he countered. "They're always helping people in need. Always! Don't you remember the Night of Falling Stars?"

"Tch," GrandisKuwagamon grunted. "All I remember about the Night of Falling Stars is that religion caused a shit-load of Digimon to end up dead." He looked down at BaoHackmon with a cynical stare. "Hell, were you even alive then, kid?"

BaoHackmon winced and looked away. "Yeah, I was…" he responded. "I might not have seen them in action, but I know that the Royal Knights did a hell of a lot to stop the Demon Lords. They even tried to stop the falling pieces of the Sky Colony!"

"Yeah, well they missed a few pieces," GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically responded.

A grimace formed on BaoHuckmon's face. "It wasn't their fault."

GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye. He squatted down in front of BaoHackmon and stuck his Gran Killer in the ground to keep himself balanced. "So, you're part of the Order and you're a Royal Knight fanboy. Guess that means you're a big believer in Yggdrasil, huh?"

"Yeah, I believe in Yggdrasil," BaoHackmon replied, frowning. "I mean, who else created the Digital World?"

"Tch. Figures... The Royal Knights are an order of zealots, after all," GrandisKuwagamon muttered to himself. "…So, what about Huanglongmon, huh? Big, gold dragon who also apparently created the Digital World and then split himself into the Four Holy Beasts, only for them to sit around and do jack shit? How can there be a Yggdrasil if he supposedly exists? And how can there be a Huanglongmon if Yggdrasil supposedly exists?"

"Uh… I don't know. Some Digimon believe that the existence of one doesn't necessarily exclude the existence of the other," BaoHackmon offered.

"Isn't _that_ convenient?" GrandisKuwagamon said in an acerbic tone. He stared at BaoHackmon intensely. "So…? Where is he? This Yggdrasil. Why doesn't he do anything to help the Digital World?"

"That's what the Royal Knights are for!" BaoHackmon debated, frowning at GrandisKuwagamon's sudden interest in the subject.

"If he's all powerful, why does he need twelve do-gooder bucket heads to do his work for him?" the black insect continued.

BaoHackmon winced. He wasn't particularly well-versed in these things. "I-I don't know! What do you care?" he fired back.

GrandisKuwagamon caught himself after a moment. He blinked and then rolled his eyes with a sigh. "What _do_ I care…? Why am I debating philosophy with a little kid, for fuck's sakes?" he asked himself, rubbing his forehead.

BaoHackmon glared at him. "I'm not a little kid. I'm an Adult-level Digimon," he corrected emphatically.

"Who was blubbering to himself because he was scared," GrandisKuwagamon pointed out teasingly.

"I wasn't crying because I was scared!" the dinosaur Digimon shot back.

"So you _admit_ you were crying…" GrandisKuwagamon said with a grin. "Okay, why were you, then?"

BaoHackmon winced and looked away. "…It's… because I made things harder for everybody," he admitted with a shameful grimace in his gold eyes. "I snuck off without permission because I wanted to come here to take you guys down. Now, I got myself captured and put the Royal Knights and Sensei in an awkward position. I want to become a Royal Knight, but I completely blew it. I got cocky and now I'm not even sure if I deserve to be a Royal Knight anymore…"

"I guess that explains it…" GrandisKuwagamon muttered. "So, you wanna be a Royal Knight, huh…?" He grinned and shook his head. "I don't know if that's cute or sad."

BaoHackmon looked up at GrandisKuwagamon with a bland glare. "Can you be any more patronizing?" he sarcastically fired back.

"Let's face it, kid. The situation you're in doesn't exactly inspire confidence," he matter-of-factly explained. GrandisKuwagamon stood to his feet. "But you've got ambition and drive. If you've got that much, who knows?" He glanced down at BaoHackmon. "You've already got the blind idealism part locked down. Now you just need to have the skills and luck not to get yourself killed by then."

"…If you're trying to give me a pep-talk, you're doing a terrible job," BaoHackmon said to him flatly.

GrandisKuwagamon scoffed at this and turned away. "What do I care about you? You're just my hostage," he reminded him, his tone changing. He dropped a small cloth in front of BaoHackmon's face. "And if you're going to start bawling again, do it into that. Nothing worse than a snot-nosed dragon."

A little surprised, BaoHackmon glanced down at the cloth and then back up at GrandisKuwagamon, but the insect Digimon was already walking over to one of the makeshift beds. "I'm not going to," he assured him. BaoHackmon frowned with discomfort as a sense of nostalgia washed over him. "…I felt like I had that conversation before…"

"Yeah," GrandisKuwagamon nonchalantly said as he lay down on the bed of leaves. "This place'll do that." The black beetle man placed his hands behind his head and he gazed up at the night sky. "Get some rest. Bolgmon's on guard duty first, so you'll want to be asleep for that." For emphasis, GrandisKuwagamon raised his pincer-laden head and glanced down at BaoHackmon. "Oh… and don't try anything stupid. You won't get very far."

BaoHackmon winced and placed his plated cheek down on the cloth. That wasn't a terrible idea that GrandisKuwagamon suggested. "Fine…" he mumbled, closing his eyes.

Despite the dragon's guilt and concerns, he was exhausted. It took him only a few minutes for him to fall asleep. His mind drifted and faded until he was consumed in the abyss of unconsciousness.

* * *

_Flames. _

_Swelling flames._

_A tempestuous blaze ripped through the darkness, consuming all that entered its path. The fire fed on wood, tinder, and organic matter. Explosions thundered and bombarded the landscape. Trees snapped like twigs before igniting inside a roaring inferno. _

_Detonations ripped through buildings and Digimon. Beams vaporized all to dust. The high-powered lasers enveloped everything in their path and tore the village asunder. The blaze swelled higher and higher, unleashing clouds of choking smoke and ash. Buildings caved in, crushing whatever was below. _

_Blasts resounded at all sides, with deep, unrestrained laughter as their chorus. The flames and slaughter continued until nothing remained left in their way. _

_Nothing remained._

_Almost nothing._

* * *

BaoHackmon winced and opened his eyes. He found himself in the same place as before. His stiff, aching forelegs were still bound behind his back, and he could feel his face against a bed of cool moss. The dragon began to regain his bearings as he woke up.

It was still the middle of the night. He could see the fire still burning, though it was dimmer than before, graced with only a few embers. BaoHackmon's gold eyes darted around the campsite. He wanted to take stock of the three Black Pincer Company members.

He could see Bolgmon on the other side of the fire. He was slumped forwards and appeared to be asleep. BaoHackmon was surprised that he could sleep like that, but he supposed it was more efficient than lying down. The dragon looked around for Blitzmon, but he was unable to find him. He assumed it was his turn on guard duty.

BaoHackmon then looked over towards GrandisKuwagamon. He was lying in the same place, on the bed of leaves. BaoHackmon frowned curiously as he observed the black insect. GrandisKuwagamon was breathing heavily. His body was tense, and he was tossing and turning in agitated, erratic movements. He was asleep, but he rolled from his right side to his left, and then onto his back, repeating the process in no particular order. The mercenary's fists were clenched and he was murmuring incoherently under his breath. It looked as though he was having a nightmare.

He wasn't sure why, but he couldn't help but feel bad for his captor. BaoHackmon watched the mercenary writhe and fidget. There was an air of fear and desperation about him. Despite how tough and ruthless the mercenary had seemed before, in the present moment, he looked so vulnerable. It was almost like seeing a different Digimon… BaoHackmon winced; he could empathize with the unpleasant feeling of having a nightmare. The dragon gazed at him with a pensive frown. He didn't take any pleasure in watching GrandisKuwagamon suffer.

The dragon couldn't walk over to him and nudge him, due to the fact that his front legs and tail were tied. Instead, he opted to try from a distance. "Hey!" BaoHackmon called over to him.

GrandisKuwagamon hissed and woke with a start, tensing up and stabbing directly in front of him with his Gran Killer. The ebony insect Digimon shot to a sitting position and looked around alertly, checking for immediate threats. He drew heavy breaths and beads of sweat ran down his carapace. When GrandisKuwagamon realized that he wasn't in any immediate danger, he released a sigh of relief and lowered his two Gran Killers.

It was then that he realized that BaoHackmon was staring at him. GrandisKuwagamon turned his head away sheepishly. "…You're still awake?" he asked, trying to play it off like it was no big deal.

"I just woke up…" BaoHackmon responded, frowning at him. "…Did you have a nightmare?"

GrandisKuwagamon winced at the fact that he had shown weakness. "Tch," he responded nonchalantly, still not looking at him. "It's this damn forest…" he explained.

"The forest?" BaoHackmon asked him.

"Never been?" GrandisKuwagamon questioned offhandedly. "It's called the Forest of Memories for a reason… You know that constant sense of déjà vus and nostalgia that's creeping inside of you… Those vivid dreams… memories… That's what this forest does. It makes you remember…" He grunted. "Can't wait to get out of this damn place."

BaoHackmon's brows furrowed as he thought about it. He had been having weird dreams the past two nights too. He also had a lot of familiar feelings that he couldn't quite place. The way the fire burned brought back memories of him sitting around a fire with Gankoomon and the Sistermons. He could also swear that he smelled the distinct scent of Gankoomon's jacket… "Gankoomon-sensei never brought me here," he explained. "He's my, uh, teacher."

"Smart," GrandisKuwagamon muttered. "Some Digimon like it, most hate it. The nostalgia's novel until you remember something you want to forget."

"So… What did you dream about?" BaoHackmon asked him inquisitively.

"Nothing you'd want to hear about," GrandisKuwagamon said dismissively.

BaoHackmon squirmed and pivoted on the ground so that he could face GrandisKuwagamon directly. "It must have been pretty bad to make someone like you so edgy," he pointed out. He looked at GrandisKuwagamon carefully. "…Something you want to forget?"

GrandisKuwagamon turned towards him and narrowed his eye. "Don't push it…"

"Sorry," BaoHackmon muttered, glancing down. He braved looking up at GrandisKuwagamon again. "It's just… I used to have nightmares too. About my village getting destroyed…"

GrandisKuwagamon gazed at BaoHackmon quietly. "Your village was destroyed?" he asked him.

"Yeah… It was a long time ago. During the Night of Falling Stars," BaoHackmon explained a bit awkwardly. "I don't remember much… Just that I lost a lot that night."

The bug Digimon rubbed the back of his head and looked off to the side. "The Night of Falling Stars, huh?" he asked sheepishly. "…Falling debris?"

"I dunno. Probably… I was pretty young at the time and I don't remember much," the dragon responded. "All I remember is seeing the Sky Colony coming down and then it suddenly splitting apart into lots of different pieces. I know the Royal Knights helped to break it up in order to minimize the damage. After the damage was done, I left the village – or what was left of it. I wandered for days until I passed out from exhaustion. It was then that Gankoomon-sensei found me and looked after me." The corners of BaoHackmon's mouth curved upwards at the memory. "When he realized that I didn't have anywhere to go back to, he said I could come with him."

"Hm… Your village was still destroyed. Don't you resent the Royal Knights for not stopping it?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him, levelling his crimson eye with him. "For not saving your village?"

BaoHackmon smiled and shook his head. "Not at all… The damage would have been much worse if they didn't do anything to stop the Sky Colony from falling. They saved a lot of Digimon and they defeated the Seven Great Demon Lords who caused all the destruction in the first place. They do stuff like that all the time. They can't always be successful but they try their best for the good of all Digimon. Even when they fail, they try their best." The dragon smiled warmly. "I want to do that… I want to be a Royal Knight so that I can protect people too."

"Tch…" GrandisKuwagamon eyed him. "Even after all that happened to you, you can still be idealistic and naïve? …You're something, kid. It must take a lot of energy to fool yourself so much."

BaoHackmon frowned at him. "I'm not a kid. And I'm not naïve or fooling myself," he responded. "You're just cynical."

"I'm realistic," GrandisKuwagamon corrected. "Through bitter experience."

"Like what?" BaoHackmon asked him. "Don't you have a home? Family?"

GrandisKuwagamon narrowed his eye briefly. "…Nope," he responded coolly. He readjusted the ebony, metal Gran Killers on his arms.

"What do you mean?" BaoHackmon questioned with a deepening frown. "What happened?"

The mercenary stood to his feet and shot the captive a sideways look. "Let's just say you aren't the only one who lost things…" he said in a near mumble.

At this revelation, BaoHackmon couldn't help but wince. "Oh…" he replied in a deflated, sympathetic voice. "I'm sorry…"

"Yeah, save your pity. I don't want or need it," the bug Digimon told him curtly as he turned his winged back to him. "It was a long time ago. I'm a new Digimon now. I learned a hell of a lot since then."

"You became a criminal," BaoHackmon stated. "Is that really a good thing?"

GrandisKuwagamon looked over his shoulder at BaoHackmon. "Do you really think it's that black and white?" he asked him. "The things I've done… The things we've done… it was all so that we could survive." He locked eyes with him. "We didn't have anybody to rescue us like you did. It's a harsh world and we didn't want to just roll over and die. We did what we needed to."

BaoHackmon winced and looked away. "Oh…" he responded, feeling somewhat guilty. He never really thought of it like that…

GrandisKuwagamon turned around to face BaoHackmon. "BaoHackmon, right…?" he asked him.

"Uh, yeah…" the dinosaur Digimon responded, still thinking about GrandisKuwagamon's previous words.

The black insect looked down at him and gave him a firm, meaningful look. "Your heart's too big… If you're not careful, then one day you're going to end up dead," he warned him.

BaoHackmon frowned and shook his head in disagreement. "No… I don't think you're right," he argued. "It's not wrong to care about others." He looked into GrandisKuwagamon's eye. "And I don't think you really believe that… If you didn't care at least a bit, why did you give me this?" BaoHackmon gestured with his head to the cloth in front of him.

"You really think that meant anything?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him rhetorically. "This is what I'm saying; you're naïve. You see the best in people." He narrowed his eye at BaoHackmon. "I could wrap you around my little finger if I wanted. All it'd take is a sob story. You wouldn't even see it coming when I stabbed you in the back."

"Then what do you care? Let me walk around in my so-called dream world! Use it against me like you say you would," BaoHackmon retorted, matching his leer. "You're saying this stuff because you care! You don't want me to end up getting hurt. You're just like Sensei!"

It was as he said the words that BaoHackmon's eyes widened with sudden understanding. He realized that Gankoomon's intentions weren't to hold him back, but to protect him. That was why Gankoomon was so intent on BaoHackmon getting more experience before he got involved in combat. Despite the Royal Knight's harshness and strictness, he had his best interests at heart. BaoHackmon couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt as he remembered their argument.

"Think what you want. I know the truth," GrandisKuwagamon countered, hissing a bit. "I've survived this long because I only look out for myself. I don't care about anybody else. It's the same with Blitzmon and Bolgmon. Black Pincer Company is all we've got."

"So, which is it, Grandis?" Bolgmon suddenly spoke up, drawing BaoHackmon and GrandisKuwagamon's attention. "Yourself? Or Black Pincer Company? Which comes first?"

GrandisKuwagamon glared over at his comrade, who he hadn't realized was awake. "…What?" he asked, tensing slightly.

Bolgmon smirked a bit and rolled over to him. "Because, to be honest, I've been wonderin' that lately. All I've heard from you recently is how you want to save your own ass," he pointed out. "You want to ditch our contract because you're worried about putting your ass in danger."

GrandisKuwagamon turned and walked up to Bolgmon to face him directly. "The hell? You're really gonna question my commitment after everything I've done for us? After everything we've been through?" he asked him scathingly. He leered up at Bolgmon with silent intensity. "I was the one who came up with Black Pincer Company. I'm the one who hooked us our first job. If it weren't for me, we'd still be fishing cash out of the gutters or stuck in prison for theft."

"There it is again. _'I'. 'Me'._ Let me remind you that you _just_ said, 'I only look out for myself. I don't care about anybody else. It's the same for Blitzmon and Bolgmon'," Bolgmon stated pointedly.

"You're taking that out of context!" GrandisKuwagamon angrily growled. He regained his composure and levelled a fiery yet cool gaze at his larger comrade. "You're just hearing what you want to hear, aren't you, Bolgmon? It'd be convenient if I was the odd 'mon out!"

BaoHackmon listened as the two insect Digimon argued. He tried to use the opportunity to wiggle out of his bonds, but he was making slow, ineffectual progress.

"Dunno what you're talkin' about," Bolgmon said dismissively, looking down at GrandisKuwagamon with his ever-present smirk. "And hey, it's not just me who's noticed how you've been acting. It's Blitzmon too. We've been talking."

GrandisKuwagamon grunted and rolled his eye. "Yeah, I'm sure you've been whispering in his ear as you try to cuddle up to him at night," he taunted.

Bolgmon glared and raised his cannon arm, preparing to punch. "Why you! You'd better get in line or else I might convince him that we're better off as a two-Digimon group!" he warned, his arm beginning to spin and spark dangerously.

GrandisKuwagamon narrowed his eye and raised his Gran Killers. "Try me, fat-ass! And since when did you make yourself our leader?" he fired back.

"You're the self-appointed leader out of the three of us!" Bolgmon protested. "You're always the one calling the shots!"

"Oh, so that's what this is about!" GrandisKuwagamon said with a smirk. "You're jealous!"

"Enough!" Blitzmon called out, walking over from the darkness of the forest. "I could hear you two fifty meters away."

The two insect mercenaries looked over to see Blitzmon walk up to them with a scowl. BaoHackmon was disappointed by the interruption, as he lost an opportunity to try to escape.

"Nobody's in charge. We each have a 33% share in this mercenary company. And nobody's cutting anybody else out either," he said firmly. "We each have a 100% stake in making sure this company prospers."

GrandisKuwagamon grunted and lowered his Gran Killers, taking a step back and looking away. "Tch… Yeah. Fine. It's this damn forest. It's putting me on edge."

Bolgmon rolled in reverse, sneering. "Same… Damn memories. I keep thinking about that night," he muttered.

Blitzmon nodded. "Me too…" His cold gaze landed onto BaoHackmon. "But don't forget our current situation. Ignore everything else and focus."

GrandisKuwagamon released a meditative sigh. "…Yeah. We have to be ready. The Royal Knights might show up before the meeting time tomorrow morning. And they might be bringing the heat instead of the cash," he agreed, thinking clearly again now that he was able to put things into perspective. He glanced at Bolgmon. "We good, Bolgie?"

Bolgmon gave him a grudging look. "Yeah…" he conceded, although it sounded forced.

"Nice that you two could settle that," Blitzmon said, folding his arms. "Don't need to give our guest any ammunition."

BaoHackmon retaliated with a bland stare. "As if I can do anything…"

"But maybe I can…" a voice said from within the dark forest.

The three members of Black Pincer Company suddenly turned towards the voice and brought their guards up. GrandisKuwagamon raised his Gran Killer claws and crouched down, ready to strike. His crimson eye glistened as he looked towards the voice.

Meanwhile, Blitzmon grabbed BaoHackmon by the hood of the cape and lifted him off the ground with one hand, his other palm sparking with electricity. He looked over at Bolgmon, who began gyrating his cannon arms in order to generate electricity. "Bolgmon! What do you see?" he asked him.

Bolgmon stared into the darkness as numbers flashed across his vision. His targeting system was working at full capacity. He made sure to scan the whole area. "I only detect one."

"Are you sure?" GrandisKuwagamon asked, looking around the whole perimeter guardedly. "There could be more of 'em. It's too soon."

"It's only me," the deep voice assured them. A humanoid figure emerged from the shadows.

Despite the light pressure around his throat at Blitzmon holding him up, BaoHackmon squinted to try to get a good look at the Digimon. It was initially hard to see into the darkness, being so close to the fire. However, the dim light of the fire's embers helped to illuminate the Digimon. To BaoHackmon's disbelief, he recognized the Digimon as Gankoomon.

"S-Sensei?!"

Gankoomon stepped forwards with slow, cautious steps. His arms were spread out disarmingly. "I'm alone," he told them, looking around at the three mercenaries. Gankoomon locked eyes with BaoHackmon, but the dragon winced and looked away shamefully.

"You're early," GrandisKuwagamon told him, glaring across at Gankoomon and not lowering his guard for a moment.

Gankoomon flashed him a confident smile. "I'm not here with the money," he explained casually.

Blitzmon frowned and brought his electrically-charged fist closer to BaoHackmon's face.

GrandisKuwagamon raised his Gran Killers and stretched his pincers. "If you came here thinking you can beat us and take BaoHackmon back, you've made a big mistake. You're outnumbered and we have a hostage," GrandisKuwagamon explained to him. "Black Pincer Company has a policy: in business, we make good on our word. We don't make idle threats."

"Neither do I," Gankoomon explained, keeping his hands distant from his sides. "But I didn't come here to fight. I came here to negotiate."

BaoHackmon's eyes widened. "What?!" he asked in disbelief.

Blitzmon gripped BaoHackmon's hood tightly and held up the large dragon in front of him. "Our price is non-negotiable," he informed him.

"The ransom's not what I came to negotiate," Gankoomon explained firmly. "It's the hostage."

"He stays with us until we get paid," GrandisKuwagamon replied unwavering. After he spoke, he glanced around to make sure that Gankoomon wasn't just buying time. He signalled to Bolgmon to keep an eye out.

"Does it have to be him?" the Royal Knight questioned. "It could be anybody from the Order, couldn't it?"

Bolgmon frowned and cocked his head to the side. "What the hell are you getting at?" he asked him, although not lowering his electricity-loaded arms.

Gankoomon placed his hands on his hips. "I'm saying… wouldn't a genuine Royal Knight be a better hostage than some kid who only mops the floors?" he proposed bluntly.

BaoHackmon's eyes widened with stunned shock. He stared at Gankoomon with disbelief. "S-Sensei!" he protested.

Blitzmon blinked. "What?" he asked, just as dumbfounded as his hostage.

GrandisKuwagamon gazed at him sceptically. "Are you serious? What the hell are you trying to pull?" he asked him, making his doubt perfectly clear. "If you think we're going to fall for that…"

"I'm being _serious_," Gankoomon answered, the depth and cadence of his voice conveying the gravity of his proposal. "If you want the Royal Knights to pay up, use me instead. We have a code, you know. One of the rules is 'Never leave another Royal Knight in their time of need.' They wouldn't do anything to jeopardize me."

"Gankoomon-sensei! You can't!" BaoHackmon argued in a mixture of anger and worry.

"I don't buy it," GrandisKuwagamon stated, leering at the red-haired warrior. "You're really offering yourself up as a hostage? The other Royal Knights just let you do this? Please. It's gotta be a trick."

"It's no trick," Gankoomon assured them, ignoring BaoHackmon's protests. "The others don't know I'm here. That's why I'm here before the meeting time." He slowly looked at all three mercenaries. "You know that I'm more valuable than he is." He glanced over at BaoHackmon, who looked back at him with worried eyes, pleading him not to do this.

"Don't, Sensei! You can't just run off and do this!" BaoHackmon protested. "Think of the Royal Knights!"

"Like you did?" Gankoomon responded firmly. "You ran off and got yourself in this situation! You're telling me that I can't do the same?!"

BaoHackmon winced guiltily. "I already know that I screwed up! I know I put myself in danger and made things harder for everybody else! I'm sorry! You don't have to do this to teach me a lesson!" he begged him.

Gankoomon shook his head. "I'm not doing this to teach you a lesson," he told him stubbornly. "And it's not good enough to just be sorry! You have to _do_ something about it! That's what I'm doing now!"

GrandisKuwagamon took a step towards him. "Yeah, you're probably a better bargaining chip than the kid," he admitted. "But what's your angle? Why do this? If it's just so that we untie him and you can make your move…"

The Royal Knight turned to face GrandisKuwagamon. "Because he's my student. BaoHackmon is my responsibility and I failed him."

BaoHackmon looked over at Gankoomon with a sad grimace. "I don't need you to do this for me, Sensei…" he insisted defiantly.

"I know you don't," Gankoomon admitted, staring at him directly. "But I want to do this."

GrandisKuwagamon glanced over at Blitzmon. "What do you think, Blitzmon?" he asked him.

Blitzmon frowned with thought, still not letting go of the prisoner. "Having him as a hostage would make them more likely to pay up… We might even be able to ask for more than just our stash," he reasoned.

"Bolgie?" GrandisKuwagamon asked, glancing over at the large Digimon who kept his cannons trained on Gankoomon.

"Heh! Yeah, sounds good to me!" Bolgmon agreed.

GrandisKuwagamon nodded and eyed Gankoomon pensively. "…Okay, then."

Gankoomon leered back at the dark insect. "Just so we're clear, this only happens if you release BaoHackmon," he said emphatically. "You need him to go back and tell the Royal Knights how the situation has changed, after all."

"Deal," GrandisKuwagamon agreed.

"But if you try anything funny, BaoHackmon gets it," Blitzmon warned him.

"I know," Gankoomon answered.

"Oshishou-sama!" BaoHackmon protested, struggling in Blitzmon's grip. He was tempted to drive his bladed foot into Blitzmon's shin, but before he could, Blitzmon released his grip on the dragon's hood. BaoHackmon fell to the ground with a painful thud, landing on his chest. He grimaced and exhaled breathily from the impact. The dinosaur Digimon looked up at Gankoomon desperately.

GrandisKuwagamon looked at Gankoomon. "Slowly raise your hands over your head and get down on your knees," he commanded him. The insect mercenary glanced over at Blitzmon. "Untie him and then throw me the rope."

Blitzmon nodded and placed his foot on BaoHackmon's caped back before kneeling down. He began to untie BaoHackmon's forelegs and tail, all the while keeping his lightning-wreathed fist close to BaoHackmon's face as a deterrent for both Gankoomon and BaoHackmon.

Gankoomon raised his hands up slowly and got down on his knees, complying with GrandisKuwagamon's commands.

BaoHackmon winced with guilt as he watched. He could feel relief around his forelegs as blood suddenly came rushing into the sore, unused limbs. Blitzmon finished loosening the rope before pulling the rest of it off.

GrandisKuwagamon walked over and collected the rope so that Blitzmon wouldn't have to get up from BaoHackmon. They didn't want him and Gankoomon making a break for it as soon as he was free to move. The black insect Digimon then walked over to the Royal Knight guardedly. "Don't try anything," he warned him.

"I'm not that dumb," Gankoomon insisted, keeping his hands up and watching GrandisKuwagamon as he circled around behind him.

GrandisKuwagamon approached Gankoomon from behind and grabbed hold of his arms. He roughly pulled Gankoomon's arms behind his back and began to tie them tightly with the rope. He was relieved when he found that Gankoomon was compliant. GrandisKuwagamon skillfully tied the limbs so that the Royal Knight wouldn't be able to escape. He finished with a knot and then hauled Gankoomon to his feet.

Gankoomon grunted and looked over his shoulder at GrandisKuwagamon. "And your end of the bargain?" he said to him.

GrandisKuwagamon turned and nodded at Blitzmon. The blue beetle man got up from BaoHackmon, releasing the pressure from his back, and took a step back so that he could stand.

BaoHackmon winced and pushed himself to his feet. He glared at GrandisKuwagamon. "Let Gankoomon-sensei go!" he demanded. "Please, GrandisKuwagamon!"

"BaoHackmon!" Gankoomon thundered, staring fierily at his protégé. "This is one of the times where it's better to think with your head instead of your heart. Don't ruin this opportunity by trying to resist, and do what I say. _Please._"

The dragon grimaced with regret and reluctance as he gazed over at the Royal Knight. "But what about you?! I can't just leave, damn it!" he protested.

"GO! I'm not doing this for nothing!" Gankoomon ordered him. He locked passionate gazes with BaoHackmon. "I'm trusting you to go back to the Royal Knights and tell them what I've done! Don't let me down!" He clenched his fists. "Now, go!"

BaoHackmon snarled and reluctantly dashed off into the dark forest.

Gankoomon watched with relief as he disappeared into the night.

"Touching…"GrandisKuwagamon stated, watching as BaoHackmon rank off. He pushed Gankoomon along to the other side of the camp. "Okay, sit down," he told Gankoomon, pushing him into a sitting position. He looked at Bolgmon. "Keep an eye out."

Gankoomon sat down cross-legged and stared into the shadowy forest where BaoHackmon had ran. He was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Now all he had to do was think about himself.

* * *

BaoHackmon dashed through the forest, jumping over roots and rocks. His stiff legs ached with every movement, and his clawed and bladed feet dug into the ground with each step, causing dirt to shoot up behind him.

A pained, frustrated growl escaped his lips. His teeth were clenched tightly and his face muscles were tense and rigid. His angry, gold eyes were narrowed and moist. A rogue tear escaped the corner of his eye and flew behind him as he sprinted forwards.

"Damn it! Damn it!" he growled. "It's my fault! It's my fault they have Sensei!" he snarled to himself.

The teenage dragon shot through the Forest of Memories, his emotions driving him to go faster. "_I need to do something… I can't just leave him_…" he thought to himself as he ran. BaoHackmon winced with guilt and frustration. "_But… the last time I ran off and disobeyed orders, I got captured and caused Gankoomon to be where he is now. If I go back, I'll just ruin things again._"

BaoHackmon growled at his own helplessness. His distraction caused him not to watch where he was going. His legs were still weak from not being used.

His front left foot didn't raise high enough to avoid a root jutting out of the ground. The dragon caught his foot on the root and ended up falling face first into the dirt in front of him. BaoHackmon winced as he skidded to a stop.

"D-Damn it… Damn it!" he cried out in frustration.

BaoHackmon shut his eyes tightly as they burned and stung with emotion. "I can't leave Gankoomon-sensei! I can't let him come to my rescue all the time!"

BaoHackmon snarled as a tear trickled down his cheek. "Rule Three of the Royal Knights' Code… A Royal Knight… doesn't leave another Royal Knight…" he spoke, his voice quivering with passion and emotion. "And I'm…"

He remembered the image of the Sky Colony debris falling towards his village in the night sky.

"I'm…"

Determination flooded through his body. BaoHackmon briefly recalled his first memory of Gankoomon. Hackmon was lying on the ground exhausted, but Gankoomon kneeled down to offer him water. He had passed out, and the next thing he remembered was Gankoomon taking care of him.

BaoHackmon tensed up with emotion.

"I'M GOING TO BECOME A ROYAL KNIGHT!"

The tear creeping around the corner of BaoHackmon's snout suddenly began to sparkle. The bead of liquid shone brightly, and then that radiance grew to envelope his entire body, illuminating the dark forest around him.

BaoHackmon's tearful eyes snapped open to reveal a passionate, adrenalized stare, burning with determination. Then the light of evolution consumed him completely.

"BaoHackmon CHOU-SHINKA…!"

BaoHackmon's resplendent, shining body began to grow and change. First, he stood on his four legs, but he soon rose to stand on only his hind legs. As BaoHackmon changed, the blazing glow surrounding him began to fade away when he reached his final state.

The white, plated texture of his body remained very similar, as he retained the same sort of armour from head-to-toe. It was bladed and futuristic in appearance. He gained vambraces, spaulders, and leg armour that adorned intimidating spikes. The nose horn on his snout also remained, with his head keeping its metallic, draconic shape, but becoming more dignified. Around the tips of the spikes were gem-like ornamental notches that glimmered in the darkness. The ones on his upper body were red in color, while the ones on his lower body were light blue, matching the clear, sky blue crystal encrusted on his upper body.

His body became humanoid in stature. His forelegs became arms with three claws at the end of them. Protruding from the bracers covering his forearms were long, jagged, crimson blades that glistened in the residual light of evolution. His tail grew even longer, and the blade at the end became fully connected to his tail, taking on the same hard, red, glowing material that the other two blades had. The new Digimon, formerly BaoHackmon, stood up proudly and majestically.

"…SaviorHackmon!"

As SaviorHackmon stood, his long, crimson cape blustered behind him majestically. It was still connected to him by the goggle-clad hood that was wrapped around his neck. His gold eyes were no longer tearful, but passionate, caring, and determined. He took a step forwards on his new feet, which had blades extending from their toes and heels.

SaviorHackmon spun around and began dashing back the way he came. He moved swifter and more gracefully than he ever could have hoped to as a BaoHackmon. The draconic warrior swept through the Forest of Memories like a crimson meteor. His mantle fluttered behind him as he shot around the trees, giving him the true appearance of a hero.

His bladed feet lightly touched the ground with each step. He could feel a new, refined power flowing through him. He had been training for this, but he must have tapped into a deep well of power that was inside him. Although he was still unaccustomed to the new, bipedal body, SaviorHackmon carried on through sheer adrenaline and determination. In the moment, he found himself able to carry himself on two legs without too much problem, although his movements were occasionally awkward.

SaviorHackmon was less focused on himself than he was on rescuing Gankoomon. He felt as if he would be able to in this new body. The dragon somehow felt more confident and mature. He narrowed his eyes and gazed ahead of him. SaviorHackmon was able to see the dim glow of the campfire in the distance. He knew that he was closing in.

With reinvigorated determination and passion, SaviorHackmon bolted across the ground, using his arms and tail to stay balanced as he sprinted. The dragon man Digimon closed in on the camp, his speed only increasing as he drew closer.

He made it close enough to see the three figures of Black Pincer Company standing around, and Gankoomon sitting down with his arms tied behind his back. BaoHackmon grunted and kicked off of the ground, jumping into the air and tapping into the instinctive nature of evolution.

"Rage Streit!" he shouted, lunging into the air and extending his bladed foot out in front of him.

Bolgmon looked up and raised his cannons in alarm. "Incoming!"

"What?!" GrandisKuwagamon demanded, spinning around and beating his wings.

SaviorHackmon surged forwards and drove his bladed fist straight into Blitzmon's armoured chest, right as the beetle man turned around. Blitzmon grunted in pain as he was thrown off of his feet and sent crashing into the trunk of a tree.

Gankoomon watched with a stunned expression as SaviorHackmon crashed into Blitzmon and sent him flying. He looked like BaoHackmon but he wasn't, yet was. "What… What the hell?!" he demanded, his eye twitching behind his metal visor. "BaoHackmon?!"

SaviorHackmon turned towards Gankoomon. "Sensei!" he called out, his voice noticeably deeper than before. He took a step towards Gankoomon, aiming to free him.

"Damn it! I don't think so!" Bolgmon shouted, his cannons spinning rapidly. Electricity gushed from the generators in his arms. "Ultimate Thunder!"

Two spheres of lightning surged out and began twisting towards SaviorHackmon. The dragon man lunged into the air to avoid the attack, causing the electricity to crash into a tree and blast it in half. Although he managed to evade the blast, SaviorHackmon found GrandisKuwagamon already upon him.

"You should have listened to your Sensei, kid!" GrandisKuwagamon rebuked him, stabbing his right Gran Killer towards the armoured dragon Digimon.

SaviorHackmon raised his arms, crossing his twin blades in front of him to block the stab. He managed to stop the long claws just short of hitting his face. However, the force behind the thrust was enough to throw SaviorHackmon back towards the ground.

Meanwhile, as SaviorHackmon landed on uneasy footing, Blitzmon pulled himself up from the base of the tree, obviously angry. All three of the mercenaries turned their attention towards SaviorHackmon.

Gankoomon gritted his teeth. At this rate, SaviorHackmon would be outnumbered. He knew he needed to act sooner than he planned. "Damn it!" he grunted, straining against his bonds. Gankoomon's shoulders ignited with golden energy. "Hinukamui!"

The Royal Knight sneered and stood to his feet, bending forwards. "Jishin! Kaminari! Kaji! Oyaji!" he shouted. Gankoomon's jacket blazed with gold flames. Hinukamui unleashed a passionate roar as the golden dragon rose up from Gankoomon's form.

Hinukamui turned around and slashed his claws down at Gankoomon's back, tearing through the rope binding his wrists. Gankoomon pulled his arms out and clenched his fists, a smirk forming on his face. "Okay. I'd say this makes things even!"

SaviorHackmon glanced over his shoulder at Gankoomon. "Sensei!"

"What the hell?! A dragon?!" Bolgmon exclaimed furiously.

GrandisKuwagamon hissed as he watched their prisoner free himself. "Shit…" he muttered. "Just try us! We took on two Royal Knights, already! You two don't stand a chance!"

"Let's just see!" Gankoomon fired back, cracking his knuckles. "Now, you puny bugs are gonna pay for pissing me off!" He unleashed Hinukamui towards GrandisKuwagamon, who hovered in the air.

GrandisKuwagamon grunted as Hinukamui soared towards him aggressively. The dragon lashed out with his claws, but GrandisKuwagamon was quick to evade, deftly avoiding Hinukamui and his strikes. GrandisKuwagamon soared down towards Gankoomon, flying towards him head on. Gankoomon grunted and launched his fist towards GrandisKuwagamon, but the black insect swerved to the side at the last second. He landed beside Gankoomon and spread his pincers wide.

"Grandis Scissors!" GrandisKuwagamon spoke as he snapped his pincers shut towards Gankoomon's neck.

Acting quickly, Gankoomon managed to duck just before GrandisKuwagamon closed his forceps. He felt could feel the breeze of the deadly chop, showing him just how narrowly he avoided it. Staring at GrandisKuwagamon's chest, Gankoomon coiled his fist back. "Tekken Seisai!" he shouted, slamming his fist into the carapace of the bug's gut.

GrandisKuwagamon's eye widened with pain and he felt himself lurch forward, winded, before being thrown through the air. His winged back connected with the ground, but he quickly flipped to his feet, ready to meet Gankoomon's charge.

When Gankoomon lunged at him with his next punch, GrandisKuwagamon blocked it with the armoured side of his left Gran Killer before stabbing towards Gankoomon with his right Gran Killer. Gankoomon ducked his head to the side, feeling the metal length of the inner claw brush against his cheek. He kicked his foot forwards, but GrandisKuwagamon caught the limb and performed a sweeping kick to take out Gankoomon's grounded leg.

The Royal Knight fell to the ground on his back, but he was able to use his leg to throw GrandisKuwagamon over his downed body. GrandisKuwagamon fell to the ground but landed in a roll so that he would be able to recover easily. Both got to their feet and spun around to face the other.

"Idiot!" GrandisKuwagamon taunted. "I excel at hand-to-hand combat."

Gankoomon smirked in response. "So do I!"

The two warriors lunged for each other, unleashing the full force of their battle acumen.

* * *

Meanwhile, SaviorHackmon lunged backwards as Blitzmon fired a bolt of lightning at where he was standing. The lightning flashed in front of him and exploded the ground before him. As he flew through the air, he glanced at a nearby tree.

Undeterred, SaviorHackmon drove his bladed feet into the tree behind him and held on with a claw to give him a height advantage from halfway up the trunk. "Meteor Flame!" SaviorHackmon yelled, opening his mouth and released rapid-fire bursts of flames towards Blitzmon.

Blitzmon used his speed to dash to the side as the flames enveloped the ground nearby. However, SaviorHackmon trained his fire onto Blitzmon, and the flames began to catch up to the insect Digimon. Blitzmon winced as he raised an arm to protect himself from the flames that began to lick at his body.

"Field Destroyer!" Bolgmon shouted from nearby, digging his cannons into the ground as he launched a high-output laser from his horn turret. The beam howled as it soared towards SaviorHackmon and the tree that he was on.

SaviorHackmon narrowed his eyes and lunged off of the tree as the torrent of positrons shot towards him. He threw himself out of the way of the beam, which consumed the tree and the one behind it, reducing the wood to ashes and data. SaviorHackmon felt himself being pushed through the air by the wave of the blast, but he managed to right himself and land on the ground.

He turned his attention towards Bolgmon, who stood up straight and pivoted towards him. SaviorHackmon took off towards Bolgmon aggressively so that he wouldn't be able to launch ranged attacks at him.

"Haha! It's too bad you won't be able to use that new form of yours for very long!" Bolgmon announced with a cackle, spinning his electricity charged arms as they aimed at SaviorHackmon. "Ultimate Thunder!"

SaviorHackmon watched as the dual spheres whipped towards him and quickly closed in on him. Right before they were about to wrap around and electrocute him, SaviorHackmon jumped into the air to avoid them. "Rage Streit!" he called out, shooting down towards Bolgmon with his bladed foot extended.

There was enough distance between them for Bolgmon to raise his large, metal arms up to block the kick. His armour and sturdy stature held against the blade. Bolgmon smirked and pushed back against him. He pulled his arms away and drove his hefty cannon arm into SaviorHackmon's chest, throwing him back.

SaviorHackmon winced at the powerful blow and felt Blitzmon's presence behind him. When he heard the call of 'Thor's Hammer', he glanced over his shoulder and saw Blitzmon throwing his lightning-imbued fists towards him. The dragon man Digimon acted quickly, swiping his tail outwards and blocking the fist with his bladed tail. However, Blitzmon had favourable momentum, and he sent his lightning-charged hands into SaviorHackmon's caped back, sending electricity shooting through his form.

The Perfect-level unleashed a shout of pain as he was thrown forwards. He managed to hit the ground running, but he landed off balance and stumbled for several meters, still unused to his new form. This moment served as an opportunity for Bolgmon, who was cooperating with Blitzmon. The giant, insect tank charged at full speed towards SaviorHackmon as the dragon tried to regain his balance. "Gigantic Impact!" he shouted, ripping across the dirt and the campfire with the intent of slamming into SaviorHackmon with his full velocity.

SaviorHackmon winced as he finally caught his balance. He looked up to see Bolgmon speeding towards him. He didn't think he'd be able to escape in time. He raised his arms in preparation for what would be a very painful impact.

"Chabudai Gaeshi!" Gankoomon roared, tearing up a piece of bedrock from the ground and flipping it towards Bolgmon.

Bolgmon closed in on SaviorHackmon, ripping across the ground in a full body tackle. "Take this, you little—GAH!" Bolgmon looked to the side just in time to see the massive, stone slab crash into him. The rock shattered around his armoured body and hit him with enough strength to throw him off of his treads and crash to the ground.

SaviorHackmon looked over to see that Gankoomon had aided him. He smiled at his mentor and nodded.

However, GrandisKuwagamon was quickly upon Gankoomon, slashing his Gran Killers down. The long, deadly set of claws just narrowly missed cutting across Gankoomon's chest. He stabbed forwards again, this time, able to cut along Gankoomon's side with one of the bladed claws and draw blood.

Gankoomon snarled and drove his fist into GrandisKuwagamon's mouth in response, sending the ebony mercenary staggering backwards. GrandisKuwagamon took a wild, defensive swipe in front of himself before spitting out a glob of blood. Gankoomon clutched his side to try and staunch the flow of blood, all while Hinukamui began to rise from his back again.

Meanwhile, Blitzmon glanced at Bolgmon, who was swearing as he tried to awkwardly push himself back up so that he was on his treads. The beetle man turned his attention to SaviorHackmon. "Mjölnir Thunder!" Blitzmon exclaimed, sending his fist crashing into the ground and launching a lightning bolt towards SaviorHackmon.

The dragon man turned and saw the blast shooting towards him. SaviorHackmon narrowed his eyes and dashed to the side just in time for the lightning to streak by him in a flash of white. He sprinted across the ground and leapt towards Blitzmon. SaviorHackmon growled and raised the crimson blades on his arms and tail.

"Trident Sabre!" SaviorHackmon called out, slashing his spiked arms down while stabbing forwards with his tail blade.

Blitzmon raised his arms to block the incoming blades. He then generated an anti-gravity atmosphere around himself to increase the speed of his movements. He swept his arm down to try and block the tail blade, but he was slightly too slow. Although he managed to divert the blade, it still cut along the side of his orange body suit, drawing a shallow but painful cut.

Blitzmon winced. "Lightning Blitz!" he growled, sending lightning surging from his horn and into SaviorHackmon's body.

The dragon man released a cry of pain and writhed as the electricity sparked through him. Despite his pain, he stubbornly opened his mouth. "Meteor Flame!" he roared, unleashing multiple bursts of flames onto Blitzmon.

The deep blue insect man growled with pain as the flames burned against his armour and blasted him back. He lunged into reverse and sent another bolt of lightning shooting from his horn and down at SaviorHackmon.

SaviorHackmon grimaced lunged away just as the blast struck the ground in a flash of light and sparks. He shot towards Blitzmon, poising his blades. "Trident Sabre!" he shouted, cleaving his three blades towards Blitzmon.

"Megaton Punch!" Blitzmon retaliated, shooting up to meet him.

The two Digimon collided and threw each other apart violently.

Meanwhile, Gankoomon was busy contending with GrandisKuwagamon while Bolgmon levelled ranged blasts at him. Sweating, the Royal Knight deflected a stab from the panting insect, and then retaliated with a punch to GrandisKuwagamon's upper carapace.

The black insect jumped back when Bolgmon launched an Ultimate Thunder attack at Gankoomon, not wanting to get caught up in the lightning as well. When the electricity surged towards Gankoomon, the warrior turned and reached into the ground, tearing up the ground, tree roots and all, and throwing it into the incoming blast to protect himself. The orbs of lightning slammed into the up-turned ground and exploded, pelting Gankoomon with shards of rock, dirt, and strands of electricity.

Gankoomon wasn't finished yet. He snarled as Hinukamui swept out of his body. "Jishin! Kaminari! Kaji! Oyaji!" he shouted, prompting the blazing aura dragon to sweep forth, towards Bolgmon. Hinukamui roared as he descended onto Bolgmon with crushing power. Despite the devastating impact, the mechanical Digimon's defences were strong enough to prevent any serious damage, even as the ground exploded around him.

GrandisKuwagamon saw an opportunity while Gankoomon was exerted and distracted by both Bolgmon and the explosion. He grinned and flew to the side, blending in with the night. When Gankoomon turned his attention to where GrandisKuwagamon had been standing, he was annoyed and perplexed to see that he was gone. The Royal Knight raised his fists and looked around his surroundings warily.

The black, insect mercenary crept forwards, using tree trunks, downed canopies, and bushes as cover. When Gankoomon turned his back to him, GrandisKuwagamon suddenly rushed forwards, his Gran Killers poised. He raised his arm and drove his Gran Killer towards Gankoomon's blind spot.

"Desperado Blaster!"

Beam bullets tore up the ground around GrandisKuwagamon and buffeted his armoured body. GrandisKuwagamon grimaced as his form was pounded by the blasts, and he was forced to stop his attack in order to bring up his Gran Killers to block the projectiles.

Shocked, Gankoomon wheeled around and drove his fist towards GrandisKuwagamon. The insect had good enough reflexes to leap away and fly into the air at a safe distance. With several meters of space now between them, both Gankoomon and GrandisKuwagamon whirled around to see who had attacked.

They saw a female Paildramon standing on the branch of a tree. She had her claws on her hip cannons, which she aimed at GrandisKuwagamon.

"What the hell?" Gankoomon asked, recognizing Paildramon as the one from their Order.

GrandisKuwagamon's red eyes locked with hers and he gave her a deep glare. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded.

Paildramon calmly stared at him. She then looked over her shoulder, into the dark of the forest canopies. "Attack," she commanded, looking forwards at GrandisKuwagamon again. "Desperado Blaster!"

Her hip cannons ignited as beam blasts began ripping from their muzzles. The bullets whizzed through the air towards GrandisKuwagamon, who had to fly swiftly and agilely in order to avoid them. In tandem with her own attack, a barrage of other attacks began shooting from the dark and into the campsite. There were at least a dozen sources, given the number and variety of different attacks. It was hard for the mercenary to count in the darkness and the sudden chaos.

"Damn it!" GrandisKuwagamon hissed, ducking as a beam burst narrowly missed his head. He looked across the campsite, watching as explosions started detonating around Bolgmon and Blitzmon.

SaviorHackmon jumped away from Blitzmon once the attacks started. "Gankoomon-sensei!" he called over with a frown. "What's going on?!"

"Looks like reinforcements!" Gankoomon called back.

"Slide Evolution! GranKuwagamon!" GrandisKuwagamon growled, morphing into his larger GranKuwagamon form. "Dimension Scissors!" He launched a glowing arc into the flashing dark of the forest from where the attacks were coming. It sliced through the trunks of trees, but missed hitting any of the attackers.

GranKuwagamon scowled when his large body began to draw more fire. An explosion detonated against the side of his carapace, rocking him in the air. He hissed and looked over at Blitzmon and Bolgmon, who were returning fire but were being pushed back by the overwhelming number of attacks. "Blitzmon! Bolgmon!" he shouted over to them, zipping over towards them.

"We need to leave!" Blitzmon called over to GranKuwagamon.

"I know!" GranKuwagamon answered, shooting towards them.

Paildramon narrowed her eyes and flew after him. "Not so fast," she stated, raising her right hand. "Esgrima!" Cables shot from her hand and soared towards GranKuwagamon.

GranKuwagamon glanced over his shoulder with an annoyed glare at the incoming projectile. "Don't test me!" he warned her, lashing his arm out and swatting the cables away before they could stab or wrap around him. He beat his wings quickly and flew over to the other two mercenaries. "Zone Black Hole!"

The black insect landed on the ground and tore open a hole in the damaged earth using his pincers. The rend opened up to reveal a black abyss underneath him. GranKuwagamon grabbed hold of Blitzmon and Bolgmon before leaping into the rift. The spacial void snapped shut as soon as they disappeared inside, right as a beam tore along the ground.

SaviorHackmon watched with a pensive frown as GranKuwagamon disappeared.

"They've escaped," Paildramon said with a disappointed glower. She raised a hand. "Cease your fire! Secure the perimeter!" she called out to the other reinforcements, prompting the attacks to stop.

Gankoomon walked over to SaviorHackmon as Paildramon flapped her wings and landed nearby. BaoHackmon looked over at the Royal Knight. "Sensei, are you okay?" he asked him, looking over Gankoomon's somewhat wounded body with concern.

"Yeah, you?" Gankoomon asked, noticing the damage on SaviorHackmon's own body.

SaviorHackmon nodded and panted. He was sore and exhausted, not just from the fight, but from the past two days. "I'll be fine…" he insisted.

Paildramon walked over to the two and saluted Gankoomon. "Sir Gankoomon. I'm sorry if we interrupted," she stated a little sheepishly.

Gankoomon looked around to see about twenty Digimon emerge from the darkness. They all seemed to be from the Order's Aerial Strike Forces. He turned and looked at her with a slight grin. "Nah, it's fine, oversergeant," he responded. "It's probably good that you all showed up, actually… I'm just surprised. Why are you here?"

"When Sir Alphamon had heard that you had snuck out to rescue BaoHackmon, he ordered us to reinforce you," Paildramon explained. "I led the team since Leftenant HippoGriffomon is still recovering from his injuries sustained in the battle."

Gankoomon nodded. "I appreciate it, Paildramon. We had our hands full," he responded gratefully.

Paildramon nodded politely. She turned and looked at SaviorHackmon. "And how are you?" she asked him, wondering about his wellbeing after the ordeal.

"I'm… fine…" SaviorHackmon responded weakly. In actuality, he was having trouble keeping himself up. His eyes were half-lidded and his legs were uneasy. Now that the combined adrenaline from both the new evolution and the fight was wearing out, he was spent. "Thanks… I'll… be…"

SaviorHackmon's legs suddenly buckled and he collapsed. Gankoomon suddenly reached out and grabbed him before he could hit the ground. SaviorHackmon became engulfed in light and he reverted back into his Hackmon form. Gankoomon looked down at the dragon in his arms to see that BaoHackmon had passed out from exhaustion.

Paildramon blinked and looked at Hackmon. "I guess he used up all of his energy…" she deduced. "He'll need more practice before he is able to hold that new form."

Gankoomon grinned as he looked down at Hackmon. "Yeah…" he agreed. He gently lugged the metal dragon over his back, holding Hackmon's legs to keep him steady.

Paildramon watched as Gankoomon carried his student but noticed his own tired state. "Are you sure you don't want some help, Sir Gankoomon?" she asked him. "If you want me or one of the other Strike Force members to take him…"

Gankoomon shook his head and began to walk through the Forest of Memories with Hackmon on his back. "Thanks… but I've got him," Gankoomon responded, letting Hackmon rest against his broad back.

"He's my responsibility, after all…"

* * *

Gankoomon, Hackmon, and the rest of the Aerial Strike Force team returned to Castle Albion at around dawn. Gankoomon and Hackmon spent most of the day recovering and getting looked over in the medical bay. It wasn't until the early evening, after a lengthy rest, that they were released. Both mainly just had bruises and cuts – nothing too serious.

It was around supper time in the castle, and the Order troops were making their way into the main building and towards the cafeteria.

Alphamon strode alongside Gankoomon, who meandered with his hands in his pockets. The Leader of the Royal Knights gave him a sideways leer as they walked down a stone corridor towards the cafeteria.

Gankoomon smiled a bit. "Come on, say it," he said, looking over at Alphamon. "What I did was reckless, stupid, thoughtless…"

"I would, if I thought it would do any good," Alphamon stated, although with a faint touch of comedy to his voice. He looked over at the Royal Knight. "First, UlforceVeedramon. Then, Dukemon and Dynasmon. And now, you. What are you all trying to do to me? You know that those three mercenaries were a match for Examon and Dukemon. There was no sure guarantee that you would win."

Gankoomon rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey, don't underestimate me. I had a plan," he responded. "And I think I could've taken them if I had to."

Alphamon rolled his eyes and walked ahead. "See?"

The red-haired knight grinned sheepishly and sped up his pace to lock step with Alphamon. "Oh, come on…" he said cheerfully. After a few moments of no reply, he rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm sorry. I know you guys were planning a rescue operation for him, but I needed to do it myself. He's my responsibility."

"Needed to?" Alphamon contended. "It sounds like you're treating him like a kid again."

Gankoomon frowned and walked beside the black knight. "Yeah, I realise that that's what I've been doing… but that wasn't the reason I tried to rescue him," he explained. He released a sigh and scratched his red hair with a hand. "I did it because it was my fault, so it was my responsibility to make things right."

Alphamon smiled a little. "Everything turned out fine, I suppose," he explained. "I know you're independent and you hate rules and formalities, but be aware of the rest of us next time, alright? You _are_ a Royal Knight now, and the rest of us are here to help. There's a saying, 'A single arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle.' …I suppose it's twelve, in our case." He turned his sagely smile to Gankoomon. "We're a team, Gankoomon."

Gankoomon sheepishly scratched his cheek with a finger. "Yeah, I gotcha," he conceded in reply. "You're right…"

Alphamon nodded and looked forwards to the cafeteria doors as they reached the end of the hallway. "…So, how is BaoHackmon? Or should I say 'SaviorHackmon'?" he asked him as they walked inside the crowded dining hall.

Gankoomon grinned and thumbed towards the kitchen beyond the cafeteria's serving counter. "He's good. Good enough to help out in the kitchen for dinner," he explained.

The black knight raised an eyebrow and looked at Gankoomon curiously. "I know you want to punish him for being reckless, but isn't it a bit soon?" he questioned.

"Huh?" Gankoomon asked. "It was his idea. Said he wanted to make up for all the trouble he caused everyone," he explained with a warm grin. "He also said it would help him get used to his SaviorHackmon form."

"Can he hold the form yet?" Alphamon wondered.

"It might take a few weeks until he can stabilise the form," Gankoomon explained. "I was surprised at how long he held it yesterday though."

Alphamon smiled at him. "If the bonds are strong enough, one can find themselves doing incredible things for the Digimon they care about," he explained.

Gankoomon smirked and walked over to the waiting queue. "I gues—" He was interrupted by a sharp shout and the sound of metal things crashing to the ground. The cacophony came from the kitchen.

"Gah! I'm sorry, RhodoKnightmon-shishou! I'll clean it up!" SaviorHackmon's frantic voice could be heard.

Gankoomon looked at Alphamon with a grin. "Sometimes…"

Alphamon chuckled a bit and got in line with Gankoomon. However, at the back of his mind, he couldn't help but worry about the two Royal Knights who were still missing.


	24. Chapter 16: Sanctuary

(Author's Notes: Chapter 16 is finally here! I've made some good progress with the story as well.

Since I can't reply via private message, I'll say it here. Thanks to Anony-mousse for the review. It's much appreciated. I'm glad you're enjoying it! Also, thanks to everyone for the reviews. It's always helpful to get feedback. Enjoy!)

**Chapter 16: Sanctuary**

"DAMNIT!"

Bolgmon fired a blast from his arm as he tore across a pinkish, rose-hued landscape. The burst of electricity slammed into a 'falling rocks' traffic sign ahead of him, despite the fact that they were in the middle of an open field that spanned for kilometers, with not a mountain in sight. The metal sign melted and crumpled upon being struck by his blast. It then burst into particles when the structural integrity of its data was destroyed.

It was a sunny morning as Black Pincer Company headed north. The temperature was mildly warm and the sweet scent of flowers drifted on the wind.

GrandisKuwagamon looked down from the air as he flew several meters above the cyborg insect. Bolgmon was pissed; he was never one to hide his feelings. GrandisKuwagamon grunted and glanced over at Blitzmon, who flew beside him. Blitzmon, on the other hand, was definitely one to hide his feelings. It made him hard to read, even for GrandisKuwagamon. He had been flying quietly ever since they escaped the Forest of Memories the previous night.

GrandisKuwagamon himself was kind of pissed off from the whole situation.

"I can't believe we came away empty-handed!" Bolgmon angrily stated as he rolled across the pink field.

"We tried and failed," Blitzmon said philosophically. "It's not like we lost anything else during that side job."

GrandisKuwagamon grunted and glanced away. "We didn't get our money back. That would have been nice."

"If nothing else, there's the reward money that we'll get for deleting that patrol," Blitzmon explained.

A sigh escaped the black insect's mouth. "I guess. So, we should head to Fulminus to meet up with Wizardmon," he stated. "Good thing we headed north when we escaped."

The dark blue beetle nodded. "We'll need to be frugal for awhile," Blitzmon added. He turned his head and matched his green eyes with GrandisKuwagamon's own red one, leering at him emphatically. "And we'll need to keep up that contract."

"Tch," GrandisKuwagamon looked away grudgingly at the idea. "Yeah, I know… Barring anything damn near suicidal."

"Fair enough," Blitzmon agreed.

Bolgmon glared ahead of them. "Just as long as I get a chance to vaporize those bastards…" he responded balefully. "I'm getting really sick of those damn Royal Knights."

"Yeah, great idea, Bolgie. Look how we ended up last time you tried to vaporize them," GrandisKuwagamon reminded him with bitter sarcasm.

"That wasn't my fault, damn it!" Bolgmon fired back. "Would you shut up about that already, Grandis?"

GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye and continued flying through the air. "Whatever. Just focus on making sure we get to Fulminus. If we get lost, it _will_ be your fault," he told their logistics expert.

Bolgmon glared up at him and drove ahead. "Fine, whatever," he responded curtly.

GrandisKuwagamon beat his wings rapidly and glided along the wind. As he soared across the field, he reflected on the events of the previous night.

"…_Stupid kid_."

* * *

Meanwhile, there was Metal Empire activity in the north of the continent. After the tactical victory in the battle against the Royal Knights' Strike Forces, the D-Brigade flank was in position, cutting the Mamemon Kingdom off from the south. This allowed the D-Brigade's main forces to advance and prepare for the main assault, which was to take place within the coming days.

As the preparations took place, a small but powerful team of D-Brigade soldiers moved away from the temporary military camp where they had been staying. They were headed to the rear lines, where the command and support base was located.

The D-Brigade team in question was a team of ten Ultimate-level Digimon, plus Commander Fujinmon. A strong team was required, since they were escorting the two prisoners taken during the last battle: Dukemon and Dynasmon.

Dukemon and Dynasmon walked side-by-side down a dirt road leading west. They were surrounded on all sides by the eleven elite D-Brigade soldiers. Four Darkdramon encircled them as they walked, three moving along the road and one flying overhead to make a pyramid formation. Lingering at the back of the column was the towering, mechanical body of an UltimateBrachimon, who lumbered along and used his long, saurian neck to watch from a high altitude. Walking behind the Darkdramon group was a HiAndromon and Gundramon, while a Justimon and MetalGarurumon walked in front of them. Flying along to the right of the group was a MagnaGarurumon, who kept his watchful eye on them. Lastly was Fujinmon, who flew back near the UltimateBrachimon. He floated along on the wind as he kept focused on the two Royal Knights below.

Dynasmon and Dukemon were led down the road by the armed escort. Their arms were crossed behind their backs and bound with sturdy, metal chains – enough to be certain that they wouldn't escape. The two Darkdramon behind them each held one of the chains in one of their hands and their sharp Gigastick Lances in the other. Both Royal Knights eyed the formation on their captors, but didn't put up any resistance.

Dynasmon grunted and fidgeted with the chains binding his large claws. His hands were positioned in such a way that his palms faced inwards, in order to prevent him from blasting anybody. Likewise, Dukemon's Gram and Aegis had been confiscated, and were currently being carried by the HiAndromon several paces behind them. Upon realizing that he wasn't getting anywhere, Dynasmon momentarily gave up and looked over his shoulder at Fujinmon.

"Hey, Fujinmon!" the wyvern knight called out to the Hurricane Commander, forgoing any formality. "Isn't all this a bit overkill for us? Shouldn't these guys be preparing for the upcoming invasion?"

Fujinmon hovered forwards, his Critical Arms resting at his sides as he increased his flight speed. "I don't really think so… You shouldn't underestimate yourself, Dynasmon. You _are_ both Royal Knights after all. The two of you are more than capable of wreaking havoc if given so much as a centimeter," Fujinmon lightly responded, knowing what he was angling at. "Besides, you _did_ just try to kill us a few days ago. I know from first-hand experience how dangerous you both are. I'm sorry about the extensive precautions, but I hope you can appreciate why we needed to impose them on you."

Dynasmon grunted and clenched his fists with annoyance. "Flattery doesn't make me feel any better," he muttered under his breath.

Dukemon looked over his caped shoulder as well. "Where are you taking us?" he asked Fujinmon. "We've been moving from military camp to military camp for the past couple days."

Fujinmon floated closer, over the Gundramon and HiAndromon, so that he could talk at a normal volume. "We are taking you both to our command base where you will be placed inside one of our Valvemon transports. From there, you will be transported back to the Metal Empire. Facture, specifically."

Dukemon eyed the green-armoured cyborg suspiciously. "And then what?" he questioned.

"That is not for me to say. That decision will be made at Emperor Chaosdramon's discretion," Fujinmon explained. "I doubt he would do anything too horrible… Although, I imagine that, since your Order is at war with us, it would be in our best interests to have you both removed from action."

Dynasmon frowned dangerously at the slender Commander as he gracefully glided on the wind. "So, we're going to be locked up in some rusty Facture prison?" he asked him directly.

"Like I said, it is up to the Emperor. I'm just hypothesizing," Fujinmon assured them. "Maybe he'll be lenient…" The Hurricane Commander didn't sound convinced by his own words.

"Great…" Dukemon muttered blandly. "And when will we get there, exactly?"

"In a few hours," the green mecha Digimon answered. When he saw both of the Royal Knights turn forward again, Fujinmon floated back to his place near the back of the spread out column.

After a minute of walking, Dukemon feigned stumbling over a rock and used Dynasmon's larger body to catch himself. Dynasmon glanced over at Dukemon curiously and helped to steady the crimson knight using his broad shoulder. "Sorry," Dukemon told him, before leaning in and whispering. "We need to escape before we get to that command base," he stealthily said to him in a hushed tone.

"Easier said than done," Dynasmon whispered back. "These chains are tough; might even be chrome digizoid. Their formation is well-thought out too. It'd be hard to make an opening in it." He glanced around the area. "Where are we, d'you think?"

"Eastern outskirts of Chessmon territory, I'd say. The terrain south of here isn't too rough for a little while. There's a river that we'd need to cross, though. Further south are forests and mountains that we can disappear in," Dukemon explained, his voice still quiet. He glanced over his shoulder at the HiAndromon behind them. "I'll need to get my gear back. When do you want to do this?"

Dynasmon frowned as he thought about it. "We should probably wait… Keep an eye out for an opening," he suggested quietly. "We've only got one shot at this. If we blow it and get caught, we're really screwed. They wouldn't let us get away with it twice."

Dukemon nodded. "Yeah… We need to pick our moment," he agreed. "There's no guarantee it'll work, but we have to try."

"What are you two whispering about?" asked the Darkdramon who was holding Dukemon's chains.

"Nothing," Dukemon replied, not looking over his shoulder.

The Darkdramon leered at them suspiciously. "Are you sure about that?" he pressed him.

Dynasmon turned his horned, draconic head and looked at the guard. "If you have to know… I was talking about how a lady talked me into doing something like this once and it was pretty kinky," he stated all-too-convincingly. "I can go into details if you want."

The Darkdramon guard flushed and looked away, thoroughly unprepared for that response. "I-I see… I'd prefer if you didn't," he replied. "If you need to talk, keep it audible."

Dynasmon couldn't help but smirk. "Well, okay. So, I was standing there, naked, and then—"

"I didn't mean about that!" the guard protested.

"Refined as always, Dynasmon," Dukemon told him with a smirk behind his helmet.

Dynasmon chuckled a bit. "Hey, it worked," he muttered in response. He leaned over towards Dukemon and whispered. "So… When you're ready and see a good opportunity, give me the signal. No rush."

Dukemon nodded and continued to be led along. He kept a watchful eye on the state of their guards as he walked. It wouldn't be an easy escape and there was no guarantee that they would even get past a few meters, but he couldn't live with himself if he didn't try.

* * *

Back at the Royal Knights' castle, it was around noon time. The sun was at its peak in the sky, and it cast light down across the castle grounds. The training grounds were crowded as the Strike Forces and Defence Forces drilled in preparation for the war. Most members of the Order were busy with their various jobs and responsibilities at this time.

The same was true for SaviorHackmon, who stood in the great hall with a large mop and bucket. He hummed to himself mirthfully as he mopped the floor, spreading water and suds across the smooth, marble tiles. He held the long mop carefully in his clawed hands and partially used it to keep himself steady on his legs as he cleaned the floor.

The new Perfect-level Digimon cleaned the great hall's floors diligently. He was about a third of the way done, but it was a _big_ great hall with a lot of area to cover.

A deep but jovial voice called out from behind the dragon man Digimon. "Is that you, Bao—sorry—_Savior_Hackmon?"

SaviorHackmon turned around and spotted Imperialdramon Dragon Mode walking into the great hall. He smiled upon seeing his friend. "Hey, Peri," he greeted, pleased to see the larger dragon.

"Did you get a personality upgrade when you evolved to that form? Because I swear that you're in a good mood while mopping the entire great hall," Peri observed light-heartedly. "Aren't all these chores supposed to be punishment for running off, doing stupid stuff, and worrying all of us?"

SaviorHackmon maintained his grin despite Imperialdramon Dragon Mode's ribbing words. "I don't mind it. It's good practice for getting used to this new form," he explained in his deeper and more mature voice. "Besides, I'm in a good mood. …But your claws better not be muddy."

Peri chuckled and waved his large foot to show that it was clean. "We've been doing evasive flight manoeuvres all morning, so we haven't seen much ground. I just came in for some lunch," he explained. "So, spill. Why are you in a good mood?"

The white dragon man smirked proudly and used a claw to polish the blue crystal on his chest. "Guess who's joining the Strike Forces?" SaviorHackmon explained with a smug grin on his face.

Imperialdramon blinked. "Really? That's great! …You're not pulling my leg, are you?" he asked, shocked by the news.

"Gankoomon-sensei said I could," SaviorHackmon told him excitedly, his jubilation obvious on his face. "I'm trying out in five days!"

"I'm glad to hear it, but I have to admit, I'd rather you joined the Reconnaissance Forces," Peri told him with a soft smile.

"Sorry, Peri. It's just not my style," the caped dragon responded with a confident smirk. "I'm an offence kind of guy. I mean, look at his body!"

Imperialdramon chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Bladey. I noticed," he snarked at him. "You'll probably start small, you know. Like I did. It won't be high-stakes rescue missions right away. Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah, sure I am," SaviorHackmon replied contently. "I'm sure I'll have to do a lot of training and busy work first. It's one step closer to becoming a Royal Knight, though. I'll do whatever it takes."

"That's surprisingly mature of you. Before, you couldn't wait to do some daring mission to prove yourself, and you weren't satisfied until you did something of that calibre," Peri pointed out to him.

SaviorHackmon gave him a knowing smirk. "Yeah, and look where that got me. Taken hostage by mercenaries," he responded. "I know that I'm going to have to put the effort in if I want to become Royal Knight material. I know they all had to do the same thing to get as good as they are. I'm just happy that now I have the chance to improve myself."

Peri smiled at him. "Well, good. I don't have to worry about you pulling anymore reckless stunts, then," he teased.

"Hey, I wouldn't go that far. Look at who my sensei is," SaviorHackmon countered with a laugh.

The large, blue dragon laughed a bit. When his snicker faded, he began to grow more serious. "…So, uh… What was it like…? Being with those mercenaries?" he wondered, frowning as he thought about it.

"It's not something I want to happen again," SaviorHackmon admitted, his eyes tightening as he remembered. "They were so tough, cold-blooded and violent. Bolgmon was the worst… he seemed like it, at least. He kept threatening and insulting me. I think he enjoyed it…"

Peri glowered faintly. "And the other two? Blitzmon and GrandisKuwagamon?"

SaviorHackmon continued to mop the marble floor. "Blitzmon… I don't know. He seemed reasonable, but I couldn't get a good read on him. The way he sometimes looked… It was unnerving," the dragon man Digimon explained. "As for GrandisKuwagamon… He was the one that I talked with the most. He's so cynical and dismissive of everything. He was kind of a jerk too. But…"

"But…?"

"…But, for some reason, I get the feeling that he's not a bad guy deep down," SaviorHackmon explained, although uncertainly. "He just seems angry and resentful rather than evil. I mean… I got the feeling he wasn't all bad. Maybe it's true for the other two, as well. I don't know exactly what they must have gone through. It must have been bad though."

Imperialdramon Dragon Mode looked at SaviorHackmon sceptically. "I don't know. Don't get too sympathetic, SaviorHackmon. Are you sure he wasn't playing mind games with you? They might have been doing that 'good guy - bad guy' thing," he responded. Imperialdramon narrowed his eyes. "Besides, don't you think they were the ones who deleted our patrol? Or do you think it was the Metal Empire like they said?"

The humanoid dragon sighed and stopped mopping. "I don't know, Peri. Examon-shishou did say that they were hired to delete one of our patrols. Some of the stuff GrandisKuwagamon said about it being the D-Brigade made sense too though. It's hard to know for sure."

"I guess so…" the large dragon admitted. "…Hey, is it true that those Black Pincer guys are data absorbers?"

SaviorHackmon frowned and looked down. "I'm not sure. I didn't exactly ask…" he admitted.

Peri smiled at him. "Well, you definitely had a lucky escape." He began to turn around. "Anyway, I'd better go get lunch before my break is up. Good luck with the mopping."

SaviorHackmon nodded and began gliding the mop across the golden-beige marble again. "By the way, Peri… How's the search for Dukemon-shishou and Dynasmon-shishou going?" he asked him, a look of concern emerging on his face.

The dragon turned his helmeted head as he began to walk down towards the double doors leading to the foyer. "I don't know the details; the elite patrols are the ones searching for them. They're behind the Metal Empire's lines, so it's difficult for us scouts to penetrate, but we're able to slip past every so often. The teams involved are focusing on the routes back to Facture, since that's where they're probably being taken," Peri explained. He gave SaviorHackmon a slight smile. "I'll keep you updated if I can. I know a rescue operation's being prepared."

"Thank you…" SaviorHackmon answered, turning his attention back to cleaning the floor. He had to take a deep breath to calm his impulses. He wanted to help two of his most respected heroes, but he knew that in order to do that, he would need to become stronger and more disciplined, rather than running off again.

However, he knew that this would take time. He hoped that Dukemon and Dynasmon would be fine, even if he couldn't personally help out.

* * *

A few hours passed from noon.

The D-Brigade prisoner escort continued to walk down the stone-paved road. The two captive Royal Knights remained in the middle of the column, led along by the Darkdramon guards directly around them.

Dukemon walked alongside Dynasmon, both of whom gave subtle glances to each other as they inspected the nearby D-Brigade Digimon. They glanced upwards when they saw Fujinmon fly overhead.

"We are almost at the command base," Fujinmon explained to them, looking forwards. In the distance was a series of shapes, mainly small, makeshift, metal buildings. More prominent than them was a giant, golden octagon with legs. It was the Valvemon that the two Royal Knights were to be transported in for the rest of the journey.

Dynasmon and Dukemon exchanged looks with each other. They both knew that if they were put inside that Digimon, it would be even harder for them to escape. These last two kilometers would be their last chance.

Dukemon eyed Fujinmon as he flew forwards to speak with the MagnaGarurumon at the front of the column. The crimson knight turned towards Dynasmon. "Dynasmon," he said to him to get his attention.

Dynasmon slowed down slightly so that he was a pace behind Dukemon. "Yeah?" he asked him. Dynasmon looked down at Dukemon's chain-bound hands, which were tied over his cape so that the fabric didn't conceal them. This allowed for Dynasmon to see Dukemon give him a quick thumbs up gesture.

"I was just wondering— Grah!" Dukemon's words were interrupted by a sputter of pain. Dynasmon had stepped on Dukemon's long, white ponytail, causing his head to jerk back and for Dukemon to stop suddenly and fall to a knee. "Damn it!" he uttered, feeling genuine pain at the motion.

"What's going on?" the Darkdramon holding Dukemon's chains demanded, walking forwards to see what was wrong.

The Darkdramon that was walking in front of them also stopped and turned around see what was going on.

"Crap! Sorry!" Dynasmon exclaimed, stopping his walking and moving his foot off of Dukemon's hair. "I stepped on his hair! Are you okay, Dukemon?"

"Y-Yeah…" Dukemon said with a wince, adrenaline beginning to flow through his body. He looked over his shoulder and gave Dynasmon a look. Dynasmon nodded.

The Darkdramon who was holding Dynasmon's chains stepped over to them. "Get him up," he told the other guard.

Just as Darkdramon in question approached Dukemon from the side to pull him up, the Darkdramon who was speaking stepped up behind Dynasmon.

Dynasmon suddenly spun around to face his Darkdramon captor, who had been looking at his comrade. Just as the Darkdramon tensed up and looked back at Dynasmon, the wyvern knight acted. Unable to use his hands, he headbutted the end of the Darkdramon's snout with his armoured forehead, sending the dark dragon man staggering back. Dynasmon then jerked his head to the side and slashed one of his draconic horns across the Darkdramon's jaw.

As the Darkdramon snarled with pain and dropped to the ground to clutch his bleeding face, the Darkdramon attending to Dukemon turned in shock. This gave Dukemon his opportunity. He sprung up and drove his own helmeted forehead into the guard, colliding painfully with the Darkdramon's chin. As the guard was sent reeling back, Dukemon spun around and unleashed a powerful back kick to the Darkdramon's abdomen.

As the second guard was floored, the remaining two Darkdramon sprung to attention. "Commander! They're resisting!" one of them shouted to Fujinmon.

Fujinmon spun around with shock. Upon seeing what was happening, his crimson eyes narrowed.

Dynasmon snarled and raced towards the Darkdramon in front of them as the guard raised his lance to fire. The dragon knight rushed the guard like a charging bull and slammed his armoured shoulder into the Darkdramon. The Darkdramon was knocked off of his feet and sent crashing onto his winged back.

Once the guard was temporarily dealt with, Dynasmon looked over his shoulder. "Dukemon!" he called out to him.

Dukemon looked over and saw that Dynasmon's body emit bright blue power. He watched as the draconic energy of Wyvern began to consume the Royal Knight's form and rise up. Dukemon leapt over to Dynasmon, standing behind him.

"Breath of Wyvern!" Dynasmon roared, sending Wyvern shooting from his body and ascending into the air.

The first thing Wyvern did as he surged out of Dynasmon's body was grab hold of the Darkdramon overhead that was about to use his 'Terrible Gaze' paralyzing attack on the two Royal Knights. Wyvern then roared and hurled the Darkdramon from his claws, straight into the HiAndromon that was holding Dukemon's weapons.

As the two tumbled to the ground, Wyvern then turned to Dynasmon and grabbed hold of all of the chains binding the Royal Knights wrists, breaking the metal bonds with his strong aura claws. Wyvern moved his attention to Dukemon and broke the chains restraining him as well.

Dukemon smirked and pulled his arms away. "Thanks, Wyvern!" he thanked the large dragon as he dashed over to the HiAndromon. He leapt into a roll as the Gundramon began to open fire on him with his revolver arms, sending sparks and chunks of stone road and metal shooting up around the Royal Knight. Just as Dukemon stopped moving, he picked up the Gram and Aegis just in time to move his shield in front of him. A barrage of bullets slammed against his holy shield before ricocheting off harmlessly. "Dynasmon!"

"Gotcha! Let's make our move, Wyvern!" Dynasmon shouted, pointing at the Justimon and MetalGarurumon. Wyvern roared and made his final action by swooping down and crashing into the two D-Brigade Digimon, crushing the road under his might and throwing the two Ultimate Digimon through the air.

Fujinmon and MagnaGarurumon winced as they were blown back through the air from the shockwave after trying to fly over to support their comrades.

Using the explosion as cover, Dynasmon flapped his wings and began flying to the left, heading south across the grassy field. "Royal Sabre!" Dukemon shouted, firing a beam of light from his lance into the mechanical gun dragon. Using the opening, Dukemon dashed off with Dynasmon, quickly catching up to the dragon man as they made their escape south.

Fujinmon glared as he saw the two Royal Knights making a break for it. "Apprehend them! Open fire!" the Hurricane Commander ordered. "Gundramon, UltimateBrachimon, fire! The rest of you, after them!"

For emphasis, Fujinmon began tearing through the sky after the two Royal Knights, commanding the wind so that it was at his back to boost his speed. "Marut Cyclone!" he shouted, unleashing a high powered blast of wind towards Dynasmon from behind.

Dukemon glanced over his shoulder. "Incoming, Dynasmon!" he warned him.

Dynasmon sensed the coming blast of wind and spun onto his back so that he was briefly flying upside down. He raised his claws in front of him. "Dragon's Roar!" he shouted, unleashing dual blasts of wind from the crystals on his palms. The blast of wind slammed into Fujinmon's own surge of condensed air. Although Dynasmon's was weaker, it served to weaken and negate Fujinmon's attack enough so that only a strong gust of wind impacted Dynasmon, sending him flying faster through the air.

Fujinmon narrowed his eyes and raced to catch up with him.

"Ultimate Blast!" the UltimateBrachimon roared, firing a cannon blast from the golden gun port hidden on its chest. As a giant beam surged across the grass towards the two Royal Knights, Gundramon began unleashing a salvo of gunfire with the multitude of guns making up his body.

Dynasmon glanced over as he could see a flood of light coming from behind them. "Heads up!" he called out to Dukemon, swerving to the right as he continued to fly as quickly as he could.

Dukemon held the Aegis behind him to protect his back from bullets as he ran. He heard Dynasmon's warning and lunged diagonally to the left. The sizzling beam streaked by him, passing in between the two Royal Knights, and scorching the grass. Dukemon winced and glanced towards the beam, feeling its heat as he kept up his sprint. "Damn, that's some firepower!" he exclaimed. As the beam began to fade, Dukemon glanced up to see Fujinmon closing in on Dynasmon. "You've got company!"

"I know!" Dynasmon shouted back, hearing the whirring of Fujinmon's two Critical Arms behind him.

The Hurricane Commander closed the gap between himself and Dynasmon. Just as he got into arm's reach, he raised his right Critical Arm over his head and then swept it down towards Dynasmon's wing. Dynasmon veered to the left suddenly, narrowly avoiding the reddish-yellow laser blade that brushed by him. The wyvern knight then wheeled around and drove his fist towards Fujinmon.

Fujinmon swiftly avoided the punch and flew parallel to Dynasmon. "You won't escape. Critical Arm!" he stated, elongating his blades and slashing them vertically down on Dynasmon.

Dynasmon gritted his teeth and quickly raised his hands to catch the blades. "Dragon's Roar!" he stated, shooting energy from the palms of his hands right as the blades descended on him. Using this concentrated energy, he was able to stop the beam blades from cutting into him. With the momentum of Fujinmon's strike halted, Dynasmon used his superior strength to overpower Fujinmon and push him back.

Fujinmon narrowed his eyes and retreated a few meters. "Marut Cyclone!" he called out, unleashing hurricane force winds at close range that Dynasmon wouldn't be able to avoid. The winds swept up Dynasmon and threw him through the air violently.

"Dynasmon!" Dukemon called out. He glared and outstretched his right arm to the side, aiming his Gram lance at Fujinmon as he ran."Royal Sabre!"

Energy spiralled around the lance before shooting from the tip in a flood of light. The laser shot up at a diagonal angle, slamming right into Fujinmon's side. The emerald armoured commander grunted with pain as the engulfed him and he was thrown some distance away.

With Fujinmon's attention diverted, Dynasmon was able to flap his wings and catch himself. He looked over at Dukemon and gave him a thumbs up before flying forwards. He looked ahead of him and could see a rushing river. A span beyond that was a dense, far-reaching forest that stretched a long way.

"Dukemon! There's a river up ahead!" Dynasmon shouted to him. "Can you make the jump?!"

"Only one way to find out!" Dukemon called back in response, sprinting towards it. "Let's try to lose them in it!"

"Agreed!" Dynasmon responded, flapping his wings powerfully as he rushed forwards. He veered downwards as a large, glowing laser flew over his head and burned into the ground far ahead of him. He glanced behind him and saw several of the Darkdramon, the Justimon, the MetalGarurumon, the MagnaGarurumon, the HiAndromon, and Fujinmon all chasing them. He grunted as the two Garurumon Digimon launched a salvo of missiles towards them. "Breath of Wyvern!"

Wyvern aggregated from Dynasmon's body and coursed outwards from his back. The three-eyed dragon flapped his powerful, blue wings, sending strands of draconic energy out with every flap. Wyvern rushed out and swept through the barrage of missiles, creating a series of detonations in mid-air which kept the pursuers at bay. He then soared along the ground, tearing up the earth, before driving himself into the ground several meters in front of the D-Brigade Digimon. This created a giant explosion that billowed into the air with a shockwave strong enough to blast many of the Digimon back. The blast also served as a cover for the two fleeing Royal Knights.

Dukemon and Dynasmon reached the edge of the rushing river. Dynasmon flapped his wings and began to fly over it. Dukemon, meanwhile, took a running jump to try and lunge over the river. He managed to just barely clear the river and land on the other side. "Dynasmon!" he called out, continuing to run upon landing.

"Got it!" Dynasmon responded, spinning around and raising his claws. "I picked up this trick from a certain, goggle-wearing Greymon! Dragon's Roar!" he called out, unleashing blasts of fire energy from his hands. The flames tore along the length of the river. As soon as fiery power touched the water, they began to hiss and sizzle. The fire evaporated to create a thick haze of steam all along the river. The veil of hot, smoky, water vapour further helped to conceal their retreat.

Dynasmon swooped down beside Dukemon and landed so that he could run alongside the crimson knight. The two Royal Knights sprinted across the grassy bank and into the thick forest, where they disappeared into the concealing terrain.

Fujinmon shot through the lingering energy cloud of Wyvern and was incensed to see a second cloud of smoke a hundred meters in front of them. He couldn't see the Royal Knights at all and assumed that they had slipped into the forest. That would make finding the pair of escapees extremely difficult.

He turned around and swept his Critical Arm outwards with frustration, realizing his situation. The blast of wind from his swipe cut through the veil of steam and caused it to disperse more quickly. The group of D-Brigade soldiers stopped when Fujinmon did. He looked over at the HiAndromon, who was the last to catch up with them. "You, HiAndromon!" he said, flying over and landing in front of him. "Why in the Digital World were the Royal Knights not restricted with power inhibitors? Why were they able to use their abilities?!"

The HiAndromon froze and rigidly saluted his superior. "I, er, wasn't ordered to implant power inhibitors on them, Commander!"

"Royal Knights are Class-A prisoners; protocol requires that prisoners of that class be restrained with power inhibitors on top of everything else. You shouldn't need to be ordered!" Fujinmon rebuked him in frustration. "The security of the prisoners was your and the Darkdramons' responsibility."

"I-I'm sorry, Commander! I have made a grave error!" the HiAndromon apologized profusely.

"Never mind that now. There may still be time to catch them. Search the forest!" Fujinmon ordered, turning around and pointing a Critical Arm towards the forest.

"Yes, Sir!" the chorus chimed.

The D-Brigade team obeyed and began to advance towards the river. Fujinmon led the way, flying through the air and clearing away the steam with an irritated, determined expression. "_I am not going to be held accountable by the Emperor and the other Commanders for this screw up_!"

* * *

Meanwhile, as the Royal Knights made their south, Black Pincer Company continued heading north.

GrandisKuwagamon grunted and reached the peak of a tall hill. He climbed up the verdant mound and stood at its apex for a good vantage point of the surrounding landscape. Blitzmon flew up and landed beside him. Bolgmon lingered behind, putting his engine into full gear to make it up the slope.

The black insect narrowed his red eye as he gazed out across the grassy landscape. In the far distance, to the northwest, he could see a sizeable forest filled with lush trees. Surrounding the forest's perimeter were grassy fields and hills. It was a humble forest, and it wasn't as nearly as busy as others. It had a serene quality about it. GrandisKuwagamon's gaze softened when he could just make out a small dirt road leading out of the forest.

"Restart Forest…" GrandisKuwagamon muttered, gazing from the top of the hill at the forest in question.

"Just like we thought… The landscape was familiar," Blitzmon stated, folding his arms as he stood beside GrandisKuwagamon.

Bolgmon finally made it to the top of the hill, releasing a burst of steam from his vents when he did so. He rolled up behind GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon. He looked to see what they were staring at. "Damn…" he murmured. "Sure brings back memories, huh?"

"Not good ones," GrandisKuwagamon muttered, walking away from them and beginning to walk down the opposite slope of the hill.

Bolgmon frowned and followed GrandisKuwagamon, prompting Blitzmon to descend down the northern face of the hill as well. "We're not gonna have to go in there, are we?" he asked them. "I think we can bypass it."

"Yeah, let's do that. No reason for us to go there anyways," GrandisKuwagamon replied with a nonchalant shrug.

"Agreed," Blitzmon concurred bitterly, making his way down the hill. "Let's just head straight. There's a road ahead, so it shouldn't be hard to find Fulminus using that."

"Yeah," Bolgmon agreed, speeding up down the hill.

"We're not being chased anymore. You don't have to rush," Blitzmon told him.

"Let's just get there," Bolgmon stated irritably. "I'm sick of sleeping outside."

As GrandisKuwagamon made his way down the hill with an informal saunter, he couldn't help but glance over at the distant forest. "Yeah, me too," he muttered. "Let's get to an inn and get smashed."

"I hear that," Bolgmon agreed, although without his usual enthusiasm.

Blitzmon walked silently behind the pair. "Sure."

Bolgmon smirked over his shoulder. "Hell, even Blitz wants to get blitzed," he joked. "It must be bad."

The three mercenaries of Black Pincer Company made their way to the bottom of the hill and started walking across the grassland. They took a direction that avoided Restart Forest completely. Instead, they headed for a dirt road that curved along the beautiful, rolling grasslands.

They trio walked up the path, wordless as they passed by the distant forest.

* * *

Dukemon dashed over roots and bushes as he ran through a forest. Dynasmon was hot on his heels, running just a few meters behind his fellow Royal Knight. They had been running for hours. It was no longer the afternoon but the early evening. The sun was descending in the sky in its cycle around the Digital World. They could tell by looking through the spaces between the forest canopies that the sky was a deep orange and that the sun was setting.

The Royal Knights were no longer even in the same forest that they had entered in. They had left that one a few hours ago, crossed several plains, and travelled south into a completely new forest. In the rush and chaos of their escape from their pursuers, neither of the Royal Knights realized it, but they were heading through the Forest of Equilibrium.

It was a forest filled with rays of light, soft streams and verdant trees. It was a place of tranquility. It was also a spiritual place with connections to Huanglongmon.

The two dragon knights jumped over a log and passed around some trees and underbrush. Finally, Dynasmon slowed to a walking pace and called out to his comrade. "Hey, Dukemon!" he yelled out to the crimson knight ahead of him. He placed his clawed hand against a tree and leaned forwards, panting heavily. "Let's stop… We've gotta be in the clear…"

Dukemon stopped and turned around to look at Dynasmon. He was breathing heavily behind his visor as well. "D'you think so?" he asked him, heaving in air.

"I haven't seen any D-Brigade since before we crossed that plain awhile back. I think we're good," Dynasmon insisted, still gasping for air.

"Thank Yggdrasil…" Dukemon stated, leaning back against the tree trunk behind him. "We need a break."

Dynasmon nodded and started walking at a relaxed pace. "That wasn't fun…" he remarked, raising an arm to wipe the sweat from his face.

"Yeah… I've had some rough escapes before, but that one's definitely up there," Dukemon agreed.

"My legs are killing me… so are my arms," Dynasmon muttered, walking up beside Dukemon.

"Same. I'm exhausted," Dukemon replied, walking with Dynasmon through the forest. He glanced around the forest and up at the sky. "We should keep moving. It's getting dark… Don't know about you, but I don't feel great about sleeping in the forest with Fujinmon and the others potentially at our heels. Wouldn't want to wake up in a cold cell in Facture."

"You've got a point," Dynasmon concurred. He looked around quizzically. "But where the hell are we?"

"…Good question. And how much forest is left?" Dukemon wondered. He turned and looked at the winged dragon man. "Want to fly up and check it out?"

"Sure," Dynasmon replied, flapping his mighty, violet wings. He flew up from the ground and ascended towards the canopies. He soared upwards and rose above the canopies before stopping and looking around from his vantage point.

He was relieved that he wasn't able to see any pursuers behind him. This prompted Dynasmon to look forward. There was forest all around them, but they seemed to be close to the end of the forest. There were only a few kilometers of woods left before the landscape turned into beautiful, green hills and fields. Dynasmon could also see some sort of large building at the edge of the forest. It piqued his curiosity.

Dynasmon flew back down to Dukemon and landed beside him. "We're almost at the edge of the forest. Just two more kilometers, I'd say. We can probably be out in a half hour," he explained to his friend. "I also saw some kind of building, I think?"

"A building?" Dukemon asked, continuing to walk forwards. "I hope it's an inn or something."

"Please, let it be an inn. I'd give anything for a beer right now. And maybe a cute lady…" Dynasmon said with a grin.

Dukemon chuckled and rolled his eyes as he walked forwards with Dynasmon. "I'll try not to feel insulted," Dukemon teased playfully.

The two Royal Knights continued walking through the forest. It was no longer than half an hour of walking until they could see the edge of the woodland. Dukemon and Dynasmon walked to the edge of the forest and looked out from the trees. They were stunned at the landscape before them.

They stepped out to see rolling, emerald hills and grassland spanning for kilometers in front of them. The setting sun cast orange light across the blades of grass, causing them to glow and shimmer. The whole landscape was beautiful and tranquil. It was an idyllic scene.

Further down along the tree-line was a large building complex constructed at the forest's edge. It extended some distance into the forest and seemed to go underground as well. The architecture was adorned with stylized ornamentation and religious symbols.

Upon closer inspection, it looked like it was a humble monastery. The largest building was a divine temple. While large enough to loom over the nearby trees, it wasn't grandiose like the shrines to Yggdrasil and Huanglongmon, or like the grand cathedrals of the Sky Colonies. It looked very much at home around the natural landscape of the forest, so much that the environment was incorporated into the building's design. The monastery added to the beauty of the landscape. Around the front of the building was a large garden of beautiful flowers, and there were groves, orchards, and vineyards further down along the fields.

The Royal Knights looked at the main cathedral. It was through that temple that the rest of the monastery could be accessed. There were no walls or gates, so it was to be assumed that all were welcome.

"A temple?" Dynasmon asked.

"Looks like it. It must be for the Religion of Light since the Two Faiths don't have buildings of worship like this. But I'm kind of surprised to see a cathedral of the Heavenly Choir here of all places… they usually stick to the Sky Colonies," Dukemon responded, wondering to himself.

"Think they take guests?" the violet dragon man stated with a slight grin. "Maybe they'll take pity on a couple of sorry escapees."

Dukemon chuckled and began to walk over to the dirt path leading up to the cathedral. Dynasmon followed him and walked up to the cathedral. The building was long and tall. It extended deep into the forest, where other parts of the building expanded out from it. It was all made from stone, which had been polished and sculpted with ornamentation. Although the monastery seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, it had elegant architecture.

The Royal Knights walked up to a pair of large, wooden doors. The double doors were polished and engraved with beautiful, floral carvings. Dukemon took hold of one of the metal door knockers on the door and proceeded to knock with a deep, echoing clang. He then released the metal rung and the two waited patiently for somebody to answer.

It took nearly a minute, but finally, the two doors slowly opened. Both Dukemon and Dynasmon stood up straight in an effort to make their dirty and tired bodies look more presentable. Given that this monastery was affiliated with the Heavenly Choir, or, at least the Religion of Light, they both expected to see an angel Digimon on the other side of the doors.

Both of the Royal Knights were surprised when the doors opened to reveal a tall, slender, insect man. Both the warm glow of the setting sun and the equally hearth-like radiance of the cathedral's interior seemed to make his body glow. His form was humanoid in stature and it shone with a resplendent, golden hue. Over top the lustrous, gold carapace, there were black stripe designs. They covered his forearms, his uniquely jutting upper body, his thighs, knees, and feet, giving him a hornet-like appearance. His body was lean, agile, and lithe. His insectoid form had a sleek, somewhat jagged design. He had dull spikes protruding from his knees. He also had a set of three, narrow, gold pipes that came from behind his biceps and curled around them to connect to the thick, gold plates over his shoulders.

Most strikingly, the insect Digimon had a long, crimson scarf tied around his neck. The two ends of the red muffler draped down his back, between the two pairs of thin, clear insectoid wings that extended from his back and pointed downwards. The TigerVespamon turned his bug-shaped head to look at the two Royal Knights. He had large, red, compound eyes on the sides of his face. Above them was a black, V-shaped crest that has a curious design of three, glowing green dots at its base. The triangular design of the dots matched the ones on his lower abdomen and his shoulder armour. As the Royal Knights looked at him, his black, vertical, insect mouth opened to speak

"Good evening," the TigerVespamon greeted. His voice was calm, serene, ethereal even. It was tranquil and stoic, yet light and wispy at the same time; it made the insect Digimon sound unexpectedly enlightened. "How may I help you?"

Dukemon and Dynasmon exchanged brief looks. "Is this a cathedral of the Heavenly Choir?" Dukemon asked inquisitively.

"It is, indeed," the golden insect man replied courteously. As he spoke, he quickly looked the two Royal Knights over. "Are you in need of aid?"

"Actually…" Dynasmon responded, rubbing the back of his neck. "Do you happen to offer sanctuary? It's getting dark and we're in a bit of a predicament."

The TigerVespamon quietly thought for a few moments. "…We do… however… Is the predicament grave enough that I will be required to get my swords?" he cautiously questioned.

Dukemon shook his head reassuringly. "No, we lost our pursuers a few hours back. Even so, we don't really want to sleep outside, given the circumstances. Would we be able to stay here for the night?" Dukemon asked him. "Or, if it's too great an inconvenience, would you be able to direct us to the nearest town?"

"I will have to ask Father Angemon," TigerVespamon serenely explained, bowing his head politely. "Please, come in."

The two Royal Knights thanked him and wiped their feet off before entering. Dukemon and Dynasmon both believed that Yggdrasil was the creator of all things, so they were somewhat unfamiliar with the Religion of Light. They knew some of the basic tenets of the faith, and the fact that it originated from the Yggdrasil faith before splintering off and becoming its own thing. It was followed largely by Angel and Fairy Digimon, most of whom populated the Sky Colonies – large, floating cities in the clouds.

TigerVespamon pushed the doors closed with his black, humanoid hands. He turned around and walked further inside the cathedral, his movements soft and graceful like a soft breeze. The Royal Knights followed him.

They began to walk down the long nave of the cathedral. The walls were made of stone and the floor smooth, white marble. There were no seats – just open space. The only objects in the nave were the stone arcades, which were a row of beautiful archways that separated the center of the nave from the side aisles. The two Royal Knights looked around curiously. There were grand, colourful murals of angel Digimon and celestial light on the high ceiling of the monastic cathedral. Dim rays of light shone through the large oculus of the ceiling, casting light down into the otherwise dark hall. As they walked, their heavy steps echoed down the nave to the other end of the large room, where the apse and altar was.

"There is no need, TigerVespamon," a soft, deep voice spoke.

Both TigerVespamon and the Royal Knights looked to see a humanoid Digimon walk out from a corridor attached to the wing of the cathedral. He was a tall, slender male Digimon garbed in a pristine, white body suit that covered all but his face. Six, majestic wings filled with white feathers extended from his back. His long, golden hair flowed behind him as he walked out onto the transept. The hair hung down from a metal helmet that covered the top half of the Digimon's head, concealing his eyes beneath. The angel Digimon also wore a belt with a sun-shaped buckle, from which a long, blue sash hung down between his legs. The colour of the sash matched the long, digi-letter emblazoned ribbon that coiled around his right leg and left arm.

The Angemon smiled warmly at the guests as he stopped in the middle of the floor and waited to greet them. TigerVespamon walked up to the angel Digimon and then stepped to the side in order allow the two Royal Knights to speak with Angemon.

"It is an honour to have the Royal Knights visit our humble monastery," Angemon spoke with a smile. "Of course you are welcome to stay here."

TigerVespamon looked at the Angemon curiously and then at Dukemon and Dynasmon. "The Royal Knights?" he questioned. "These are…? Forgive me, I had no idea…"

Dukemon removed his Gram lance as he approached and extended his hand. "Hello. Thank you for your generosity," he politely greeted. "I'm Dukemon and this is Dynasmon."

Angemon reached out and shook their hands. "My name is Angemon, Keeper of the Light," the angel Digimon explained. "I am the one in charge of this monastic mission." He looked over at TigerVespamon with a smile.

"Pardon me. My name is TigerVespamon," the golden insect man stated, remembering that he forgot to introduce himself.

"It's nice to meet you both," Dukemon said to them. He looked at Angemon curiously. "So… Father Angemon – that's the correct title, right? – this is a mission? I was wondering what this cathedral was doing so far from the Sky Colonies. The Heavenly Choir is a highly organized, structured theocracy, so it's a little odd to me to see this little place way out here, isolated from the Three Great Angels." Dukemon scratched his cheek sheepishly, hoping he wasn't being insulting. "Uh, no offence."

"No offence taken, Sir Dukemon. Indeed, you're correct. In fact, this place was built a few decades ago to help spread the word of the Religion of Light," Angemon explained with a smile. "I was assigned here personally by Archangel Dominimon, Celestial Commander of the Dominions, acting under the authority of the Three Great Angels. I know that the Heavenly Choir is generally very insular, but we occasionally make some attempts to branch out and gain followers. I suppose you could say that this mission was an experiment."

Dynasmon nodded and looked at TigerVespamon. "I see… So, are you a convert?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, um… No… Well, I suppose, sort of…" TigerVespamon awkwardly replied, a bit tongue-twisted at how to reply.

Angemon smiled and placed a reassuring hand on TigerVespamon's shoulder. "TigerVespamon, here, is an orphan. I found him and took him in about eighteen years ago, after he lost his hometown. He grew up here, and, currently, he is a novice thinking of joining the monastery permanently. Before that, he assisted me and the others here with various duties."

TigerVespamon nodded quietly and politely.

Dynasmon arched an eyebrow at him. "Oh, you are? Wouldn't the Royal Base take care of you, in that case?" he asked innocently.

TigerVespamon winced faintly and sheepishly tugged at his scarf with a finger. "No, um… I am not from the Royal Base, actually… Despite the fact that I am a TigerVespamon, I have no connection to the Royal Base… to be honest. My base evolution line is not that of FunBeemon," he responded, starting to grow self-conscious.

Dynasmon frowned curiously and rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, sorry… But didn't you say that your name was TigerVespamon…? Isn't 'Tiger' the codename given to the Royal Commandos of the Royal Base's 'Covert Honey Corps'? Wouldn't it just be, well, Vespamon?"

TigerVespamon looked away, still subconsciously fiddling with the collar of his red muffler. "Err… I… perhaps? This is just the name that came to my mouth when I evolved from DinoBeemon… It was not my intention to deceive anybody. I am not trying to pass myself off as a Royal Commando…" he insisted, his voice remaining calm despite his obvious discomfort.

Dukemon elbowed Dynasmon and shot him a look. "Dynasmon…" he muttered to his comrade, rebuking. "You're insulting the poor guy."

"Huh?" Dynasmon asked, blinking. He realized his faux pas and rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, uh, sorry… I wasn't trying to accuse you of anything. I was just confused."

"I-It's an honest mistake," TigerVespamon assured him, looking away just as sheepishly. "I should be the one apologising."

"No, no…"

Angemon looked at TigerVespamon and smiled. "What's in a name anyways…?" he asked rhetorically. "Right, TigerVespamon?"

After a moment, TigerVespamon composed himself and nodded calmly. He looked at Dukemon and Dynasmon. "Is there anything that we can get you?"

"Can you tell us where we are?" Dukemon asked them.

"This place is located on the southern edge of the Forest of Equilibrium," Angemon explained. "Several kilometers south of here is Restart Forest. There is a town called Vernal Spring that is a few kilometers east of here, as well. I hope that helps."

Dukemon smiled. "Thanks. It does." He looked at Dynasmon. "We could probably just head there and sleep at an inn. We don't want to inconvenience these guys."

"Yeah, but we pay the innkeeper with what exactly?" Dynasmon countered. "I didn't exactly bring my coin purse into battle the other day."

"Please, please. You are both more than welcome to stay here," Angemon insisted. "It is no trouble at all."

"If you're positive," Dukemon replied, smiling. "We'll make it up to you somehow."

Father Angemon smiled and shook his head. "There is no need. All are welcome here in their time of need," he explained. "On the contrary, you have both done more than enough to help us. The Heavenly Choir may live atop the largest clouds in the Sky Colonies, and we may have a different faith from the majority of Digimon, but, despite those differences, we haven't forgotten how you aided us in the past."

TigerVespamon looked at the Angemon beside him. "You mean during the Night of Falling Stars, Father Angemon?" he inquired, remembering the infamous event.

"The climax of the Heavenly War," Dukemon said, frowning and folding his arms. "The civil war in the Sky Colonies between the Heavenly Choir and Lucemon's rebel faction. Between the Three Great Angel loyalists and the heretics."

Angemon responded with a pensive, solemn nod. "It is not my place to make judgments, but, yes, that was the crux of it. Apparently, Lucemon had broken from the canon some time before, and was secretly gaining followers who questioned the truth of the Being of Goodness – God. It was a schism," the learned angel explained. "News of the heresy was leaked to the Heavenly Council. I can't say for sure who made the first move against the other, but soon, fighting broke out inside the Sky Colonies. Both sides branded the others as heretical. Many of our brothers and sisters ended up falling and becoming demons in the process. The war culminated in the Night of Falling Stars, the heaviest, bloodiest, and final day of fighting in the Rebellion."

Dynasmon nodded. "The day that the Seven Demons tried to drop Sky Colony: Empyrea onto the Digital World… That was the moment that us Royal Knights knew we had to step in and intervene. We were still comparatively small at the time, and we were divided on whether to step in and fight in the war or not," he explained. "Some of us didn't think that we should be intervening in the schism of a splinter religion."

"We are eternally grateful that you did," Angemon explained, bowing his head politely. "Although Empyrea was completely destroyed from the fighting, the Digital World was spared a catastrophic, cycle-ending calamity that would have ensued if all of it had hit the ground. Though, that is not to understate the devastation caused by the Night of Falling Stars…"

"Yeah… Fair dues, though; the Warrior Ten stepped in before we did," Dynasmon explained, smiling and rubbing the back of his head. "I remember getting a few choice words from AncientGreymon saying that we were dragging our heels with politics. I'd been friends with them before, but that was the first time we officially worked together with the Warrior Ten."

"The Royal Knights, the Warrior Ten, and the Three Great Angels defeated the Seven Great Demon Lords and the surviving heretic leaders. Then they stripped them of their powers, and sealed them away in the Dark Area, correct?" TigerVespamon questioned thoughtfully. "I have read a great deal of Heavenly Choir history. The official Heavenly Choir sources omit this part, but there was an inquisition in the Sky Colonies afterwards, attempting to root out heretics and Lucemon supporters. Is that true?"

Dukemon nodded grimly. "Yeah… Both our Order and the Warrior Ten warned them not to, but there was only so much that we could do to stop them. It was hard for us to dictate to them from the ground of the Digital World," he explained. He looked at both Angemon and TigerVespamon curiously. "Pardon me for saying so, but you both seem to have an… objective view when it comes to these things. It's a bit untraditional, given your ties to the Heavenly Choir…"

Angemon chuckled a bit. "We don't disagree with the canon of the Heavenly Choir, by any means. However, we live down here, far removed from the Sky Colonies. We have to accept certain facts; not everything is entirely black and white," he explained. "For that reason, our ideas may diverge slightly from that of the current Heavenly Choir."

"Like what?" Dukemon asked curiously.

"The nature of the Being of Goodness in relation to Yggdrasil and Huanglongmon," Father Angemon replied. "There has been a long running debate among our theologians, even before the Exodus to the Sky Colonies. Some believe that God is, in fact, the same being as both Yggdrasil and Huanglongmon. However, others believe that God is an individual entity separate from Yggdrasil and Huanglongmon. Within that, some acknowledge the existence of Yggdrasil and Huanglongmon, while others believe that the Being of Goodness is the only creator being."

TigerVespamon nodded in agreement. "Here at the monastery, we believe that God exists along with Yggdrasil and Huanglongmon. We respect the rights of others to believe in what they choose, and we hope that others respect us as well," he explained.

"That's fair enough to me," Dukemon replied with a grin. "I did wonder why you guys made a monastery here, right at the edge of the Forest of Equilibrium. I don't know the details exactly, but didn't this place used to be occupied by Huanglongmon before the Great Sealing?"

"That's correct," Angemon responded, nodding. "Although, we believe that the forest may have special qualities related to the creation of the Digital World. Some of our brightest scientists have been studying it."

"Yeah?—" Dynasmon began to speak, but a large growl sounded out from his stomach. He smiled sheepishly and scratched his cheek with a claw. "Uh… Sorry. I'm pretty hungry. We haven't really eaten much the last few days."

Angemon chuckled lightly and turned to TigerVespamon. "TigerVespamon. Please go and fetch Brother Pidmon from the cloister. Ask him to prepare something extra to eat for our guests," he gently instructed him.

"Yes, Father Angemon," he answered. He turned away and walked down one of the corridors, going deeper into the building.

"Thanks. I'm on the verge of passing out from hunger." Dynasmon said to the angel Digimon, as they followed Angemon down a different corridor.

"How are you both otherwise?" Angemon asked them. "Do either of you need healing? We have some very good physicians here. TigerVespamon has also been studying the medical field for a few years now, actually."

"We'll be fine, thanks," Dynasmon assured him. "Nothing some food and rest won't cure."

"May I ask what happened?" the holy abbot inquired as he led them down a stuffy corridor. Like all the hallways in the monastery, it was lit with floating pockets of holy light within stylised sconces on the walls. "If it is confidential, I understand."

Dukemon smiled a bit behind his helmet. "Oh, no. We were just reckless in battle and ended up getting taken prisoner by the Metal Empire. We made a daring escape earlier and then we were chased by the D-Brigade, but we shook them off awhile ago," he explained nonchalantly.

Angemon couldn't help but smile. "I see…" he mused. "What it must be like to be a Royal Knight… The romantic and daring adventures you must have. I might have liked to do something like that in my younger years."

Dukemon chuckled and placed his hands behind his head as he walked. "Yeah, I bet it seems like that. Nobody ever talks about all of the reports and administrative stuff that we have to do, though."

Dynasmon groaned. "Ugh… We'll have to write reports of what happened to us during and after the battle. Maybe we should go back to Facture after all…"

Dukemon laughed and patted the wyvern knight's shoulder. "I can understand that. I'm not looking forward to the chewing out I'm going to get from Grani. Not to mention the others," he stated light-heartedly.

The angel Digimon smiled and looked over his shoulder at them. "You are free to stay as long as you want," he offered.

A chuckle escaped Dynasmon's mouth. "Tempting, but I think we'll head out tomorrow morning, if that's okay," he explained. "We've already been missing for a few days, so the sooner we get home, the better."

Angemon nodded. "Very well," he responded serenely. "Until then, please, make yourselves at home. After you eat, I'll have somebody show you to your sleeping quarters."

Dukemon smiled appreciatively. "You're very kind," he thanked him.

Angemon shook his head and continued walking ahead. "It is our policy to take in anybody who needs help. Please, relax and recuperate. It sounds like you have had a hard couple of days."

The two Royal Knights nodded and reached the end of the hall. As they turned the corner, the aroma of delicious food entered their nostrils, and they were suddenly very glad that they stumbled across this remote monastery. They decided it was a very good idea to follow Angemon's advice. They would eat heartily and then crash out in their beds for a long, much-needed rest.

* * *

The next morning, both Dukemon and Dynasmon were on the move again. After a long, fulfilling sleep at the monastery, both Royal Knights were refreshed and ready to go. After thanking Father Angemon and his fellow monks for accommodating them, the two Royal Knights set off from the cathedral and began heading east towards Vernal Spring.

Vernal Spring was a trading town that served as a stopping point for many travellers and adventurers. This was built around a crossroads that led in many different directions across the continent. It served as a handy point from which the Royal Knights could begin to travel home from, as a road would inevitably lead back to the Free Area.

A third companion accompanied the two Royal Knights, however. TigerVespamon guided Dukemon and Dynasmon from the monastery to Vernal Spring.

It was a sunny day out, and the warm light beamed down across the green landscape. The sky was a clear blue, and there were only a couple clouds floating overhead. They walked down a smooth, dirt road, surrounded by grassy fields on all sides. Not far ahead of them was the town of Vernal Spring. It looked pleasant and lively for a town of its size, but it wasn't as nearly as big or busy as a city. The group of three wasn't far from one of the several entrances to the town – the western entrance, in their case.

TigerVespamon walked ahead of the two Royal Knights by a few paces. Dukemon and Dynasmon walked side-by-side and looked at the golden insect man as he strode with a smooth gait.

"You really didn't have to guide us, you know," Dynasmon insisted. "We could have found it on our own. I mean, it's appreciated, but… you didn't have to go to the trouble."

"I know. It isn't any trouble," TigerVespamon responded calmly. "I had to go to town to run some errands regardless."

"For Angemon?" Dynasmon wondered. Upon seeing TigerVespamon nod, he thought for a moment. "What's it like living there?"

"It is quite enjoyable," the hornet Digimon replied. "There is a substantial library, so there is a lot to read and study."

"A library, huh? Are you a bookworm?" Dynasmon asked him with a smile.

"I suppose you could say that. I enjoy reading, and I also practice meditation. Father Angemon often tests me with thought-provoking questions, dialogues, and stories, as well," TigerVespamon responded, nodding to himself. "However, I am also learned in combat and the art of precision self-defence. HolyAngemon – a former Captain of the Heavenly Choir's Powers – has educated me in these things. As one of the few Ultimate level Digimon in the monastery, it is my duty to defend it from those who would threaten it. Fortunately, I have not had to put those skills into practice very often." He looked over at Dukemon and Dynasmon.

"Impressive," Dukemon mused, thinking to himself as he walked along.

TigerVespamon flushed a bit. "I was not trying to boast, by any means. I was just attempting to explain," he insisted. He looked over at Dukemon and Dynasmon with a light look in his red, compound eyes. "I am confident that my abilities are nowhere near the calibre of yours."

Dynasmon grinned. "Hey, you never know. Come to think of it, I can't think of the last time I've fought with somebody from the Heavenly Choir," he thought aloud. "I'd be kind of interested to see your fighting style."

"Perhaps next time you visit, I might be able to demonstrate," TigerVespamon suggested. "However, please do not overestimate my abilities. I would hate to be a disappointment."

"Maybe you're being too humble," Dukemon said with a chuckle. "You've done pretty well for yourself with somebody of your past."

TigerVespamon looked at the crimson knight curiously. "My past? Oh… You mean 'that'."

Dukemon nodded. "Both Dynasmon and I lost our hometowns too, so we know what it's like. It could have ended a lot worse for us," he explained empathetically. He then thought to himself, "_Me especially_…"

TigerVespamon looked forward and nodded. "Yes. Thank you," he calmly answered. "However, that was a very long time ago. I have moved on from it, and I choose not to let it define me. I do not see the point in dwelling on the past. I am simply grateful to Father Angemon for giving me a new life."

Dukemon smiled and nodded understandingly. "That's the right idea; make the most of what you have. That's what we did."

"Yeah. Eventually," Dynasmon agreed, placing his claws behind his horned head as he walked forward. He looked ahead and saw that they were almost at the entrance to Vernal Spring. He could see a multitude of Digimon meandering around the roads of the town.

The main roads were busy but not crowded. There was plenty of room to walk on the streets. The three walked into the town and looked around. Along the busy roads were various shops, inns, taverns, and other places attractive to travellers. There were stores selling food, adventuring equipment, weapons, and various other supplies.

The Royal Knights walked with TigerVespamon up one of the primary roads of Vernal Spring. It led straight through the town to the eastern edge, while also connecting with other main roads that branched out in different directions. They walked past a few Digimon: the large, green reptilian body of a Tuskmon, the slender lupine body of a WereGarurumon, and the short, hobbling, rocky figure of a Gotsumon. There were many more Digimon like them wandering around the busy town.

As they walked up the wide, stone street, Dukemon turned and stared into a nearby bakery and café with outdoor seating. There was a fragrant smell of baked goods that wafted into the street. "Ooh, a café," Dukemon stated, gazing at the building, very tempted by the delicious smells as he stepped up to the window. He had to keep himself from drooling. "Do you think they have croissants…?"

"Focus, Dukemon. You can ask Rhodo to make you some when we get back," Dynasmon told him with a grin, pulling the Royal Knight along before he could wander over.

"Hey!" Dukemon protested.

"We don't have money, remember?" Dynasmon pointed out. The violet Royal Knight looked at TigerVespamon. "So, where are you going, TigerVespamon?"

"I am just going to the other edge of town where the market is located. I need to buy some ingredients for the week's meals," he explained.

Dukemon looked at Dynasmon. "We should look for a map and find out how to get home from here," he suggested.

"What? Please. We don't need a map. I've been through here a bunch of times," Dynasmon insisted indignantly.

"Uh huh. I don't trust you not to get us lost," Dukemon stated with a grin. "I'm finding a map."

"No maps! I can lead us home blindfolded!" the larger dragon man said stubbornly.

"Riight… You do that, I'm still looking a map," Dukemon replied.

Dynasmon shot him smirk. "Did you leave the directions to Grani all the time? No wonder he's the Captain of the Recon Squadron while you need a map," he joked.

"I did not."

As the two Royal Knights walked and talked, TigerVespamon slowed down in order to reach into the brown satchel that was slung over his shoulder. He began to pull out a coin purse to check to make sure that he had enough money. However as he did, the large, broad-shouldered body of a Volcamon brushed past him, accidentally nudging the insect man well enough to drop the purse to the ground.

"Sorry," the Volcamon grunted half-heartedly as he continued his walk.

"Pardon me," TigerVespamon politely responded. He stopped and bent down in order to pick up the coin purse, allowing the two unaware Royal Knights to walk ahead without him.

He took the bag in his hand and secured it within his black fingers. As he began to stand up straight, he heard a door swing open several meters to his left. Three figures emerged from the café there, talking loudly amongst themselves. TigerVespamon couldn't help but overhear.

"Okay, we've slept in real beds and now we're fueled up. Now let's move our asses and get to Fulminus. Then we can go to Shroud for a breather."

TigerVespamon turned and saw the body of a black insect man walking out of the café. He didn't recognize him, but something about him put him ill-at-ease. He watched as the GrandisKuwagamon walked out onto the street, followed by a Blitzmon and a Bolgmon.

"Sounds like a plan," Blitzmon agreed, following him out onto the street and rubbing his satisfied gut.

Bolgmon rolled after the two insect men. As his treads began driving on the solid, stone road, Bolgmon glanced around and noticed TigerVespamon looking at them. "Looks like we've got an admirer."

GrandisKuwagamon glanced at the TigerVespamon with a mixture of suspicion and irritation. "What the hell do you wan—Shit!" GrandisKuwagamon interrupted himself when he looked past the hornet Digimon and saw Dukemon and Dynasmon several meters up the road. He recognized Dukemon from their encounter in the UDC.

Just as the rest of Black Pincer Company turned to notice the two Royal Knights, both Dukemon and Dynasmon began to turn around to see what happened to TigerVespamon. Dukemon looked over at the golden insect Digimon. "TigerVespa- ?! Dynasmon!" he suddenly warned, spotting Black Pincer Company and swinging around to face them.

"Black Pincer Company!" Dynasmon shouted, sneering and raising his claws. Dukemon glared and readied the Gram and Aegis.

The three insect Digimon of Black Pincer Company tensed up as well and took defensive postures, raising their arms in front of them.

TigerVespamon was initially confused by the rapid developments. He looked between the two sides and immediately felt hostility. He summoned his dual beam swords, the Royal Meisters, and took several steps back towards the two Royal Knights. Once at their side, he looked at the three insect Digimon guardedly. "Black Pincer Company…?" he asked with both curiosity and wariness. His crimson eyes began scrutinising the three.

"A mercenary company with a lot of crimes to answer for," Dukemon explained, narrowing his eyes at the insects. "They recently attacked us."

"Mercenaries…?" TigerVespamon questioned, gazing suspiciously at GrandisKuwagamon and the two, azure bug Digimon beside him.

"Easy now…" GrandisKuwagamon warned the two Royal Knights, glaring at them with his Gran Killers poised to strike at a moment's notice. "You _really_ don't want to do this right now."

Dukemon grunted and took a cautious step forwards, prompting the three mercenaries to put their guards up even more. "As if we'd let you escape after last time," he threatened.

"You got the damn kid back; what do you care?!" Bolgmon snapped, aiming his cannon arms at them. The mechanical appendages began to rotate in order to build up electricity.

Dynasmon cocked an eyebrow. "Kid?" he asked. "What are you talking about?"

GrandisKuwagamon deduced that this meant that they didn't know about when they took BaoHackmon as a hostage. "Look… Royal Knobs…" the dark insect began. "It's in nobody's best interests to start a fight right now. Let's just go our separate ways… You get me?"

"You're joking. You think we'd just let known criminals walk free?" Dukemon challenged, not lowering his lance for a moment.

TigerVespamon kept taking in the situation. Although he appeared calm, his mind was working quickly. He felt edgy for some reason. Something unsettled him about those three.

GrandisKuwagamon tilted his head back and smirked at the Royal Knights. "Okay… So, attack us. Give us your best shot," he challenged Dukemon and Dynasmon. He then gestured around at the busy street. Their standoff was beginning to attract a crowd of onlookers who were hoping to see a street brawl. Even those Digimon who were just walking by caused the street to be crowded.

Dukemon and Dynasmon exchanged cautious glances.

"Come on, Royal Knights. Come and deliver your holy justice onto us. We're just vile scum," GrandisKuwagamon said with a confident smirk. "…But I gotta warn you… Attack us, and things are gonna get messy real fast. This is a busy street after all… You really want to start throwing beams around here? A lot of Digimon could get hurt, and that'd be a real shame, wouldn't it? Not that we care, but I doubt it'd be very good for your image…"

TigerVespamon locked eyes with GrandisKuwagamon, calmly reading him. GrandisKuwagamon turned his crimson eye to return TigerVespamon's stare. It was then that TigerVespamon suddenly dropped his two beam swords to the ground. He recoiled in shock and stared at the three mercenaries, visibly stunned.

Dynasmon glared at them. "You'd use these Digimon as hostages?!" he snarled angrily.

Blitzmon smirked darkly. "If it means surviving, of course we would," he added onto GrandisKuwagamon's threat.

"You don't want to know how much destruction I can cause when I really let loose," Bolgmon warned with a savage grin.

"That's disgusting," Dukemon spat, shooting them a furious leer. He glanced around at the crowd. Although several of the Digimon were frightened by the threat and began to get out of the way, there were still enough Digimon around the area for the Royal Knights to worry about their safety.

"So what's more important to you?" GrandisKuwagamon asked them, grinning. "Getting the bad guys? Or saving the good guys? I know you like to view things in that black and white sort of way."

TigerVespamon clenched his trembling, black fists. "Un…thinkable…" he whispered.

"Yup. We're rotten to the digicore," GrandisKuwagamon exclaimed. "That's how you know we're not messing around here."

"You're bluffing," Dynasmon challenged, gritting his teeth angrily.

"Want to take that chance?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him, crossing his Gran Killer claws in front of him.

Dukemon and Dynasmon exchanged wordless looks that exchanged subtle cues of communication. Neither of them wanted to let Black Pincer Company go, but they both knew that starting a fight in a crowded place like this would be a disaster. Even if they were careful with their attacks, there was no guarantee that their three bug opponents would care about who got in their way. Dukemon and Dynasmon exchanged reluctant nods.

"Get out of our sight," Dukemon ordered the three mercenaries. "Don't make yourselves regret this opportunity."

"We never let an opportunity go to waste," Blitzmon assured him, keeping his sparking fists up as he slowly began to back away.

"Sometimes the peaceful option is the better option," GrandisKuwagamon said with a smirk, also slowly backing up and refusing to turn his back to them. "And don't bother following us. I'm really good at giving people the slip."

"I still prefer blowing shit up," Bolgmon stated, although driving in reverse as well.

Dukemon and Dynasmon stood where they were, their weapons still poised. They watched warily as Black Pincer Company retreated, but they didn't pursue. When there was a large amount of distance between them and the Royal Knights, the three mercenaries finally turned around and made a break for it. They turned a corner and ran up another busy street leading further into the town.

When Black Pincer Company disappeared from sight, the two Royal Knights slackened.

"Damn it…" Dynasmon muttered. "That could've been a good chance."

"We couldn't risk it," Dukemon said with a sigh. "I'm not up for fighting in the middle of a crowded town."

Dynasmon grunted and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, me neither. Still… it's frustrating. Even if we wanted to go after them, GrandisKuwagamon can escape through those portals, right?"

Dukemon then turned towards TigerVespamon curiously. "Are you alright?" he wondered, briefly recalling his reaction during the standoff.

TigerVespamon leaned down and picked up his Royal Meister swords. It wasn't immediately easy to tell with his insectoid facial features and his calm demeanour, but he was visibly shaken. He picked up his blades and began walking down the road the way that he came. "I… Pardon me… I must… I need to go…" he explained, his serene voice now completely aloof. He walked away from the Royal Knights and headed back in the direction of the monastery.

Dukemon frowned and watched as he walked away. "Didn't you say that you had to go shopping?!" he called after him.

The golden insect Digimon either completely ignored him or was too distracted to hear him. He just kept walking.

The crimson knight frowned as he got further and further away. The crowd of Digimon had dispersed as well. He looked at Dynasmon. "What's with him?" he wondered.

"It was probably his first time being in a real confrontation before. I doubt he gets that kind of adrenaline sitting around reading books in a monastery. It probably shook him up," Dynasmon suggested.

"I guess so…" Dukemon supposed. "What do you want to do?"

"He'll be fine," Dynasmon reasoned. He thumbed over his shoulder, down the road heading east. "Let's go home. We've wasted enough time."

Dukemon sighed and nodded. "Yeah… You're right," he agreed with his fellow Royal Knight. He turned around and began walking beside Dynasmon down the sun-lit road. Ahead of them were rolling, green fields that gave off a sense of optimism in response to the dire situation they had faced yesterday.

"Let's go."


	25. Interlude

(Author's Notes: Here's a mini-chapter! Just 10 more chapters until the end of this part. I don't know if I mentioned this, but Holy War will be divided into two parts. You'll see once we get there.

Also, I want to say thanks for the 100 favourites on A Dragon in Shining Armour. I hope to get there with Holy War one day! I'm nearly at 100 reviews for Holy War, at least. Enjoy!)

**Interlude**

Fujinmon stood in Chaosdramon's austere, metallic throne room after having returned from the command base. He was in Chaosdramon's palace in Facture, where an air of tense silence loomed. The Hurricane Commander stood before his emperor, his green, v-shaped head bowed and concealing his grimace.

Chaosdramon towered over Fujinmon, even as he sat on his massive, metal throne. His red digizoid backpack was plugged into the large throne, which was fixed to the ground. His crimson eyes stared down at his subordinate, cold and calculating.

"So…" the giant dragon cyborg reverberated. "You mean to tell me that you were able to take Dukemon and Dynasmon prisoner, but you allowed them to escape while transferring them back to Facture?" There was no anger evident in Chaosdramon's stoic, monotone voice, but Fujinmon could tell by the words he chose that Chaosdramon wasn't happy.

Fujinmon bowed deeper. "I apologize, Emperor, but I didn't _allow_ them to escape," he insisted. "It seems that one of my subordinates did not follow proper protocol when dealing with Class A prisoners. Neither of the Royal Knights were restrained with power inhibitors. I have already punished him personally for his blunder."

"You speak in a way that distances yourself from the mistake, but as that officer's superior, that blunder rests at your feet, Commander Fujinmon," Chaosdramon explained to him, narrowing his eyes ever-so-slightly. "As one of the Storm Commanders, you are expected to take responsibility."

"_Then doesn't the fault also lie with you, Chaosdramon, since I am your subordinate?_" Fujinmon wished he could say. However, the Hurricane Commander held his tongue. "Yes, Emperor Chaosdramon. I apologise. Such a mistake will never be repeated."

"I expect that it won't," Chaosdramon spoke in his terse, mechanical voice. He locked eyes with Fujinmon. "Despite the fact that you were once a staunch supporter of JumboGamemon, you have proven yourself to be a loyal and capable subordinate." Chaosdramon clenched and relaxed his giant, metal pincer. "I would hate for your loyalty to be called into question."

Fujinmon narrowed his eyes at the veiled threat. However, he maintained his composure. "So would I, as I am your loyal Commander, Emperor. It would wound me deeply for my dependability to be put into doubt. I will not disappoint you in the future," he responded, although he secretly had to choke out the words. They left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Chaosdramon nodded expressionlessly and relaxed his claw. "Do you happen to know where JumboGamemon went when he was exiled?" he questioned.

"Of course not," Fujinmon replied, standing up straight. "I have zero ties with him and his loyalists."

The red digizoid clad emperor looked at Fujinmon. "Then, perhaps it will interest you to know that I had him assassinated," he explained with cold indifference.

Fujinmon's eyes widened with shock. "W…What?" he questioned, attempting to appear calm. "This is the first that I have heard of this…"

"I personally gave the order to a specialized D-Brigade group. I assembled the group myself to ensure the loyalty of the members, and the group was disbanded immediately after the completion of the mission," Chaosdramon responded.

Fujinmon looked up at his emperor, attempting to rein in his anger and accusatory glare. "Why was I not told of this? Do Commanders Suijinmon and Raijinmon know about this?" he questioned.

"They do not. I managed the operation myself. Due to the sensitive nature of the operation, the less who knew about it, the better. I had to be assured of their loyalty so that JumboGamemon wouldn't be warned," Chaosdramon responded, keeping a close eye on Fujinmon. "Is there a problem, Commander?"

"_So, what you're saying is that you don't trust _me," he thought to himself. The Hurricane Commander closed his eyes and released a calming breath. "No… I am just surprised. I prefer not to be kept out of the loop."

"That was not my intention," Chaosdramon breathed, as if venting steam. "I simply had to be careful. I hope you understand."

"Of course…" the slender, green cyborg replied. "Shall I return to the Mamemon Kingdom?"

"Yes. Everything is in place," the giant monarch answered. "Now, all that is left is to strike and crush that pathetic kingdom in a single blow."

"When shall we start the assault?" Fujinmon questioned.

"In three days. That is what Suijinmon recommended," Emperor Chaosdramon answered. "I trust that you know what to do?"

Fujinmon nodded. "Of course, Emperor."

"We will decimate their puny army and take control of Haganemame City. Then we will get rid of that incompetent, jumped-up, so-called monarch, PrinceMamemon. We will purge anybody who resists us and absorb that speck of a state into the Metal Empire," the giant machine Digimon declared. "If anybody dares to question us, we will show to them exactly what the Metal Empire it capable of."

Fujinmon nodded silently. "May I take my leave to the front lines now?" he asked him

"Go," Chaosdramon told him. "Relay to Raijinmon and Suijinmon that we will begin in three days."

Fujinmon bowed and turned to leave.

"And, Commander," Chaosdramon spoke, stopping him. "…Do not fail me again."

The Hurricane Commander turned forwards with a narrowed gaze. "Understood…" he answered. With that word, he strode out of the throne room and began to make his way back towards the D-Brigade camps on the outskirts of the Mamemon Kingdom.

* * *

Meanwhile, Black Pincer Company was in a bar in the town of Fulminus. As usual, the three insects sat at a corner table, with plates of food and glasses of alcoholic drinks in front of them. The bar itself wasn't as seedy as the ones they normally frequented. It was fairly clean and the patrons seemed to generally be well-mannered Digimon.

GrandisKuwagamon put a small, green fruit in his mouth and ate it. He glanced over when he saw a familiar Digimon enter the tavern. It was Wizardmon. GrandisKuwagamon gestured over with his head.

Wizardmon spotted the three mercenaries and walked over to their table. The short mage Digimon got onto the empty seat that they had saved for him. "Hello again," he greeted them.

"Yo," GrandisKuwagamon responded, putting his fork down. "We finished our job. That patrol is done."

"Not without great personal cost, either," Blitzmon added, tapping his finger on the table.

Wizardmon frowned. "Ah, yes… I heard about that. Your hideout was discovered," he stated.

Bolgmon narrowed his green eyes at the wizard Digimon suspiciously. "How did you hear about that?"

"Our mutual client told me," Wizardmon explained.

"Is there anything he doesn't know?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him dryly.

Wizardmon fiddled with the rim of his hat. "He is very well-informed," the magician replied. He looked at the three mercenary Digimon. "In fact, it is because of what happened to your hideout that he decided to give you a bonus for this job. A fifty percent increase on what was originally agreed upon. I hope that helps to compensate you."

Blitzmon's eyes widened with delight and surprise. "Fifty- percent?"

"Score!" Bolgmon spoke, punching the air with a cannon arm.

"Really? What's the catch?" GrandisKuwagamon questioned, although he didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth too much.

"No catch. My client values your service, so if this makes you able to continue working for him, then it is an acceptable arrangement," the mage Digimon stated.

"Okay. Sounds good to us…" GrandisKuwagamon responded, folding his arms and leaning his winged back against the seat cushion. He eyed Wizardmon. "It sounds like you know this client more than you let on before."

"I'm acquainted with him… I do other jobs for him besides just give you your payments, after all," Wizardmon explained sheepishly. "It is because of him that I am able to research."

"Research what?" the black insect man asked.

Before Wizardmon could reply, Bolgmon interrupted. "Who cares?!" He looked at Wizardmon. "Can we see all that money?"

"O-Oh, of course," Wizardmon answered, waving his wand and causing a case of money to appear on their table.

Blitzmon took the case and began to count the money inside. "It's like he said," the azure and yellow insect man replied as he looked through the money. "There's definitely extra."

"Well, thanks," GrandisKuwagamon said. He looked at the intermediary for their client. "So… what exactly does your client want? I don't like taking these jobs without knowing where it's going."

Wizardmon sighed and tugged at his collar. "…He wants a war between the Metal Empire and the Royal Knights."

"Thought so… Why?" GrandisKuwagamon questioned.

"I can't say," Wizardmon responded apologetically. "Perhaps he'll tell you himself when you meet him."

"Meet him?" Bolgmon wondered.

"He wishes to meet with you all eventually," the mage Digimon explained. "He says he prefers to know his clients, but, due to his situation, he needs to make sure that those who work for him are trustworthy."

"Fair enough," GrandisKuwagamon supposed. "When?"

"He will tell me when he's ready, I presume," Wizardmon responded. "Now… He has another job for you three."

Blitzmon nodded and closed the case. "Good. We need the money right now," he responded.

"What's the job?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him, leaning forward and placing his arms on the table.

"Do we get to blow anything up?" Bolgmon wondered with a smirk.

Wizardmon frowned and tugged at his collar again. "Well…"

* * *

Back at Castle Albion, the Royal Knights and the captains were in the middle of a meeting. The ten Royal Knights and four captains were situated in the council room, with the knights sitting around the round, stone table, and the captains lingering behind their seats. A large map of the continent was sprawled out across the table.

"—and the Metal Empire's main prison is located here in Facture," Grani explained, looking at the north-west part of the map. He hovered behind Dukemon's empty seat, as he would usually do when Dukemon was present at the meeting. "That is likely where the Dukemon and Dynasmon have been taken, correct, Karatenmon?"

"That's right," Captain Karatenmon explained, in one of the occasional moments where he was serious. "I have asked my spies to get clearance into the prison and find out which cells they will be in. If they can't, I'll have a team sneak in and break them out. It'll be a highly risky operation, given the strength of Facture's security."

"If you require any Aerial Guards to cover your escape, just tell me," Captain Knightmon said, standing with his arms folded.

Duftmon frowned, tapping his finger on the table top. "This isn't right," he spoke, a bit uncomfortable. "This isn't the proper venue to be speaking about operations; we should be doing this in the war room."

"Does it matter?" UlforceVeedramon asked with a faint smirk. "It'll be a waste of time to move now. Let's just focus on getting Dukemon and Dynasmon back."

The tactician squirmed in his seat and continued tapping his finger on the table. "I know that that is the main priority. Even so, proper protocol demands that we discuss these matters in—"

"Moving on," Gankoomon interrupted, leaning back in his seat and placing his hands behind his head. "So… Will this operation be just your infiltrators? Or will you need a Royal Knight or two?"

Karatenmon smirked and folded his arms. "Well… Having the extra firepower wouldn't hurt in case the escape gets messy. Even though a lot of the D-Brigade is away on campaign, there's no way they'd let the security of Facture suffer. Stealth is essential though. If anybody wants to volunteer…"

Duftmon raised his hand. "I volunteer," he stated, closing his eyes.

UlforceVeedramon blinked. "What? You, Duftmon?" he asked, turning and looking at the tactician.

"Really?" Examon wondered, surprised as well.

The slender, brown-armoured knight folded his arms. "Is that really so surprising?" he replied defensively. "Are you suggesting that I don't pull my weight around here?"

"Aren't you more concerned with the war with the Metal Empire?" Gankoomon questioned, arching an eyebrow.

"Going on this sort of mission alone isn't really your style," Craniamon concurred, his glowing, red eyes observing the blonde-haired leopard knight.

"Hmph," Duftmon scoffed. "I take missions just like the rest of you. In fact, this is a mission of great importance, so that is all the more reason why I should go and make sure that it is executed perfectly." Duftmon opened his green eyes and glanced down at his lap. "After all, it is my responsibility..."

The sound of the council room doors opening silenced any response. "That's very sweet, but it won't be necessary, Duftmon," a familiar, confident voice sounded out.

All of the Royal Knights and captains turned towards the voice. The large, double doors swung open and two figures strode in from the great hall.

It was Dukemon and Dynasmon.

The room was stunned to silence as the two missing Royal Knights walked into the council room as bold as brass.

Grani's blue eyes widened with shock before suddenly lighting up with joy. "D-…"

"Dukemon!" Omegamon exclaimed, standing up from the table.

"Dynasmon!" Magnamon called out happily, standing up as well.

The table erupted with surprise and relief upon seeing the two Royal Knights free and safe. Dukemon and Dynasmon started to become sheepish – grinning, rubbing the backs of their heads, and waving in response to the relieved reactions of their friends and comrades.

"Well, well… look who decided to show up," Gankoomon said, looking over his shoulder with a broad smirk. He looked at Dynasmon. "I can't believe you managed to get yourself captured, Bull-face. But I guess you're back safe and sound now."

"Took you guys long enough," UlforceVeedramon exclaimed with a happy grin, standing to his feet without the use of a crutch.

"You had us worried," Sleipmon stated with a relieved smile.

"Very," Examon added, grinning as he looked at Dukemon.

Dynasmon scratched his cheek. "Sorry…" he answered with a sheepish grin.

Dukemon chuckled a bit as he rubbed the back of his helmeted head. "Yeah…" he agreed.

"You'll have to do better than that," Craniamon grunted, folding his arms as he eyed them.

"Oh, don't be like that, Craniamon. Just be relieved that they have returned," RhodoKnightmon exclaimed. "This calls for a celebratory dinner!"

"It's a bit late at night for that, Rhodo," Examon responded. "They probably want to rest."

"Eat, then rest," Dynasmon stated, smiling excitedly at the idea. "Are there any leftovers? Hey, can I get some risotto?!"

Before he could get a response, both of the returning Royal Knights saw another Royal Knight stand up. They were surprised when they saw Duftmon move from his seat and walk up to them. The tactician stopped in front of Dukemon and Dynasmon, leveling a cold glare at the pair.

Dukemon and Dynasmon exchanged glances. They both expected one of Duftmon's chastising rants about how they screwed up his tactics or did something reckless. They prepared themselves for the worst.

After a few tense seconds, Duftmon grunted and looked away from them. "…You idiots," he muttered softly. "Do you have any idea what you put us through…?"

Both of the Royal Knights were briefly stunned. It wasn't anywhere close to the reaction they had been expecting. "…Sorry," Dukemon apologised sheepishly. He didn't really know what else to say.

"Think before you act, next time," Duftmon told them bitterly. Without a word, he turned around and began to make his way back to his seat.

Although he felt guilty, Dynasmon couldn't help but be a little amused. "…Were you worried about us, Duftmon?" he asked with a half-smile.

"Hmph," Duftmon murmured in response. He went and retook his seat, sitting with dignified poise. "Why in the Digital World would I worry about you?"

Dynasmon let out a boisterous laugh. "You had _me_ worried there for a second!"

Dukemon chuckled as well, though he made a note to talk to Duftmon later.

However, his smile faded when he saw Grani float over to him. His gaze softened when he looked at the Zero ARMS, who stopped in front of him and hovered at eye level. He was able to see past the calm of Grani's blue eyes. "Grani…" he spoke, his voice soft with guilt.

"…What an irresponsible, reckless, stupid stunt that you pulled," Grani told him, his sapphire eyes piercing into Dukemon. "You could have been imprisoned, tortured, deleted..."

"…I'm sorry for worrying you," Dukemon replied with a wince. He looked up at the rest of the Royal Knights. "All of you."

Grani closed his eyes and released a somewhat uneven sigh. "…It's just like you to get out of such a mess unscathed," he spoke, opening his eyes again and looking at the crimson knight with a veiled look of levity. More than humour, it was his relief that shone through his calm façade. "Thank goodness you're back."

"Thank goodness indeed," Alphamon spoke, smiling as he rose to his feet. "Are you both alright?"

Dukemon smiled and walked forward to pat Grani's head. "Yeah, we're both fine. Just exhausted, really," he responded.

"You are lucky that that is the worst of it," Grani reminded.

Omegamon released a sigh of relief. "Can you tell us what happened?"

Dynasmon shrugged and walked over to the table. "We got taken prisoner and they were bringing us to their prison in Facture. We escaped on the way and ran south until we lost them," he explained, taking his seat. "Yesterday, we stopped at a little monastery and stayed there for the night. We've been travelling here since this morning."

"That's pretty much it," Dukemon agreed, going and sitting down in his seat as well. "What have we missed?"

Gankoomon grunted. "A lot," he said, folding his arms.

"Gankoomon did something stupid too," UlforceVeedramon explained, smiling broadly.

Dynasmon cast Gankoomon a shit-eating grin. "Really?" he asked, leaning in curiously.

"We can discuss that later," Alphamon responded.

Craniamon gave the two returning Royal Knights a look. "You guys should go get checked by Duskmon," he advised.

"I agree," Omegamon said. "The main purpose of this meeting was to come up with a plan to rescue you both. Now that you're both safe…"

Dukemon smiled at Omegamon. "Yeah, but hold on a second," he said. "What about the Metal Empire and the Dark Area stuff?"

"You'd know more about what the Metal Empire's doing than we would," UlforceVeedramon pointed out lightly.

"They didn't exactly talk about their plans in front of us," Dukemon responded with a grin. He rose a hand to stroke his chin. "But we did stay at their military camps for a couple of nights. It definitely looked like they were preparing an imminent assault on the Mamemon Kingdom."

"We suspect that they will launch an attack within a matter of days," Duftmon stated with a nod. "It puts us in a difficult situation. There is no guarantee that we will be able to make it there in time. In addition to timing, they have taken the southern flank of the Mamemon Kingdom, which serves to protect their main army from our northward advance."

Dynasmon frowned at his words. "Isn't there anything that we can do?" he asked, reluctant to just stand by and do nothing. "I mean, we can't just sit on our hands and let them get away with it."

"There is still plenty that we can do. It is just unlikely that we will be able to reach the Mamemon Kingdom in a timely fashion and be in a favourable position to stop them from taking Haganemame City," Duftmon explained. "We will have to break through that southern flank."

"The guys who beat us before?" OuRyuumon asked, cracking his knuckles. "I'm itching for a rematch."

"It is likely that we will be able to defeat that army if we were to put more of our forces into the attack, but time is still an issue. We may have to cede Haganemame City to the Metal Empire and confront them afterwards instead," Duftmon explained.

"But if they take Haganemame City, then isn't that it?" UlforceVeedramon questioned. "Doesn't that mean they've won? The reason they started this war was to get back at PrinceMamemon for allegedly stealing those blueprints. Wouldn't they be satisfied after that?"

"Perhaps," Duftmon reasoned, although with a hint of scepticism in his voice. "Even so, we can't be sure about what they might do afterwards. We may have to wait and see."

"Unfortunately, that's true," Alphamon agreed with the tactician. "However, that doesn't mean that we'll just let them have their way. We'll send our forces north, gauge the situation, and retake Haganemame City if we need to." The black Royal Knight frowned as he spoke. "I just hope that PrinceMamemon will act in the best interests of his people. He can't honestly consider putting up a fight against the D-Brigade. He should surrender peacefully and wait for us."

"Remember who we're talking about here," UlforceVeedramon reminded him with a chuckle.

"As for the Dark Area," Duftmon began, "the meeting about how the best way to deal with the weakening stability of the Dark Area has began. Imperialdramon Paladin Mode and Anubismon have attended in order to explain the situation to the attending members. I will be keeping track of the daily progress via encrypted messages."

"The Mesozoic Kingdom has agreed to help us as well," Omegamon added. He walked over to Dukemon's seat and looked down at him insistently. "Now… the medical bay?"

Dukemon grinned a bit and released a sigh. "Okay, okay…" he said in a reluctant but teasing voice. "We'd better go, Dynasmon. You know how Omegamon gets when he's stubborn."

Dynasmon chuckled and stood to his feet. "Fine, okay."

"You are really in no position to be talking about stubbornness," Grani reminded Dukemon, huffily floating towards the door.

Dukemon laughed a bit and looked at Omegamon as he stood up. "Looks like I'm still in trouble."

"You _did_ do something reckless," Omegamon stated. "Noble, but reckless."

Alphamon smiled a bit. "It seems we're finished here," he spoke. He looked at both Dukemon and Dynasmon with a warm gaze. "It's good to have you both back."

Dukemon rubbed the back of his head but smiled. "It's good to be back, Alphamon."

* * *

"Not good, not good, not good…"

In his dome-shaped palace in Haganemame City, PrinceMamemon paced back and forth in his throne room. He walked across the carpet, his hands folded behind his large, yellow, spherical body. His eyebrows were furrowed with anxiety and concern, and his usually present smile was curved downwards into a frown. The echoes of his boots hitting the floor reverberated throughout the throne room.

His chief advisor, Mercuremon, calmly stood before the restless monarch, watching with an eyeless face as the large king paced back and forth In front of the throne. The steel Digimon made of mirrors raised one of his shields to look at himself in the reflection.

"Please try to remain calm, Your Majesty," Mercuremon suggested, not looking up from the mirror.

"How in the Digital World can I remain calm?!" PrinceMamemon exclaimed, rubbing his face with his hands. "The Metal Empire is going to invade us any day now, and my loyal subordinates are nowhere to be seen!"

"The Royal Knights were routed in the battle to our south several days ago. They have likely made a tactical withdrawal in order to regroup," Mercuremon dismissively stated, lowering his arm and looking at the king. "Your Majesty, I am not sure that you should depend on the Royal Knights. They were reluctant to get involved to begin with."

"But they wouldn't leave their king at the mercy of that thuggish brute Chaosdramon!" PrinceMamemon insisted, kneading his thick cheeks with his hands. He looked at Mercuremon with wide eyes. "They simply wouldn't! The Royal Knights are loyal and just!"

"Even so…" the metal aristocrat spoke. "They may not be able to help us immediately. It would be a mistake to put all of our faith in them."

PrinceMamemon's lip trembled. "Th-Then what should I do, Mercuremon?! Please tell me!"

Mercuremon turned away from the Mamemon monarch. A smirk grew on his lips. "…What do _you_ want to do, Your Majesty…?"

PrinceMamemon took a breath to try and compose himself. "I… I don't want to be made a fool of by Chaosdramon!" he exclaimed. "I don't want to surrender to him under humiliating conditions!"

"Those are likely the only conditions that he would offer," Mercuremon stated. "So… Would you like to resist him?"

The large, yellow monarch frowned. "He has a very sizeable army, does he not? Can we win? The D-Brigade outnumbers us greatly…" he reasoned.

Mercuremon turned around to face PrinceMamemon. "Do you trust me, Your Majesty?" he asked him.

"Of course, Mercuremon!" PrinceMamemon stated worriedly. "You are my most trusted advisor!"

"Then I ask that you leave it to me…" he beseeched the monarch. "I am a master strategist, after all. I will ensure that we will persevere against this threat to our kingdom."

"Do you really think you can do that?" PrinceMamemon questioned nervously.

Mercuremon cast a reassuring smile at the king. "I am positive. I will ensure that our kingdom is spared. Just leave it in my hands," he asked PrinceMamemon. "I will make sure that Chaosdramon respects the throne of the Mamemon Kingdom."

This was what PrinceMamemon wanted to hear. "Splendid, Mercuremon! I knew I could count on you!" he exclaimed, his demeanour suddenly becoming confident and cheerful once again. "Do whatever you need to do! You have my full blessing!"

Mercuremon bowed before PrinceMamemon. At the nadir of his bow, he couldn't help but smirk to himself. "I thank you, Your Majesty…" he spoke.

The mirror Digimon then stood up straight and turned around. "I shall begin the preparations. I will have somebody send word to General PlatinumNumemon," he assured his king as he began to walk away.

"I leave it in your capable hands, Mercuremon," PrinceMamemon chimed, his optimism returning in full force.

Mercuremon's lips smirked deeper as he walked towards the exit of the throne room. Once he reached the end of the room, he strode out and left the doors open behind him.


	26. Chapter 17: Deception

(Author's Notes: Here's Chapter 17. A chapter with no Royal Knights? Can it be? R&amp;R and enjoy!)

**Chapter 17: Deception**

Dorbickmon strode up a stone road towards the seedy city of Shroud. He was here to continue to ongoing job for Karatenmon. He was tasked with finding out more about Black Pincer Company. Particularly, he needed to find out who was hiring and paying them to attack the Royal Knights.

The crimson dragon man sauntered up the road towards the walled city at a casual pace. The data storm that lingered over Shroud was fairly calm today, and some sun even shone through at intermittent intervals. Dorbickmon felt the rays of sun against his red scales as he walked up to the toll booth outside of the city's gates.

Dorbickmon walked up to the window the gatehouse and looked in. As he expected, he could see the imp-like body of an Evilmon reading a magazine with a flushed, perverted grin on his face. Dorbickmon cleared his throat to get his attention. "How's this issue of everyone's favourite dirty magazine?" he asked with a toothy smirk.

"It—shut up! I'm reading it for the articles!" the Evilmon protested, snapping the magazine shut. He levelled an irate leer with the dragon man. "What do you want?"

Dorbickmon flashed him his ID, which gave him permission to enter and exit the city without paying a fee.

"Fine, go in. Just a minute," the imp Digimon responded, flapping the stubby wings on his back and giving the guards the signal to open the gate.

Dorbickmon watched as the gates creaked open. After waiting, he walked forwards and entered the busy city. As he entered, he rolled his head around to pop the joints in his neck. He then cracked the knuckles of his claws and grinned to himself.

"_Think I'll have a look around the shops today. Then I'll stop by the Severed Arms tonight and see what information I can wrangle up. I'm sure Karatenmon's bribe money will go a long way here. Just have to speak to the right people…_"

* * *

A few days elapsed from Dukemon and Dynasmon's return to the Royal Knights. Within those days, the D-Brigade made their final preparations for the invasion of the territory west of Haganemame City. The assault was now ready to begin in full.

Commander Raijinmon stood at the head of the ranks of the D-Brigade's primary assault force. Behind him were over a thousand D-Brigade troops, all of whom were making final preparations before getting into formation. They checked their weapons and ammo, and went over battle tactics.

Raijinmon stared into the distance, towards Haganemame City. He could see the thousands of the city's metal dome buildings sparkling in the horizon. Between his army and the city were dozens of kilometers of flat grassland. Although the terrain itself was flat and generic, the landscape was haphazardly littered with appliances and electronic junk. There were refrigerators, toasters, computer monitors, televisions, stereos, dishwashers, bathtubs, and other such things strewn across the fields. None of them appeared to be in working order. The Junk Plains of the Mamemon Kingdom served only as minor obstacles for the D-Brigade.

A veil of flat, grey clouds covered the sky, darkening the landscape somewhat. It caused Raijinmon's shimmering gold body to stand out against the shadowy backdrop. Raijinmon stood before his soldiers with his hands crossed behind his back, poised at ease. He observed the Mamemon Kingdom's army, which waited several kilometers away, in front of the outskirts of the city. It was a sizeable army, but it was still dwarfed in quantity, size, firepower, and discipline by the D-Brigade. Raijinmon felt cautiously confident.

He heard a pair of feet touch down behind him. Raijinmon turned and saw Fujinmon land gracefully. "Fujinmon," he greeted.

"Are your divisions ready?" Fujinmon asked the Thunderclap Commander.

Raijinmon nodded at the green, sword wielding Hurricane Commander. "Yes. Are yours?" he wondered in response.

"More or less. Just getting into formation on the left," Fujinmon explained. He nodded across the junk-covered fields. "How does our enemy seem?"

"Don't ask," Raijinmon muttered, turning forwards again. "I'm hoping they surrender."

"What?" Fujinmon lightly asked, walking up beside the gold cyborg and looking at him curiously. It was rare to see Raijinmon turn his nose up at a chance to prove himself. "You aren't eager for this battle?"

"Not at all," Raijinmon responded, folding his arms and bowing his head with a brooding gaze.

"Why not? This is your first field battle. You are always talking about how you want to make a name for yourself as a capable commander," Fujinmon pointed out, his words bordering on playful. He glanced at the Thunderclap Commander with a more serious gaze. "Do you have doubts about this campaign, perhaps?" he wondered.

"It isn't that," Raijinmon responded, turning and looking at Fujinmon. "The enemy commander who is supposed to oppose me is a PlatinumNumemon. A PlatinumNumemon." He winced and looked away. "A _PlatinumNumemon_," he repeated emphatically. "You know what mutant Digimon can be like. I can smell their army from here… Even if we win a sweeping victory here, I wouldn't mind at all if this battle stayed out of the history books. If I even so much as hear the words 'Thundercrap Commander' after this, I'm going to do something drastic."

Fujinmon couldn't help but release a chuckle. "Don't overreact. You are far too concerned about how you are perceived, Raijinmon," he told him.

Raijinmon gave Fujinmon a dry stare. "And you aren't, Fujinmon? You're lenient on the mistakes of your soldiers because you don't want them to resent you. Just recently, you only gave that HiAndromon a stern warning after he made an error that allowed Dukemon and Dynasmon to escape," he reminded him defensively.

"I am just naturally kind," Fujinmon insisted huffily. "I'm not fixated on commanding respect like you are."

"More accurately, you don't like being disliked. You're afraid that somebody with a grudge against you will start whispering about your past as a JumboGamemon supporter," Raijinmon perceptively replied.

Fujinmon shot him an annoyed glare. "My loyalty is unquestionable. Besides, at least _I'm_ not obsessed with victory in everything I do, unlike a certain someone who fears failure. You'll do anything to make a name for yourself and become famous… Admit it, Raijinmon, you secretly want to become the thirteenth Royal Knight," Fujinmon retorted.

"I _wasn't_ questioning your loyalty," Raijinmon firmly stated. He released a defeated sigh. "…Enough of this. I'm not trying to argue. Let's stop before either of us says something seditious."

Fujinmon sighed. "Very well. I apologise. I wasn't trying to be accusatory," he spoke evenly. His red eyes grew pensive for a few moments. "But while we are on the topic… I don't have anything to worry about when it comes to JumboGamemon. …He has been deleted."

Raijinmon looked at his green companion with shock. "What..? When?" he asked incredulously.

"I don't know. Awhile ago, by the sounds of it," Fujinmon replied. "Chaosdramon ordered the assassination himself. He only just told me about it when he was rebuking me and questioning my loyalty."

"What? But that's… How come we didn't hear about this?" Raijinmon questioned with a deep frown in his golden eyes.

Fujinmon gave his brawny, gold counterpart a meaningful look. "He went behind our backs to order the assassination. He picked the team himself. It's obvious that he doesn't trust us," he explained. "Not just me, but you and Suijinmon as well."

Raijinmon folded his arms and glanced away with a wince. "We should stop talking about this, Fujinmon," he advised him. "We need to focus on the battle."

Fujinmon calmly nodded. "Very well… Just don't ignore what I said," the Hurricane Commander beseeched his comrade. He placed the metal side of his inactivated Critical Arm on Raijinmon's shoulder battery, prompting Raijinmon to glance at him. "Good luck in the assault, Raijinmon. …I will be at your side, aiding you in your victory."

The Thunderclap Commander gave Fujinmon an appreciative look. "Thank you, Fujinmon," he responded softly. "I know."

Without another word, Fujinmon flew into the air and began gliding off to his divisions over on the left flank. Raijinmon watched as he flew before turning around and facing his own divisions of D-Brigade troops, who were now standing and flying in formation. The thousands of Digimon were in orderly rows and columns, dutifully awaiting Raijinmon's command.

Raijinmon stood up straight and placed his hands behind his back, an aura of reserved confidence and authority emanating from the Thunderclap Commander. "Formations A, B, C, D, E, and F!" he spoke, turning and looking across all of the D-Brigade soldiers. "As your Commander, it is my honour to be leading you into battle for the sake of the Metal Empire. I trust that you are all ready, prepared, and capable?"

"Yes, Commander!" their voices rung out in unison.

"As I expected. You are soldiers of the D-Brigade, after all. You are the best of the best. Many of you have passed Selection-D with exemplary results. You are disciplined, capable, efficient machines who own the battlefield," Raijinmon told them with an inspiring voice and an intense gaze. "Will you follow me, your faithful Thunderclap Commander into the battle? Will you help me ensure victory over those who dare oppose us? Will you demonstrate the might of the D-Brigade?"

"Yes, Commander!" the chorus repeated.

"Then come! March forward and let us grasp victory!" Raijinmon stated, turning around and pointing forwards dramatically. He began marching across the junk-loaded field in the direction of the enemy army. The golden-beige commander was relieved to hear the militaristic melody of footsteps and engines behind him. It served to embolden him as he marched. It would take at least a couple hours for the D-Brigade to get into range and position. Part of him still hoped that the Mamemon Kingdom would spare him this indignity.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Haganemame City, PrinceMamemon was busy watching as the bad situation progressed. He stood on a balcony that jutted out of the western side of his giant, dome palace; the balcony overlooked a good portion of the city, as well as the Junk Fields beyond the city's outskirts. He peered through a giant, gold telescope that was set up on a sturdy, metal stand.

He could see the Mamemon Kingdom's army standing in front of the western edge of Haganemame City. He tilted the telescope up in order to look further into the distance. He could see the D-Brigade steadily advancing and moving around the appliances. It was a terrifying sight to see such a large army approaching his city.

"Why is that army still advancing?!" PrinceMamemon demanded, stepping back from the telescope. "Why isn't our army doing anything?!"

Mercuremon calmly stood behind him, near the door of the balcony. "Because if we were to go out and attack the D-Brigade directly, our army would be devastated," he explained. "I advised General PlatinumNumemon to await my – I mean 'our' - tactical advice before doing anything."

"I see," PrinceMamemon stated, gripping the railing of the balcony tightly. He squinted his eyes and gazed into the distance at the approaching D-Brigade. "Well, the D-Brigade is fast approaching. You said that you had a plan, didn't you? Isn't time running out?"

"Yes, I do, and yes, it is, Your Majesty," Mercuremon responded, eyeing PrinceMamemon with his nearly featureless face. "Shall I go now?"

"Please, do!" PrinceMamemon exclaimed nervously. "Go to PlatinumNumemon at once! And send for the Royal Knights! We need their assistance now more than ever."

"We are blockaded from the south. It would be hard to send for them. I will see what I can do, Your Majesty," Mercuremon assured him. The humanoid mirror Digimon bowed deeply. "Just try to stay calm. Place your faith in me and I will salvage this situation as best as I can."

"V-Very well, Mercuremon," PrinceMamemon stated, turning around and looking at him with visible concern. "Do your best."

Mercuremon stood up straight. "Of course, Your Majesty," he responded. The aristocrat turned around and began gracefully walking inside the palace so that he could make his way down to the front line of the battlefield.

* * *

Far to the south of these events, three Digimon were taking a different course of action.

GrandisKuwagamon lay on a grassy hillside. The sun beat down across the landscape from overhead, warming his smooth, black carapace. His Gran Killers lay beside him, and his hands were placed behind his head, cushioning his reddish-orange hair from the grass. His single crimson eye stared up at the sky.

Blitzmon sat beside him, keenly looking across the landscape. At the bottom of the long hill was flat grassland that stretched for kilometers. Running parallel to the hill they were on was a railroad that spanned across the whole grassland and far beyond. It was the main Locomon Rail line. The insect man kept his eyes over to the right, eyeing the southern part of the rail tracks.

Bolgmon was some distance away, further down the hill and over to the left. He was hunched over with his cannon arms on the ground. The gun port of his horn was aimed into the distance, and the tracking screen that emerged from his back was activated. He seemed to be testing it out.

"Anything yet?" GrandisKuwagamon asked Blitzmon nonchalantly, still gazing up at the sky.

Blitzmon looked over at Bolgmon, but the cyborg insect seemed to still be testing out his targeting systems. "Doesn't look like it," he replied to GrandisKuwagamon.

The ebony bug Digimon quietly continued to watch the clouds float overhead. He scoffed. GrandisKuwagamon couldn't help but think about BaoHackmon's words to him.

He couldn't understand why that Digimon thought that he cared about what happened to him. He wondered: did he really give that impression? He couldn't help but wonder why he talked to BaoHackmon so much that night at all. GrandisKuwagamon told himself that it was because he was bored. However, that didn't explain why he gave him advice. BaoHackmon said that it was because he cared what happened to him. GrandisKuwagamon narrowed his eye. Why would he care about that? It didn't make any sense. He advised the dragon just because he hated idiocy.

GrandisKuwagamon stood to his feet, dismissing his thoughts. Now wasn't the time to think about trivial stuff like that, he figured. He picked up his Gran Killer gauntlets and slipped the metal guards over his forearms.

"It's coming!" Bolgmon called out to the other two humanoid insects.

Both GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon turned their heads and looked to the south. They could see the distant figure of a Locomon, pulling along several train cars.

GrandisKuwagamon clenched his fist. "_You think you can read me? You don't have a clue about who I am. Don't fool yourself, you naïve brat,_" GrandisKuwagamon thought. He looked over at Bolgmon. "Are you in position?"

"Yeah, just waiting for the right moment," Bolgmon responded, placing himself comfortably on the hill. He kept his head steady so that his cannon horn didn't move at all. The tracking system on his back fluctuated with readings and digi-letters as it waited for a target to come into range.

"Whenever you're ready, Bolgie," GrandisKuwagamon responded, folding his arms and gazing across the landscape.

"Don't miss," Blitzmon added.

"Like I would," Bolgmon replied. He narrowed his green eyes and locked onto a target. Once he was satisfied with his targeting, he smirked. "Okay… Field Destroyer!"

A fully charged beam surged from the muzzle of his cannon. The recoil of the beam was enough to send Bolgmon skidding back into the hill, but he kept his aim straight despite its immense power. The pillar of positrons streamed through the air towards the railroad and the oncoming Locomon.

The Locomon was chugging along the tracks at a swift but steady pace. The large, blue locomotive Digimon kept driving forwards as usual. As he chugged, his attention was diverted by the flash of light coming from the hill far ahead of him, to his left.

Locomon frowned curiously and inspected the flash of light. He noticed that it started to move and grow bigger. It was after a few moments that his eyes widened and he realised what it was. A beam attack.

"Attention, all passengers!" he announced, his calm voice becoming hurried while trying to remain serene. "Please calmly brace for a sudden stop and possible impact!"

Locomon grimaced and slammed on his breaks, causing sparks to shoot out wildly from the train tracks and wheels. The beam streaked ahead of him at a diagonal angle. The torrent of energy slammed into the railway tracks a few hundred meters in front of him. The metal crumpled and melted before breaking into data, just as the beam caused a ground-shaking detonation.

The ground in front of him was obliterated by a massive explosion that caused the intense blast. Locomon kept pressing his brakes hard, trying to come to a screeching halt before he could hit the explosion and the destroyed tracks. He couldn't do it with the amount of momentum that he had picked up. Locomon slammed into the shockwave of the explosion, and the force of both was enough to knock him off of his tracks.

"Hang on!" Locomon shouted, wincing as his metal body derailed. He careened to the side and soared towards the grass. He grimaced as he slammed into the grassy ground with a mighty crash, releasing a wave of dirt and grass from around his face. The coal car and the passenger carriages that he was towing were the next to crash into the ground. Locomon and his cargo skidded along the grassy field, his coal cascading everywhere, and the Digimon passengers getting thrown around inside the carriages. They finally came to a stop after several moments, the locomotive lying in the grass in a mess of train cars.

Over from the hill where the shot was fired, the three mercenaries observed the damage.

Bolgmon stood upwards with a gleeful smirk on his face. The interior of his horn's bore was red-hot from the beam, and smoke wafted up from the cannon muzzle. "Haha! Did you see that?! Damn, that was satisfying!" he announced cheerfully.

"Mission complete," Blitzmon calmly said, folding his arms. "Let's get out of here and head back to Shroud."

"Yeah," GrandisKuwagamon responded, prompting Blitzmon to start flying into the air and Bolgmon to speed up the hill. The black insect's gaze darkened as he stared at the derailed Locomon. "_We'll do what we need to do to survive. We always have, and we always will. …Cross me again, kid, and I'll kill you. If you're too naïve to realize that, then that's your own damn fault._"

With that GrandisKuwagamon turned and started beating his X-shaped wings. He flew after Blitzmon and Bolgmon and it wasn't long until they disappeared from sight.

* * *

Back in Haganemame City, the battle had almost begun. The Mamemon Kingdom's army was lined up outside of the western edge of the city. It was composed mostly of the Mamemon species, puppet Digimon, mutant Digimon, and machine Digimon. There were quite a few soldiers there, but they paled in quantity and preparedness to the D-Brigade's army.

The D-Brigades had stopped their advance about two hundred meters away from the Mamemon Kingdom's army. They were preparing their ranged arsenal, which was boundless in number. To the south of the Haganemame City, Suijinmon and his flank had surrounded the capital and prevented any escape or reinforcements. However, the D-Brigade didn't advance or fire any shots. Raijinmon was hoping that they could settle terms.

At the back of the Mamemon Kingdom's army was a slimy, silver mollusk Digimon with wide, gold wings. He flapped his wings and flew back and forth, giving out orders to the army. The PlatinumNumemon was the general of the military. He made this evident by wearing a pair of aviator glasses over his long, googly eyes and having several medals stuck to his chest.

"You! Is that fixed turret up and running yet?!" he called out to a MetalMamemon, who was working on a Mugen Cannon that had been salvaged from a scrap yard and repurposed into a stationary artillery cannon. PlatinumNumemon flapped his wings and spun around, looking over to the left part of the army with lowered sunglasses. "You lot! Spread out more!"

"General?" a voice asked from behind him.

General PlatinumNumemon whirled around to see Mercuremon walking down the road that led out of Haganemame City. "Ah! Royal Advisor Mercuremon!"

The mirror Digimon stepped up to him and looked around. "May I ask how things are going? What are your plans?" Mercuremon asked him.

"Things are going. We're just readying our technological defences now," the slug-like general explained, licking the bottom rim of his sunglasses with his oversized tongue. "We plan to let the D-Brigade make the first move and then blow them away!"

Mercuremon turned and looked across the battlefield sceptically. "That's it…? You plan to face the D-Brigade in a field battle?" he asked him. "You'll be annihilated."

"We're making do with that we can. It's really our only option!" PlatinumNumemon explained. "Normally, we would prefer to use guerilla tactics, but that would put all of Haganemame City in danger, so…"

"That is not the only option…" Mercuremon explained, placing his hands on his hips. "That is why I'm here."

"Oh? Has King PrinceMamemon sent you to give us your tactical advice?" the general asked him curiously.

"His Majesty has told me to take care of the situation. I have his blessing to do what I think is best to get us out of this terrible position," Mercuremon responded.

PlatinumNumemon readjusted his aviators using one of his wings. "Well, okay! Tell me what you want me to do and we can talk it out!" he exclaimed.

"Simple…" Mercuremon spoke calmly. "I want you to do nothing."

The slimy mollusk general looked at the tall mirror Digimon blankly. His sunglasses slipped down his face as he stared incredulously "Do… nothing…?" he questioned.

"Precisely, General," Mercuremon answered. He extended his arm out towards the expansive forces of the D-Brigade. "Do you really think that we are able to defeat that?"

"Well… _Maybe_…?" PlatinumNumemon offered, although none-too-convincingly.

"Don't fool yourself, General. Lives are at stake here," Mercuremon spoke. "I have already made my decision. I am going to negotiate for peace with the Metal Empire."

"Wh-What?! But that's…!" PlatinumNumemon reluctantly uttered. "After all that's happened, they'll give stiff terms for surrender!"

"I am prepared for that," Mercuremon replied. "However, now is not the time to let pride get in the way of common sense. You must realise the futility of the situation, General; we can either make peace or we can watch as all of these loyal soldiers are crushed under the weight of the unstoppable machine that is the D-Brigade. Which would you prefer?"

PlatinumNumemon winced. "I… I see your point, Mercuremon," he responded weakly, his eyes drooping.

"Good… So, I trust you will stand down and not do anything to obstruct the peace negotiation?" Mercuremon asked him.

"…This is what King PrinceMamemon wants?" the general asked him.

"PrinceMamemon has given me control of the situation and has accepted my actions," Mercuremon answered, choosing his words carefully.

The general sighed. "Very well… Let me know how the negotiations go," he said to the royal advisor.

"I will," Mercuremon said, beginning to walk towards the gap between the two armies. He stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Is it safe for me to walk out there?"

"It should be. …Bring a flag, just in case," PlatinumNumemon explained.

Mercuremon nodded. "By the way, if the Royal Knights happen to show up, send them away. I don't need their interfering," he spoke, turning and walking past the Mamemon Kingdom soldiers.

"B-But I couldn't…" PlatinumNumemon mumbled to himself, unable to consider saying such a thing to the Royal Knights.

Mercuremon walked off across the junk-strewn field, heading towards the D-Brigade. He decided to forgo taking a flag, doubting that they would be rash enough to shoot at him.

Raijinmon was standing in front of his soldiers, giving out orders in preparation for the battle. His attention was drawn by the reflective sheen of Mercuremon's mirrors as he crossed the halfway point between the two armies. Raijinmon

"Commander," Raijinmon's giant junior officer – a Mugendramon – spoke. After getting his attention, he pointed with his claw at Mercuremon.

"Let him approach. They may want to settle terms," Raijinmon responded, stepping out onto the field. The gold-armoured commander looked over to his left and hailed to Fujinmon, who also spotted the lone Mamemon Kingdom Digimon.

Fujinmon flew away from his flank and soared over towards Raijinmon. As the Thunderclap Commander grew nearer to the steel aristocrat, Fujinmon flew down and landed beside Raijinmon. "A negotiator?" he asked his fellow Storm Commander.

"So it seems," Raijinmon replied, eyeing the humanoid mirror Digimon walking towards them. "We should hear him out. Emperor Chaosdramon wanted a battle, but I'm sure we can find a satisfactory alternative."

"I agree," Fujinmon responded with a glint in his eye. "It is fortuitous that Suijinmon isn't here to serve as Chaosdramon's mouthpiece."

"Give him more credit. I doubt Suijinmon wants a battle either, especially after the number of losses his group took to the Royal Knights during the last battle," Raijinmon stated.

"I suppose. Even so, we should play it cool and see what we can get out of this," Fujinmon responded, beginning to close the gap between them and Mercuremon.

"Of course," Raijinmon agreed before walking up to Mercuremon.

Mercuremon stopped in front of the two commanders and bowed. "Good day," he greeted politely. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Mercuremon, the royal advisor to PrinceMamemon." He extended a hand.

"Ah, yes. We know of you," Raijinmon replied, taking his green, metal hand and briskly shaking it.

Fujinmon nodded at him politely. "We are Raijinmon and Fujinmon, two of the Storm Commanders. We are Chaosdramon's proxies on the battlefield. We speak for him in military affairs," the green Hurricane Commander explained brazenly.

"What about political affairs?" Mercuremon asked with a smirk.

"The emperor trusts our good judgment," Fujinmon responded calmly. "I take it that you wish to negotiate? It must be clear to an intelligent Digimon like yourself that your army is outmatched in every way."

"Indeed it is," Mercuremon conceded. "And, yes, I do wish to negotiate. However, there are many Digimon, PrinceMamemon included, who do not wish to simply give up and let the Metal Empire walk all over them."

Raijinmon frowned and looked at Mercuremon, scrutinizing him. "If your monarch wants to fight, then what are you doing here?" he questioned the royal advisor.

"His royal majesty can be stubborn and unreasonable," Mercuremon explained with a smile. "It often falls to me to choose the best path for the Mamemon Kingdom and allow him to take the recognition for it. It has been my job to work behind the curtain for the good of the kingdom. However… as a royal advisor, my loyalty is to the _crown_… not necessarily the _king_. PrinceMamemon would sacrifice this army and kingdom for his selfish pride. I simply want to make a deal that will ensure the Mamemon Kingdom's survival."

Raijinmon and Fujinmon exchanged subtly pleased looks. "You do realise that we hold all of the cards here," Raijinmon stated. "Whatever the terms for peace will be, they will be at our pleasure."

"I acknowledge that we have more to lose from fighting this battle than the D-Brigade does," Mercuremon agreed. He turned and looked at both commanders individually. "You could handily defeat us. However, I'm sure you both know that it wouldn't be a gentle stroll. We are still capable of causing a lot of pain and discomfort to you. Our army has high-powered lasers… smart and capable soldiers… and an unspeakable abundance of trash and fecal matter. They won't go down without a fight. I am sure that you would both like to avoid an unpleasant battle."

Raijinmon released a half-chuckle. "…If the terms are right," he responded. He eyed Mercuremon. "Are you in a place to do this?"

"All I need to do is speak to General PlatinumNumemon and tell him that the negotiation went well, and he will surrender," Mercuremon explained.

"And PrinceMamemon?" Raijinmon asked him.

Mercuremon smirked at his question. "…He won't be a problem if he is removed from power, will he?" he explained.

"Your true intentions revealed…" Fujinmon spoke, calmly observing the advisor. "I suppose you wish to take his place? That is the real reason why you are here, isn't it?"

"Am I that transparent?" Mercuremon asked with a soft chuckle. "But think about it… As long as he is in power, he will cause a stir. He has been rallying against the Metal Empire heavily, even seeking help from the Royal Knights. Wouldn't it be better if somebody sympathetic to the Metal Empire were in charge?"

"I suppose…" Fujinmon agreed. "So, what exactly is it that you want?"

"I propose this: I will hand you the 'keys' to the Mamemon Kingdom… and, in exchange, you help me remove PrinceMamemon from power and install me as the new king," the aristocrat explained. "Emperor Chaosdramon does want PrinceMamemon gone, does he not?"

Fujinmon looked at Raijinmon for his opinion. Raijinmon raised a hand to rub his metal chin pensively. "He does… but we need more than that," Raijinmon explained, his voice level and commanding. "He have suffered a humiliation in response to the actions of your king and we have invested a lot into this campaign. Such a deal would only be sufficient to the Emperor if we absorbed the Mamemon Kingdom into our empire as a client state. You will still be in charge of Mamemon Kingdom affairs, so long as you are loyal. We need somebody who is knowledgeable of this kingdom to be in charge anyways."

"And we will also need those blueprints back," Fujinmon added.

"That is acceptable to me," Mercuremon responded. "You can trust me with that responsibility."

Raijinmon extended his hand. "So, do we have a deal?" he questioned.

"Of course, Commander," Mercuremon replied, smirking as he shook Raijinmon's hand to solidify the deal. "I will go back and tell the general to surrender. Then, you may enter Haganemame City and we can pay PrinceMamemon a visit."

"Very well," Raijinmon spoke, retracting his hand with a satisfied expression. "Thank you for your cooperation."

Mercuremon bowed. "It is my pleasure, Commanders," he responded. He stood up with a smile and turned around to walk back towards the Mamemon Kingdom's army.

Fujinmon turned and looked at Raijinmon with a light grin. "That went well," he pointed out. "It seems you won't have to be called the Thundercrap Commander after all."

"Good. If so much as one fragment of dung hit me…" Raijinmon narrowed his eyes and folded his arms, shuddering at the idea. "Anyway… You should go and tell Suijinmon. I will go and tell our soldiers what is happening. I will have to write a letter to the Emperor as well."

"Very well," Fujinmon replied, gently stepping off the ground and rising into the air. "Wish me luck. I may need it."

"Good luck," Raijinmon spoke, nodding to him.

Fujinmon flew off towards the south of Haganemame City. As he did, Raijinmon turned around and began walking back to the D-Brigade army.

The golden cyborg strode towards his army, thinking to himself. "_I consider that a victory…_"

* * *

Black Pincer Company sat in their usual bar in Shroud – the Severed Arms. It was the early evening in the cloudy, shadowy city and they had returned from their mission to attack the Locomon Rail system. The bar was warm and the sharp, thick scents of alcohol and bar food filled the building. The bar was filled with rough-looking Digimon; it was hard to find an empty table since it was the peak hour for serving customers. The sound of chatter and loud chewing and drinking resonated in the air.

The three mercenaries sat in front of the bar counter, each with a drink in front of them.

"Ahhh…" Bolgmon sighed with contentment after knocking back a shot of Requiem Oil. "Nothing tastes better than a nice drink after finishing a job."

"Don't drink too much," Blitzmon advised him, nursing his pint of fizzling beer.

"Let him relax a bit," GrandisKuwagamon said with a grin. "We haven't been able to unwind in awhile. This makes a nice change."

"If you want to lug his heavy, drunken ass off to bed, be my guest, Grandis," Blitzmon responded, taking a sip from his drink.

GrandisKuwagamon chuckled. "Fine. Don't drink too much, gear head," he told Bolgmon.

"Whatever," Bolgmon dismissively responded, waving his battery arm. "Another shot here!"

The door of the Severed Arms opened so that another patron could walk in. GrandisKuwagamon casually looked over his shoulder to see who entered. His relaxed demeanour disappeared when he saw the Digimon who entered.

Dorbickmon stepped into the bar, looking for a drink to satisfy his thirst. The dragon mercenary began to walk up to the bar counter, but he stopped when he noticed Black Pincer Company sitting there. Dorbickmon locked eyes with GrandisKuwagamon, who was staring right back at him. On reflex, Dorbickmon looked away, pretending that he didn't recognize him.

He came to the bar to try to get some more information on Black Pincer Company and their client, but he didn't expect the three bug Digimon to be there themselves. However, he knew that, now that GrandisKuwagamon saw him, he couldn't just walk out or else he'd look even more suspicious. Dorbickmon decided to walk over to an empty table and waited to be served.

GrandisKuwagamon eyed Dorbickmon suspiciously for a bit longer before turning around. "Don't turn around. Dorbickmon's here," he said to Blitzmon and Bolgmon.

"Huh?" Bolgmon asked, beginning to turn his head.

Blitzmon grabbed hold of Bolgmon's horn to keep him from obviously looking over. "Don't look," he told him. Blitzmon let go and looked at GrandisKuwagamon. "…We don't know for sure that he's the one leaking our information, Grandis."

"No, but it's a damn good bet," GrandisKuwagamon responded, taking a bite out of the piece of meat on his plate. "…Somebody's trailing us and giving our information out to people. Don't you think it's a bit weird how he keeps showing up around us? First, it was at the inn where we were attacked after talking to Wizardmon. Then it was in Dragon's Peak, right before the Royal Knights came directly to our hideout. Now he's here again, in our regular. That's not suspicious?"

"I guess…" Blitzmon conceded. "It has to be someone, and it's not Wizardmon. That wouldn't make any sense."

GrandisKuwagamon looked across the counter at the Sagitarrimon bartender, who was busy filling a few glasses with amber-coloured ale. "Hey, Sagi!" he called out to the familiar bartender.

The draconic centaur turned and looked over at the three insects. "What's up, Grandis? I'm kinda busy," he responded.

"It'll be quick. D'you know that Dorbickmon over there?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him, subtly nodding over his shoulder to the crimson dragon man in question.

Sagitarrimon glanced over at Dorbickmon and then went to serve the drinks to a different part of the counter. Once he was finished, he walked back to where Black Pincer Company was. "Yeah, I've seen Dorbickmon around here. He comes in from time to time, but he started coming in here more than usual recently."

"Was he asking about us?" Blitzmon followed up.

"…Yeah, a few times," Sagitarrimon replied, although somewhat hesitant about answering. "Wondered where he could find you. And that Wizardmon client of yours too. Maybe he was looking for a job."

The three mercenaries exchanged looks with one another. All of them grew even more suspicious and ready to act.

Sagitarrimon noticed their demeanours change and began to regret his words. "Uh, you didn't hear it from me, though. Consider it an anonymous tip from a friend. I don't need the hassle, okay?"

Blitzmon narrowed his eyes and looked at GrandisKuwagamon. "…What d'you suggest we do?"

"We could grab him and then beat the truth out of him," Bolgmon suggested.

GrandisKuwagamon smirked. "I've got a better idea…"

* * *

Back in Haganemame City, PrinceMamemon paced back and forth inside his lavish palace bedroom. His expression was wrought with fear, disbelief and apprehension. His large, round body sweated profusely and he wrung his crown in his hands.

PrinceMamemon walked back out onto the balcony. He looked down onto the streets of Haganemame City and saw D-Brigade troops continuing to march into the city. They had been doing this for the past hour, securing key points in the city. There was no violence, but the situation was clear to the king: somebody had surrendered without his permission and now he was in deep trouble.

"I cannot believe that this is happening!" he exclaimed, walking back inside. "I am the king! How could this be happening?!"

The king's attention was diverted when he heard a knocking on the door of his royal bed chambers. PrinceMamemon turned towards the door. He had piled a table, several chairs, a lamp, and myriad pillows up against the door in order to barricade himself inside.

"Who is it?! Go away! I am not here! The king has absconded!" PrinceMamemon called out frantically without really thinking.

"It is Mercuremon, Your Majesty," Mercuremon stated calmly. "Open the door."

"Mercuremon! What in the Digital World is going on? Why have we surrendered!? Where are the Royal Knights?!" PrinceMamemon demanded, although still not opening the door. "Why is the D-Brigade traipsing through the city like they own the place?!"

"The Royal Knights are not coming," the royal advisor explained. "Open the door, if you please."

"I do not 'please'! I want to know what is going on, Mercuremon!" PrinceMamemon exclaimed agitatedly, tapping his foot. "You told me that you would deal with the Metal Empire!"

"That is exactly what I did, Your Majesty. This is what is best for the Mamemon Kingdom," Mercuremon explained from the other side of the door. "Now, please, open up."

"…No!" the Mamemon monarch stubbornly said.

Mercuremon sighed. "Very well… We will do this the hard way…" He turned to the Digimon beside him. "Commander, if you please?"

Suijinmon stepped up and raised his heavy, metal arms. "Infiltrating the barrier. Accel Arm!" he droned. The giant, red machine Digimon drove his giant arms into the door. The sturdy metal tore through the opening and released a shockwave that shattered the door, chairs, and table into splinters, and the pillows into shards of fabric and feathers.

"Gwah!" PrinceMamemon cried out, scampering into his walk-in wardrobe.

Raijinmon walked in first, followed by Suijinmon and Fujinmon. They entered the royal chambers and looked around, but couldn't immediately see PrinceMamemon.

"Where did he go?" Suijinmon asked, scanning the room. "I didn't hit that hard…"

Mercuremon sighed and walked inside after the three Storm Commanders. "Your Majesty? Please come out. You may want to show some dignity in your last few minutes as king," he advised him.

The closet door slowly opened and PrinceMamemon skulked out. After his sheepish appearance, PrinceMamemon's emotions suddenly came back to him. "Mercuremon! What is the meaning of this?!" he demanded, pointing at Mercuremon and completely ignoring the trio of commanders.

Mercuremon sighed and placed his hands on his hips. "Must I really spell this out for you as well, Your Majesty?" he asked with exasperation. "You are being overthrown."

"What?! No! I won't have it!" PrinceMamemon protested. "Tell the army to resist!"

"I have already told the army to surrender," Mercuremon explained, smirking smugly. "It is over, Your Majesty."

"What…?" the round, yellow monarch demanded, just now realising what had happened. "Mercuremon…? This is your doing?!"

"You have done this to yourself, PrinceMamemon," Mercuremon informed him. "I merely aided the transition."

"Why you… you… duplicitous, treacherous… two-faced…!" PrinceMamemon sputtered, glaring and clenching his trembling fists.

Raijinmon took a step towards PrinceMamemon and folded his arms. "PrinceMamemon, you have one of two options. You may either go into exile and never presume to return here, or be placed under arrest. Which do you prefer?"

PrinceMamemon glowered. "You… You… This is… unthinkable…!" he could barely manage.

Fujinmon stepped up beside Raijinmon. "Well, Your Majesty…?" he asked, eyeing the large sphere Digimon. "I apologise, but these are the terms that were agreed upon. You trusted Mercuremon with your authority, did you not?"

"I didn't mean it like this…! Mercuremon! You betrayed me! You betrayed the Mamemon Kingdom!" he declared, pointing his finger at Mercuremon accusingly.

"Be reasonable, Your Majesty," Mercuremon spoke, his voice free from guilt. "Instead of trying and failing to compete with the Metal Empire, it would be better to work under them as a client state. That way, we can truly prosper. We wouldn't have to worry about them trying to crush us. The loyal and hardworking will be rewarded."

"You mean _you_ will be rewarded! You want this crown, is that it?!" PrinceMamemon declared, throwing his crown at Mercuremon.

Mercuremon calmly raised a shield and deflected the crown. "Gracefully accept defeat, Your Majesty."

"Indeed," Suijinmon spoke, meandering forwards and standing on the other side of Raijinmon. "…Your decision?"

PrinceMamemon took a few steps back with fear as he observed the three Storm Commanders before him. "I… I… You'll never take me alive!" he declared. "Smiley Warhead!" He ran towards the bedroom wall and crashed through the metal barrier, flying out of the palace and towards the ground.

The three D-Brigade Commanders watched as he landed on the ground in a roll. PrinceMamemon rolled for several meters before springing to his feet, unharmed. He then began dashing down the streets of Haganemame City, heading for the eastern exit. "I am going to my summer palace to meet with the Royal Knights!" he yelled over his shoulder at them. "Just you wait! Just you-!" He tripped and fell, rolling for a few more meters before jumping up again and continuing his sprint as if nothing had happened. "—wait!"

Suijinmon narrowed his eyes. "The Royal Knights? …Perhaps we should arrest him, after all."

"There is no need to worry about that," Mercuremon assured them. "He calls the Royal Knights his subordinates, but they don't take him seriously at all. He is a joke to them. It is rather embarrassing, really."

Raijinmon turned and looked at Mercuremon. "Even so, they won't come to his aid?" he asked. "They have been working against us all this time."

"Perhaps, but if that is true, PrinceMamemon won't make a difference in their opinion one way or another," the mirror Digimon explained.

"I suppose so," Fujinmon reasoned. "There is no sense in angering a compliant population by imprisoning their king."

"Indeed…" Mercuremon stated, folding his arms. "Well, I trust Emperor Chaosdramon will be pleased with this?"

Raijinmon walked to the balcony, gazing down at the thousands of D-Brigade soldiers marching through the streets of Haganemame City. He closed his eyes and nodded.

"Of course… This is what he wanted, after all…"

* * *

Dorbickmon sat at his table in the bar in Shroud. There was a mug of ale in his hand that he took a drink from every so often. He sat across from a Gigadramon, who he chatted with casually. More than either of these things, he was concerned with Black Pincer Company. The red mercenary occasionally glanced over at the group of three insects when they weren't looking.

"—and then I held my cannon to his face and yelled, 'you're not getting off until you pay me every bit of money we agreed!' He went as pale as a Bakemon and paid every bit!" the violet, serpentine, dragon cyborg exclaimed to Dorbickmon with a laugh.

Dorbickmon chuckled. "You gotta get tough with clients now and then. They think they know the game better than we do," he responded. "And they think that just because we're hired muscle, we can't do basic math."

"Ain't that the truth," the Gigadramon replied, taking a glug from his own drink.

"Anyway, good talkin' with you," Dorbickmon said, getting to his feet and nodding over his shoulder. "I'm gonna go pay up and get out of here."

"See ya," the cyborg dragon told him.

"Later," Dorbickmon replied, turning to his left. Just as he was about to walk over to the bar counter to pay for his drinks and food, he saw GrandisKuwagamon walking over to him. Blitzmon and Bolgmon followed after the black insect Digimon.

Dorbickmon internally cursed, but managed a grin when GrandisKuwagamon strode up to him.

"Look who it is," GrandisKuwagamon stated with a foreboding grin. "Dorbickmon, right?"

"Hey, you remembered," Dorbickmon responded, trying to smile disarmingly.

"Hard not to when we keep running into each other," the ebony mercenary spoke, a smirk in between his pincers. "Funny how that keeps happening, isn't it…?"

"What a coincidence, huh?" Dorbickmon responded, shrugging and maintaining his friendly grin.

"Then again, this is our usual bar," Blitzmon spoke up from behind GrandisKuwagamon, leering at Dorbickmon with suspicious eyes.

"Strange how we never really noticed around here until recently," Bolgmon added, wearing a broad, shit-eating smirk that was reflected in his narrow, gleeful eyes. "We know the faces of most of the Digimon in here. Yet you never really showed your face around us until that night we were attacked at the inn."

Dorbickmon couldn't help but grit his sharp, draconic teeth defensively. "Huh? I come here a lot. Ask around. People have seen me in here," he responded, although not wanting to sound too guilty. He grinned a bit. "I go to bars all over the continent. Cloudspire, Dragon's Peak, Dark Point, Shroud… I'm not picky as long as the grub's good."

"Yeah, we remember seeing you at Dragon's Peak…" GrandisKuwagamon spoke, looking Dorbickmon in his violet, draconic eyes. "We were talking with a client while you were in earshot. A day later, the Royal Knights attacked our hideout and raided the whole place."

"Damn. That's a bitch," Dorbickmon responded nonchalantly. He locked eyes with GrandisKuwagamon, revealing heavy intensity in his stare. "Hey… It sounds like you're implying something…"

GrandisKuwagamon was undeterred by his subtle warning. "Maybe I am…" he responded coolly. He smirked and looked around at the bar around him. It was teeming with mercenaries and criminals just like them. Most of them didn't care for the Royal Knights, and the Royal Knights certainly didn't care for them.

Suddenly, GrandisKuwagamon turned away from Dorbickmon and addressed all of the patrons on the bar. "Hey, everyone!" he called out, gathering the attention of the rough Digimon filling the tavern. "You know the Royal Knights?! The guys who are constantly on our backs and waiting for their chance to haul us into prison?!"

An outbreak of boos and swears were his response. Dorbickmon snarled in his throat, taking a step backwards and glaring at GrandisKuwagamon. He didn't like where this was going at all.

"Oh, you do, huh?" GrandisKuwagamon answered. He grinned and turned back to Dorbickmon. "Well, this guy – this big, ugly dragon right here – he's been working for the Royal Knights! Hell, he's been feeding them information about us! I know for a fact that Dorbickmon here leaked sensitive information about our merc company to the Royal Knights! They came down on our asses like a lightning bolt! I wouldn't be surprised if he's working on the rest of you guys as well!"

Dorbickmon felt a bead of sweat trickle down the back of his head. He clenched his claws and looked around the tavern, watching as menacing eyes full of anger and scorn began to settle on him from every direction. He could see Digimon beginning to rise to their feet – big ones. He felt a sinking feeling in his chest as watched as all of the Digimon around turned against him.

The dragon mercenary snarled at GrandisKuwagamon. "You lying bastards!" he growled, taking another step back and narrowing his eyes at him. "Where's your evidence?!"

"Tch. Evidence," Blitzmon responded, folding his arms and leering at the dragon. "Your actions right now are the only evidence we need. Your eyes, your words… Don't even bother denying it. We _know_ liars."

"I bet you do! You're the biggest liars around! Don't listen to a bunch of data absorbers!" Dorbickmon shouted out in an increasingly desperate attempt to put doubt in the minds of the mercenaries that were starting to surround him.

"That's rich," Bolgmon said with a cackle. "If you guys want to leave a Royal Knight spy hanging around Shroud, that's your business. If you don't want first dibs, we're happy to take care of him ourselves. We'll just get to have all the fun!"

GrandisKuwagamon smirked. "But if you guys do want to help us teach him a lesson, the more the merrier," he explained. "Who knows what kind of useful or incriminating info he has?"

Sagitarrimon winced from behind the bar. He didn't like these developments one bit. "Grandis, wait—"

"Get him!" the massive, muscular form of a Vikemon shouted, leaping over a table and charging for Dorbickmon.

The whole tavern erupted and the mercenaries poured towards the dragon mercenary. The wave of angry criminals and mercenaries descended on Dorbickmon. Even the Gigadramon that Dorbickmon had been talking to flew up and drove his metal claw towards him.

Dorbickmon snarled and dodged the swipe, grabbing the Gigadramon by the arm and throwing him towards some of the charging mercenaries so that their path would be obstructed by his long, serpentine body. He turned and saw the Vikemon charging at him, preparing to grab him. Dorbickmon rushed forwards and drove his fist right into the Vikemon's snout. The giant polar bear growled and staggered back with pain, clutching his bleeding nostrils and crashing into some of the mercenaries behind him.

Black Pincer Company all grinned at their handiwork and hung back to watch the show from a safe distance.

A DeathMeramon took a swing at Dorbickmon with his chain-wrapped fist, but the dragon ducked under it and drove his fist into the humanoid Digimon's abdomen. The DeathMeramon was thrown onto a table, causing it to break under his weight. Next, a Mummymon released bandages from his arm that wrapped around Dorbickmon's forearm. However, the dragon man spewed a swath of fire out from his mouth that reduced the strands to ashes, using his Dragon Breath Tonic Fire attack.

Dorbickmon snarled and held his arm out, starting to summon his fiery blade to defend himself. "Tyrant Collbrande!"

However, right as he was summoning the flaming sword, the giant, leonine form of a Regulumon grabbed hold of Dorbickmon's right arm. He yanked Dorbickmon hard enough to release his hold on the sword, causing flames to be extinguished.

The Vikemon that Dorbickmon had punched ran over with blood staining his furry snout. He levelled a heavy blow with Dorbickmon's mouth, causing his head to jerk to the side. The Vikemon then grabbed hold of the dragon man's other arm and heaved him onto the table.

"Hold him down!" one of the angry participants shouted out.

Dorbickmon snarled and resisted stubbornly, squirming under the hold of the two muscle-bound Digimon. He could taste blood in his mouth from the savage punch, but it only served to fuel his adrenaline and make him fight back harder. As the two giant mammal Digimon pinned his arms on the table, he drove his foot up and kicked the Regulumon in the face.

With the mercenary recoiling in pain, Dorbickmon retracted his right arm and drove his fist into the Vikemon's face again. The giant polar bear snarled at the blow but retaliated by biting down hard on Dorbickmon's armoured hand, sending pain shooting through it. Dorbickmon growled and responded by slashing the Vikemon's cheek with his claws and then ripping some white fur out for good measure.

The Vikemon released a sharp yell of pain and anger. He quickly responded by open-palm punching Dorbickmon right in his face, sending his head back against his spiked collar. Regulumon was quickly upon the dragon again, drilling his fist into Dorbickmon's gut, tearing a garbled growl from the crimson dragon man.

"Keep him down! Use DeathMeramon's chains!"

"Yeah! Let's show him what happens to Royal Knight spies! Give him a lesson he won't forget!"

Dorbickmon grimaced as he felt a hand grab hold of his throat and pin him down. He tried kicking with his foot again, but another set of hands grabbed hold of his ankles.

"Damn… it…!" he snarled, gargling a mouthful of blood that pooled up in his maw after trickling in from his numb lips. "I don't… THINK SO!" he roared with adrenaline and fury. "Take THIS!"

He unleashed two blasts of fiery power from the gun ports on his pectoral muscles. The dual streams of fire slammed into the Regulumon and Vikemon, exploding upon impact and throwing the two Ultimate level Digimon off of him. The two jets tore through the ceiling and the blast was strong enough to cause the table he was lying on to collapse.

Free from the various holds, Dorbickmon had more freedom of action. He snarled and sat up, blood trickling from his mouth and his chest heaving. "Dragon Breath Tonic Fire!" he shouted, unleashing a torrent of flames from his mouth all around him in order to drive the mercenaries back.

As the flames swelled in the air around him, the endangered dragon merc used the opportunity to scramble to his feet and make a break for the door. He could see the threshold several meters away. He just needed to get there. Dorbickmon dodged a forceful swipe from a Callismon before he violently threw a WereGarurumon out of his way. Behind him, he could hear the sounds of the mercenaries gaining on him, so he summoned his sword once again. "Tyrant Collbrande!" he roared, igniting the massive broadsword of fire within his claws.

As he ran towards the exit, Dorbickmon swiped the blade behind him, cutting into the armour of a mercenary who began to close in on him. The Digimon flew back onto the mercenary behind him, causing a temporary obstruction. Dorbickmon used the opportunity to crash through the large doors and stagger out into the dark street. The mob of mercenaries, adventurers, and criminals began pouring out into the street after him, but they were slowed by the bottleneck that the relatively narrow exit created.

Dorbickmon grunted, panted, swore, and snarled as he sprinted down the stone street. The Tyrant Collbrande lit up the darkness as he ran. Aware that there were still mercenaries chasing after him, Dorbickmon stabbed the burning blade into the street as he ran, dragging it through the rock with all the strength that he could muster.

"Burning the Dragon!" he shouted, tapping into the Dragon Veins that ran throughout the Digital World. Shards of rock began tearing up from the street, breaking the concrete and sending pillars of rock shooting into the air, straight down the road. These served to act as further obstacles between Dorbickmon and his pursuers, who were beginning to lose ground to the adrenalized dragon.

Dorbickmon looked over his shoulder and saw that there was a good amount of distance between him and his attackers. This prompted him to extinguish the Tyrant Collbrande so that it would be easier for him to slip into the night.

The dragon man continued dashing up the road. He knew that he was still being chased, and that the Shroud police would be arriving in a matter of time. He snarled, blood dripping from his face, and kept running up the streets of the city. He knew that he had to get out of Shroud as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, back at the Severed Arms, Black Pincer Company were enjoying themselves in the wake of the live entertainment.

"Hahaha! That was a hell of a show!" Bolgmon laughed. "Hope they catch up to the bastard!"

"Heh, even if they don't, he won't be a problem for us again, now that he's exposed," Blitzmon added with a dark smirk.

GrandisKuwagamon chuckled. He turned around to look at the Sagitarrimon bartender, who was looking thoroughly pissed. "Sorry, Sagi. Couldn't help myself," he told him, shrugging and grinning.

"Assholes… Look at this mess. You're helping to clean this up," Sagitarrimon told him with an annoyed glare, gesturing around at the spilled drinks, destroyed tables, and singed wood. "And you're paying for the damage."

"Add it to our tab," GrandisKuwagamon responded nonchalantly. He smirked and looked out the door, still hearing the sounds of the horde of mercenaries chasing after Dorbickmon.

"It was worth it to get a bit of sweet revenge…"


	27. Chapter 18: Escalation

(Author's Notes: Here's Chapter 18. I'm going to start going back and editing the old chapters of A Dragon in Shining Armour with minor changes to the names and some other things that have been bugging me. Anyways, enjoy the chapter!)

**Chapter 18: Escalation**

A stark, quiet ambience lingered in the Royal Knights' council room. A meeting had been called to discuss recent events and what to do about them.

All twelve Royal Knights sat around the round, white table in the center of the room. The Captains of the four forces stood (or hovered) behind the Royal Knights. Each held a teacup and tea saucer in the hands or claws – even Grani skillfully held them with claw like arms, using a blend of perfect balance and the ring-like handle on the side of the teacup.

There was an atmosphere of anticipation in the grey room. Each Royal Knight waited as Imperialdramon Paladin Mode walked around the table with a few large kettles, pouring them each a cup of their preferred tea individually. The founder of the Order wore a blithe smile on his face as he took his time pouring the drinks. He even made sure to ask whether each Digimon wanted cream and sugar.

Some of the Royal Knights were happy to go along with it, but others were impatiently waiting for the meeting to begin.

Duftmon had his arms folded and his eyes closed, quietly waiting for the meeting to begin, although he really did enjoy tea. Alphamon, Craniamon, and Dynasmon were also eager to start the meeting. The rest of the Royal Knights didn't mind waiting and were happy to have some tea.

"Thank you, Imperialdramon," Sleipmon said with a smile as his teacup was filled with the warm, orange liquid.

"You're welcome, my dear Sleipmon," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode said light-heartedly.

Sitting beside Sleipmon, Gankoomon prodded the delicate teacup in front of him disdainfully. "I never know what to do with these dainty, flimsy teacups…" he stated dismissively. "I always use a tea bowl. That's how real men drink tea!"

"I think we have those too," Imperialdramon responded, stopping and thinking back to where the tea equipment was stored. "I can get you one, if you'd pref—"

"Gankoomon will be fine," Alphamon assured him. He looked over at Gankoomon with meaningful eyes and urged him not to complain so that they could finally start the meeting.

Gankoomon rolled his eyes behind his visor. "Yeah, fine… Green tea, please. Thanks, Imperialdramon. And I drink it straight." he replied, watching as the white-armoured dragon man walked over and carefully poured him his emerald-hued tea.

"And last but not least…' Imperialdramon Paladin Mode said, walking over to Alphamon and flashing him a teasing grin. "I already know what you take, oh, Aloof Hermit. It involves anchovies and lime juice. Or have you moved onto new realms like natto and seared eel?"

"Ugh," OuRyuumon groaned after he took a sip of tea from his cup. "Please don't enable his weird drinking habits, Imperialdramon. You'll make me sick. It's hard enough to get Alphamon to drink tea and coffee normally."

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode laughed, but the rest of the Royal Knights stayed decidedly quiet at his words.

Alphamon rolled his eyes as well, but couldn't help but smile. "Red tea with a drop of cream, even though I won't be able to maximize the flavour without such additives," he stated, giving OuRyuumon a playful, sparring look. The Royal Knight then looked up at the blue dragon man. "Can we finally begin now?" he dryly asked Imperialdramon.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode chuckled and began pouring Alphamon's red tea. "You're being more aloof than usual today. I'm nearly done…" he said, concentrating. He finished pouring the tea and then added a drop of cream. Next, the dragon man Digimon placed the kettles on the table and patted Alphamon's shoulder. "Okay, go ahead."

"Why, thank you," Alphamon spoke with a dry undertone. He glanced up at the sky blue dragon paladin who stood between Omegamon and himself. "I suppose we should start with the biggest issue."

"You mean how the D-Brigade took Haganemame City yesterday?" Dukemon asked, having already heard from Grani.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode folded his arms and nodded. "I heard about that while I was up in Saversburg," he explained. "I was initially surprised that you guys didn't intervene, but then I heard about what happened to the Locomon."

Grani dipped his beak into the teacup and took a polite sip. "Yes... Due to the derailing, we were unable to consider transporting our forces quickly enough to intervene against the Metal Empire," he explained, floating behind Dukemon.

Duftmon lightly tapped his finger against the teacup in his hand. "I suspect that the D-Brigade sabotaged the railway in order to delay our advance north to Saversburg and the Mamemon Kingdom. It effectively delayed our intervention until after they captured Haganemame City. It is a clever, if unscrupulous tactic," the tactician explained.

Dukemon narrowed his eyes. "But to attack a Locomon carrying innocent passengers…" he disdainfully said, clenching his fist.

"This is who we're dealing with," Craniamon stated, his glowing, red eyes hardening. "The D-Brigade uses cowardly, underhanded means."

"Digimon are working on getting Locomon back on the rails and fixing the track, but it should take some time," Grani explained.

"What should we do?" UlforceVeedramon asked. "Should we bother getting involved? PrinceMamemon was kind of asking for it, after all… Besides, now that he's out of power, won't the Metal Empire settle down? It might not be a good idea to provoke them after they got what they want."

"Should we let the Digimon of the Mamemon Kingdom suffer because of the idiocy of one Digimon?" Magnamon challenged. "Besides, we can't let them get away with their actions, after everything they've done."

"Fair point, I guess," the azure Royal Knight submitted. "Still, what do we do now that they've taken Haganemame City?"

Alphamon closed his eyes in thought. "I'm reluctant to commit to a full scale battle if we don't have to. Especially after what happened last time," he mused.

"I will not fail this time," Duftmon assured them. "We mustn't let the Metal Empire do as they please. To do so would give them an incentive to conquer more. We must make it clear to them and any others that this is unacceptable. The justice of the Royal Knights is absolute. Our power - our justice - must be respected."

Alphamon opened the golden orbs of his eyes and turned them towards Duftmon. "I know, Duftmon. And you have a point," he admitted. "We shouldn't let ourselves be seen to be pushed around by Chaosdramon and his D-Brigade. It would set a bad precedent for others. However, I don't want to go storming into Haganemame City and put a lot of innocent Digimon in danger just for our own sake."

"There are other options," Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode pointed, running his claws through his blond hair.

Omegamon looked at Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode and nodded. "Perhaps we can advance to Saversburg to put pressure on the D-Brigade, and then see how they react?" he suggested.

"That seems like a good plan to me," RhodoKnightmon spoke, folding his arms. "It may coax the Metal Empire out of the Mamemon Kingdom and provoke them to attack us."

"Given the size and power of the D-Brigade, we may need to use our military and a majority of us Royal Knights," Examon pointed out, thinking about it in logical terms.

"I'm ready for round two," Dynasmon stated, punching his large fist into the palm of his other hand.

"The Strike Forces are ready and willing," OuRyuumon spoke, looking over at Alphamon.

"As are the Defence Forces," Knightmon concurred.

Alphamon stroked his chin. "Well… That sounds like it may be our best idea, Omegamon. I'd like to see how the situation progresses if we go up there," he spoke. He looked around at the table. "Why don't we put it to a vote? All those in favour?"

All twelve of the Royal Knights raised their hands in favour of the idea. Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode also held up his hand.

The black armoured leader of the Royal Knights turned and looked up at the white and blue paladin. "If you want a vote, you have to officially join the Order, Imperialdramon," he teased him.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode chuckled and shrugged. "Hey, you guys have twelve members. What if there's a six-six split? Unless you get a new member, that means I'll have to come down here whenever you need a tiebreaker," he pointed out.

"Hmm, you do have a point," Sleipmon mused, thinking about it. "It's never come up so far, but it could happen."

"I suppose so," Alphamon replied, admitting that Imperialdramon was right about that. "However, now isn't the time to be thinking about that. I'm sure if we end up in a stalemate scenario, we can think of a temporary solution."

Gankoomon nodded and folded his arms. "That's what rock-paper-scissors is for," he declared.

Alphamon gave Gankoomon a look that told him exactly what he thought of that idea. "I'm sure that we can do better than that…" he flatly replied. "Anyways… it's decided. We'll begin preparations for advancing north to Saversburg. We should speak with the Council of Seven and the mayor of Saversburg about this first, though. While we're going to do this regardless, it would be better to have their tacit approval so that we don't put them in an awkward situation."

"That seems reasonable," Omegamon agreed, looking at Alphamon.

Dukemon nodded. "Okay!" he declared, standing to his feet. "So, I guess we need to come up with a plan." He turned and looked at the four Captains. "You guys okay with this?"

"Yes, Sir!" Knightmon declared, saluting.

"You bet, Dukemon," OuRyuumon agreed, levelling a toothy smirk from the other side of the table.

"Of course," Grani calmly agreed.

Karatenmon placed his hands on his hips and grinned. "The Stealth Forces are good to go," he affirmed as well.

Alphamon smiled. "Good," he spoke. "Thank you. Let's convene for now and we can begin devising our strategy tomorrow."

"Before that—may I, Alphamon?" Duftmon asked the Knight of the Empty Seat. Upon seeing Alphamon nod, he looked at Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode. "How is the Dark Area discussion going in Saversburg?"

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode smiled in response. "It's going rather well, actually. The first week was pretty rough, but after that first hurdle, we've started making good progress. We're discussing the possibility of a com—"

The founder of the Royal Knights was interrupted when the double doors of the council room swung open loudly. Everybody stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the unannounced Digimon.

"HELP ME, MY ROYAL LOYAL KNIGHTS!" PrinceMamemon sputtered, stumbling into the council room. He was out of breath and his large, yellow cheeks were a deep crimson. He looked like he was about to cry.

An annoyed silence swept through the council room.

"…PrinceMamemon?" Alphamon asked incredulously.

"Alphamon! It's horrible!" PrinceMamemon cried out, wandering shakily towards the round table.

"Sir, you can't go in there!" a black KnightChessmon castle guard spoke, looking at the Royal Knights apologetically as he followed the large monarch inside. "I'm sorry. He walked straight past us…"

Alphamon sighed. "It's fine. We will allow it," he explained, albeit with obvious reluctance.

"Sir," KnightChessmon replied, turning around and walking back into the great hall, closing the doors behind him.

"Hello there," Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode greeted, smiling and waving amicably at PrinceMamemon.

"It's horrible! Horrible!" PrinceMamemon declared, walking around the table towards Alphamon on the opposite side. As he approached, he grabbed hold of Omegamon's cape and blew his nose on it. "Alphamon, do something!" he begged.

Omegamon's eye twitched and he looked over his shoulder at the large Mamemon standing behind him. "…What… seems to be the problem?" he asked, trying not to sound too irritated.

"Tea?" Imperialdramon offered.

"Yes, please! Lots of sugar!" PrinceMamemon replied, sniffling and twiddling his fingers. "And I have been forced out of my own home!"

"Oh? Go on," the white-armoured dragon man asked, going to pour some tea for the distressed Digimon.

"What exactly happened?" Alphamon questioned. "We heard that the D-Brigade took over Haganemame City."

"They did!" PrinceMamemon exclaimed, taking the cup of tea and sipping it. He immediately recoiled and his face scrunched up. "It's too hot! Mercuremon always made my tea cooler than—Wah! Mercuremon! My loyal servant! How could he?!" he suddenly cried, tears welling in his eyes again.

Omegamon sighed when PrinceMamemon grabbed his cape again and wiped his face on it. "What's wrong…?"

"Mercuremon… He betrayed me!" PrinceMamemon announced, now clutching the white and red cape like a security blanket. "He betrayed the Mamemon Kingdom to the Metal Empire!"

Magnamon blinked. "Mercuremon? Your advisor? But why?"

"I don't know! He has always been so loyal and hard-working!" PrinceMamemon replied, sniffing hard. "The last time I saw him, he said that he wanted to take over the Mamemon Kingdom for himself! The Metal Empire must have brainwashed him! Yes, that's it!"

The Royal Knights exchanged glances. "How did he betray you?" Examon inquired for further details.

"I believe he told our army to surrender to the Metal Empire so the D-Brigade could march right in unopposed…" PrinceMamemon replied.

"That may have been the smartest decision anyways," Duftmon explained. "There is no way that your army could have defeated the D-Brigade."

"E-Even so! He then led Raijinmon, Suijinmon, and Fujinmon straight to my palace!" PrinceMamemon explained. "Th-They said I either had to leave or be arrested!"

"You should consider yourself lucky," Dukemon stated, folding his arms. "Metal Empire prisons aren't fun."

"Lucky? But my kingdom's gone! I'm the king!" PrinceMamemon protested pathetically. "My people need me! You need to help me take it back!"

"We have already discussed that. We'll see, PrinceMamemon," Alphamon explained to him.

"But you must! I'm your king!" PrinceMamemon stated.

Alphamon fixed a stern stare with PrinceMamemon that caused the monarch to hide behind Omegamon. "PrinceMamemon… I'm sorry to be blunt, but I need to make this perfectly clear to you," Alphamon began, his voice firm and commanding. "We are the Royal Knights. We have no kings. We are subordinate only to justice, righteousness, and Yggdrasil." He looked straight into PrinceMamemon in order to emphasize his words. "Whatever we choose to do, it is our decision, not yours. As the Lord of the Empty Seat, I will not risk my friends' lives on somebody else's wishes. Do you understand me? You have already dragged us into one conflict through your recklessness. It is up to us what we will do now."

PrinceMamemon half-heartedly opened his mouth to protest, but quickly thought better of it. He grimaced as Alphamon's words sunk in, and he nodded. "Y… Yes, Alphamon… I understand…" he weakly responded.

"As a leader, it is your job to understand that the weight of your decisions affects those who work under you," Alphamon advised him. "The Mamemon Kingdom may be small, but do not take your actions lightly or for the wrong reasons."

"Yes… Well… I'm not a leader anymore, am I?" PrinceMamemon said with a deflated sigh. He plopped down on the floor and sulked noticeably.

"Was he ever one to begin with?" UlforceVeedramon whispered to Craniamon in jest.

"Certainly doesn't act like it," Craniamon muttered back.

Unaware of the quiet joking at his expense, PrinceMamemon turned to Alphamon with sombre, needy eyes. "May I stay here for the time being? I have nowhere else to go…" he questioned in a feeble, demoralized voice.

"I'm sorry, PrinceMamemon. I can't allow that," Alphamon responded apologetically. "If you stayed here, it would look like we were harbouring you and imply that we have been working together all along. I know that the Metal Empire has already attacked us, but we can't afford to give them any reason."

"B-But what if they're after me?!" PrinceMamemon exclaimed, his voice quivering with fear.

"Isn't there anything we can do, Alphamon?" Magnamon asked, unable to help but feel bad for him. "We have to do _something_…"

Alphamon sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "…We can pay for lodgings in Knights' Cross. You'll have armed bodyguards to protect you, though if the Metal Empire gave you the option to leave on your free will, I doubt you'll need them. But still, if it makes you feel secure…"

"Thank you. That will do," PrinceMamemon replied, obviously relieved, but still very much deflated. He grabbed hold of Omegamon's chair and used it to help pull himself to his feet. "In that case, I shall wander around until somebody is ready to take me there."

The royal Mamemon bowed to the Royal Knights and then walked around the table. He stepped up to the closed double doors and prepared to open them. As he raised his hands to pull the doors open and walk out into the great hall, he took a deep breath.

Just as PrinceMamemon began to pull the doors, they suddenly burst open from the other side. PrinceMamemon released a surprised wail as the doors opened in his face and he was sent rolling unceremoniously across the floor.

Everybody immediately looked to see what had happened. To their shock, they saw Dorbickmon push the doors open and stagger into the stone council room.

Dorbickmon had a wild look in his draconic eyes. His sweat-laced chest was heaving and his body looked wracked from exhaustion. Dark blood was crusted onto his snout and neck, dried against his scales. His face was bruised and swollen, and he bore his rows of teeth in anger and pain. After a few steps into the council room, Dorbickmon's legs buckled and he fell to his hands and knees.

"Dorbickmon!" Examon exclaimed with worry. He stood up from his seat and rushed over to Dorbickmon to check on him.

Karatenmon observed him with a furrowed gaze – Dorbickmon was working as a spy for him, so he couldn't help but feel concerned as well. "Dorbickmon, what happened to you?" he asked him. Unlike usually, his voice was calm and deadly serious. It was times like this that his ninja instincts kicked in.

Alphamon frowned and rose to his feet. "Are you hurt?" he asked the large, crimson dragon man.

"N-No, I'm fine," PrinceMamemon responded, lying on his back and rubbing his face.

"I think he meant Dorbick-kun," UlforceVeedramon pointed out with levity in his voice.

Examon placed his claws on Dorbickmon's shoulders and gently tried to help him to his feet. "We need to get him to Duskmon," he said to the other Royal Knights.

Dorbickmon released a tired and guttural snarl. "I'm fine, Examon. Now quit lookin' at me like that, already," he grunted dismissively. The dragon mercenary pulled himself to his feet and stood on uneven footing, making a point to not let himself be supported.

"You're hurt. You need to get checked out," Examon insisted, insisting on holding Dorbickmon steady. He looked him over for visible wounds.

"Later," Dorbickmon replied, trying to pull his bicep away from Examon.

Karatenmon stepped forward. "Dorbickmon, what happened?" the raven man asked him again.

"Black Pincer Company found me out. They somehow realised I was working for you guys. Dunno how," Dorbickmon responded gruffly between breaths, glancing up at Karatenmon.

The avian spymaster frowned. "Your cover was compromised?" he questioned.

Dorbickmon brought a hand to his sore, bruised face. "Yeah… The three damn bugs announced that I was a Royal Knight informant in a busy bar in Shroud. You can imagine that went over well…" he grunted, folding his arms and looking away indignantly. "The whole bar swarmed me. I just barely escaped."

"That must have been something," OuRyuumon stated, smirking faintly at the idea.

"Damn," Gankoomon said, folding his arms. "That won't go away anytime soon. You'll probably have a bounty on your head."

"You're telling me…" Dorbickmon answered with a sigh. "News like this gets around fast. I can say goodbye to Shroud, Dark Point, and my other usuals for awhile. Hell, I doubt I can even go back to Dragon's Peak..."

Karatenmon winced. "I'm sorry, Dorbickmon. I shouldn't have asked you to go after Black Pincer Company so regularly. I should have expected them to realise when they're being tailed." The spymaster lightly bowed. "I made a mistake."

Dorbickmon released a half-growl, half-exhale as he shook his head. "Forget it. S'my own damn fault. I was probably too obvious. I knew I wasn't cut out to be a spy; it's just not in my nature..." he insisted. The rough dragon man released a grunt and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm no use to you as a spy now, and I'm not going to be able to take any jobs until this blows over… How the hell am I going to make any money?"

Examon frowned and walked over to Alphamon. "Alphamon, can I ask you a favour?" he beseeched the black-armoured Royal Knight.

Alphamon looked at Examon. "Sure. What is it?" he questioned, although he suspected he knew already.

"Can Dorbickmon stay here at the castle until this blows over?" Examon asked him. "He got into this situation because he was trying to help us out. I think it's only fair that we help him."

"You want him to stay at the castle?" Duftmon asked sceptically. "Where he can wander around and learn our secrets?"

"He wouldn't do that, Duftmon," Dukemon replied. "He doesn't have any reason to betray us."

The tactician frowned at Dukemon. "He may sell information about us to buy his way back into the good graces of the criminal underworld. You can't deny the possibility," he suggested.

Dorbickmon shot Duftmon an annoyed look. "One, I'm not that stupid. Two, I don't even _want_ to stay here. I appreciate the thought, Examon, but I don't need your guys' protection. I can take care of myself."

Examon turned and calmly gazed at Dorbickmon. "You need a place to stay. It's safe here," he explained logically.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'll be fine," Dorbickmon insisted with a dismissive shrug.

"He gets to stay here but I don't?!" PrinceMamemon complained.

"You're lucky you're getting as much as you are, with the stuff you put us through," Gankoomon explained to PrinceMamemon with a distasteful scowl.

"The same could be said for Dorbickmon," Craniamon dryly pointed out.

Dorbickmon rolled his eyes. "Thanks a lot. After I nearly got my horns pulled off helping you guys," he retorted to the violet knight.

"You got paid for it," Craniamon reminded him standoffishly.

Examon sighed with exasperation. "Dorbickmon, stop being stubborn," he said firmly, locking his green eyes with Dorbickmon. "Stay here for awhile. It's not charity or weakness – it's being smart. Where else are you going to stay?"

Dorbickmon opened his mouth to retort, but he realised that Examon had a point, prompting him to sneer and look away. "…Dunno," he muttered, his resolve starting to weaken. "The UDC?"

"You said that Dragon's Peak might not be safe," Examon argued.

"I don't mind risking it," Dorbickmon muttered, folding his arms and looking away from Examon. "I don't need your help."

Alphamon stood up from his seat and walked over to Dorbickmon. "Examon has a point. It would really be best if you stayed here for awhile. We don't mind at all; we take care of the Digimon who put themselves in danger to help us," he explained.

Dorbickmon grunted and shrugged. "…Okay, whatever!" he said with irritation. "Fine… Guess I don't have much choice anyways…" he conceded with an indignant mutter.

"Good," Examon said, grinning with relief and patting Dorbickmon's back.

Dorbickmon winced as Examon's hand struck a bruise. "Ow! Watch it, Examon!" he complained.

Examon chuckled softly. "Don't be a baby," he responded. He turned to Alphamon. "Thanks, Alphamon. Are we finished here? I want to get Dorbickmon to the medical bay."

Alphamon nodded. "More or less. Imperialdramon, can you update me on the Dark Area talks later?" he asked the white paladin.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode nodded. "Yeah. I'll tell you what we're thinking about. They're still working out the kinks, but it's better than what we had before," he answered.

"Don't forget to tell us about it," Omegamon added, standing to his feet.

"I suppose I can just read the top secret record written by our transcriber," Duftmon replied.

PrinceMamemon looked down and pressed his fingers together. "Um, what about me…?" he asked meekly.

"Ah, yes," Alphamon spoke, turning over to the Captains. "Captain Knightmon, can you?"

"Yes, Sir," Knightmon agreed, walking over to PrinceMamemon. "Come along, your majesty. I will pick out some guards and then show you where you will be staying."

"I don't want any mean ones!" PrinceMamemon exclaimed, following Knightmon out into the great hall.

Once he was gone, UlforceVeedramon turned to Alphamon with a grin. "Be honest, Alphamon. The reason why Dorbick-kun's staying here while PrinceMamemon-_sama_ isn't is because PrinceMamemon's too annoying to have around all the time."

Alphamon smiled a bit. "The reason is what I said it was. …But there are a lot of factors that went into that decision," he admitted slyly.

"Feel sorry for the guards that have to look after him," Dukemon said lightheartedly. "Talk about high-maintenance."

"Anyways," Alphamon spoke, turning to the table of Royal Knights. "Meeting adjourned."

The twelve Royal Knights rose to their feet and made to leave, as did OuRyuumon, Grani, and Karatenmon.

Karatenmon walked over to Examon and Dorbickmon, nodding to them both. "Mind if I come along? I want to talk to Dorbickmon after he gets patched up," he explained.

"That's fine with me, Karatenmon," Examon replied, beginning to pull Dorbickmon's arm over his shoulders to help him walk.

Dorbickmon pulled his arm away slowly and gave Examon a stubborn, somewhat annoyed look. "I can walk just fine, Examon. Quit fussing over me," he responded.

As Grani floated by, he looked at the two Digimon. "_Somebody_ has to fuss over stubborn, reckless, crimson, dragon men," he pointed out in a calm, playful voice. "Right, Examon?"

"I heard that, Grani!" Dukemon called over to the Zero ARMS. Grani smiled and flew over to Dukemon to walk out the door with him.

Examon grinned at Dorbickmon. "Okay then. You look like you got hit by a Trailmon, but go ahead and walk," he said to him.

Dorbickmon rolled his eyes and began walking, making sure to keep himself steady with every step. "See?" Dorbickmon pointed out dryly. "I've been in worse situations than that."

Examon sighed at his macho comrade, but smiled and followed him. The Royal Knights cleared out of the council room and dispersed in the great hall. The preparations for the journey to Saversburg would soon begin.

* * *

Omegamon stepped outside of the main building of the headquarters. He took in a breath of fresh air and straightened his body. He enjoyed the feeling of the mild, late afternoon air against him. The breeze was refreshing as it blew across the black fabric of his body and underneath this armour.

The sun was low in the sky as it began to set. Overhead, the clouds were a pinkish-violet colour that made for a beautiful sunset.

The white knight's blue eyes stared into the distance as he thought quietly. Just as Omegamon began to start walking again, a voice behind him called out.

"Hey, Omegamon!" the strong but warm voice hailed him.

Omegamon turned around and saw Imperialdramon Paladin Mode jog out of the castle and run up to him. The white knight smiled at his fellow white-armoured warrior. He was amused by Imperialdramon's constant energy; it was just like Imperialdramon to be unable to stay in one place for very long. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised that Imperialdramon chose not to settle down with them when they founded the Order.

"Imperialdramon?" he asked his friend curiously. "Is something up?"

The sky blue dragon man grinned and stopped beside Omegamon. "No, I just wanted to talk. Are you busy?" Imperialdramon Paladin Mode asked him.

Omegamon shook his head. "I was just going for a walk around the castle," he explained in his soft, shared voice. "Do you want to join me?"

"Sure," the smiling warrior responded, walking alongside Omegamon.

They walked up the main street of the castle where all the shops and services were located. Digimon of the Order passed by and saluted the two Digimon. Omegamon nodded and saluted back at the passing soldiers.

As they made their way towards the castle courtyard, Omegamon looked at Imperialdramon. "Was there something particular you wanted to talk to me about?" he wondered.

"No. I just wanted to chat. Like old times," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode explained with the casual smile that he was known for. "So, how are you, Omegamon?"

"I'm good. Just busy with everything that's been going on," Omegamon explained, looking forwards. "And you?"

"Oh, you know. Thinking about the Dark Area and world security. Stuff like that," Imperialdramon nonchalantly replied.

Omegamon couldn't help but chuckle. "That's just like you…" he said with subtle warmth.

"What is?" the white armoured, blond-haired paladin asked.

"You being so relaxed, even when you're trying to take something seriously," Omegamon pointed out with a lighthearted look in his eyes.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode smiled. "Hey, I can afford to be relaxed; you were always the sensible one between us."

"It feels like such a long time, doesn't it? Since the times that we adventured together," the alabaster Royal Knight mused.

"Ages ago," Imperialdramon stated, placing his hands behind his head as they walked towards the barracks and the training grounds. His crimson eyes glanced at Omegamon. "Hey, you've come a long way since then," he added in a teasing voice.

Omegamon looked at him. "Do you think?"

"Yeah. Remember, you had trouble saying two words to other Digimon in public without me around. Now you can command a whole army," Imperialdramon explained.

Omegamon flushed. "It isn't always easy," he pointed out. After a moment of thinking about it, he spoke up. "And you've changed too. You aren't nearly as reckless and headstrong."

"I'm not? Shame, I'll have to work on that," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode joked. He observed Omegamon with a light grin. "You also have a lot more friends now, other than just me. I'm glad about that."

Omegamon nodded. "So am I…" he mused. He looked at Imperialdramon. "Though, I'm glad you're still around."

The white paladin cast a warm smile towards him. "Of course I am. I know I've been flighty in the past, but, well…" He trailed off sheepishly. Imperialdramon rubbed the back of his head, idly running his blue fingers through his blond hair. It seemed as if he was regretting something.

"You're there when it matters," Omegamon responded, continuing to walk up the stone road.

It was Imperialdramon's turn to get embarrassed. "Not always… I mean, if I was…" he remembered back to what Omegamon Zwart had said to him about Imperialdramon leaving when the Order was founded.

Omegamon sighed. "Don't blame yourself for that, Imperialdramon… We both made mistakes. I could have been honest about my feelings, but I wasn't. That was one of my faults... That's always been one of my flaws. That was probably the main reason as to why I was susceptible to the dark data; I had those repressed, negative feelings I've been bottling up inside me" he explained to him.

"Even so, I should have been there. You're always there for your friends," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode said, glancing away sheepishly. "You've saved my blue butt more times than I can remember. …Hell, it's because of you that I have this form now." He gestured to his white armoured body. "You gave me your power back during the Armagemon crisis. I should have been there for you too."

"It's reciprocal," the Royal Knight assured him, looking at him meaningfully. "I gave you my power because I trust you with my life."

Imperialdramon felt his cheeks heat up. "It was nothing," he mumbled. He was never good at serious conversations. "…Anyways…" He looked at Omegamon. "How are you and Alphamon doing? Are things good?"

Omegamon smiled at his friend's typical behaviour. "They are… We put everything that happened behind us awhile ago. There's no lingering resentment on either side…" he said with gratefulness in his voice.

"Good… I know how close you two are," Imperialdramon said with his own smile. "…I didn't want to ask him, but are he and OuRyuumon back together?"

"I don't think so, but they're still as close as ever," Omegamon explained.

Imperialdramon nodded, thinking to himself. "…What about Dukemon? How's he?"

"Dukemon?" Omegamon asked questioningly. "He's fine… Why?"

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode chuckled and scratched his cheek with a finger. "No reason. Just curious how you two were getting along too. We've known him back since our adventuring days, after all."

"We've been fine…" the white Royal Knight answered. He gave his friend a bland look. "If you are looking for gossip, ask UlforceVeedramon or RhodoKnightmon…"

Imperialdramon laughed more. "Hey, I'm just interested!" he insisted, turning down the road and heading over towards the staging grounds on the east side of the castle. "I want to know what I missed while I was up in Saversburg trying to think of ways to save the world."

Omegamon smiled and rolled his eyes. "You know, in your role as the founder of our Order, you have a certain mystique and gravitas around you. Are a lot of Digimon disappointed when they meet you in person?" he playfully said to his friend.

"You only say that because you know me so well. I can pull off that heroic charisma, you know. Unlike your good self," Imperialdramon replied, nudging him with his elbow. "All I need to do is strike a pose, spread my majestic wings, let the wind blow through my hair, and speak in my deep, commanding voice. It doesn't take much to make Digimon swoon."

A soft laugh escaped Omegamon's mouth. "You're hopeless," he said, walking beside the dragon man and continuing their trek around the castle.

* * *

Back in the castle, Dukemon walked down one of the stone corridors of the headquarters. There was one particular Royal Knight that he wanted to speak with.

Dukemon strode down the wide hallway. The soft, rippling sound that his cape made as he walked harmonized with the hum of the glowing torches on the walls. He made his way towards the stairs leading to the basement. The metallic clanking of his boots against the rug-covered floor announced his presence.

"_I think I saw him go this way…_" Dukemon mused to himself as he headed towards the stairs.

"Dukemon? Where are you going?" a voice asked from behind him

Dukemon glanced over his shoulder and saw Grani floating around a corner. He noticed the Zero ARMS looked at him with inquiring, sapphire eyes. Dukemon grinned. "You're not following me, are you? I'm not going to run off and get myself captured again, if that's what you're worried about."

Grani shot him a flat gaze. "Really. Because it wouldn't surprise me in the least," he sarcastically replied. "I'm merely asking."

"I'm looking for Duftmon. I want to speak to him about something," Dukemon responded.

"Oh? That sounds serious," Grani mused.

"Not really. …Or, at least, I don't think it is… I guess I'll find out," the white and red knight answered, scratching his cheek with a finger. "Have you see him?"

"I think you are headed in the right direction," the avian dragon informed him. "It shouldn't be too hard to find him. Outside of battle, his movements are predictable. Good luck with whatever it is."

Dukemon nodded. "I'll let you know a little later, Grani," he replied. As Grani flew off, Dukemon made his way to the stairs to the basement.

Just as Dukemon was about to head down the stone staircase, he noticed a familiar figure out of the corner of his eyes. Down a side hallway that led to the corner where the stairs were located, Dukemon noticed the familiar, slender, brown body of Duftmon walking over.

Dukemon turned to face him and gave him a disarming smile behind his helmet. "Duftmon. Just the Digimon I was looking for," he greeted.

Duftmon stopped and cocked an eyebrow curiously. "Hmm?"

"Where are you headed?" Dukemon asked him.

"I was headed to the library to read the transcriptions of the Saversburg meetings," Duftmon responded, raising a folder of papers that he was holding. "Why do you ask?"

"Great! I'll come with you and we can talk there," Dukemon exclaimed.

Duftmon levelled an incredulous look at Dukemon, as if he just said that he wanted to marry an Armagemon. "…We can't _talk_ in the library, Dukemon. That is the first and foremost rule of library etiquette. Did you not read the list of rules that I posted on the door?"

"How about the chapel, then?" Dukemon suggested.

"That would be disrespectful to Yggdrasil and any Digimon who may be in there," Duftmon countered. "…What is wrong with speaking right here?"

"I want to talk to you in private. …How about a broom closet?" Dukemon playfully offered.

Duftmon stared at him flatly, his green eyes seriously unamused. After a few moments, he released a sigh. "Very well. We can speak in my bedroom. Is that private enough?"

"Works for me," Dukemon said, putting his hands on his hips.

Duftmon nodded and turned around to head to the stairs leading up to the second floor. Dukemon followed the leopard tactician as he strode up to the second floor. The pair of Royal Knights walked down the hallway of the Royal Knights' sleeping quarters, towards Duftmon's room.

Duftmon opened the door and walked inside, allowing Dukemon to follow him. He stopped a few meters inside his room and turned around to face Dukemon. "Please do not move anything or make a mess," he told him.

"I won't touch a thing," Dukemon promised him, putting his hands up innocently.

"Why do I doubt that?" Duftmon mumbled. He looked at Dukemon directly. "What is it that you wish to speak about?"

Dukemon closed the door behind him and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh… _you_, to be honest."

Duftmon frowned with both curiosity and scepticism. "…Me?" he tentatively questioned. "In what way?"

"Well…" Dukemon walked over and sat down on Duftmon's bed, inadvertently creasing the blankets with his weight as he sat. You've seemed different ever since Dynasmon and me got back."

Duftmon bristled at the newly made creases in the blankets, but remained quiet. Instead of reprimanding him, he turned to face Dukemon, arms folded. "'Dynasmon and I'," Duftmon corrected his grammatical error. "…Have I? I certainly haven't noticed. Perhaps you are imagining it."

Dukemon smiled a bit. "No… I'm definitely not. You've been… more understanding."

Duftmon grunted and felt a bit insulted. "More understanding… Was I not understanding before?" he questioned pointedly, closing his eyes and tilting his head up back indignantly.

Dukemon chuckled. "Let's be honest, Duftmon. You're not exactly a sensitive Digimon…" he pointed out light-heartedly.

"You can be quite the reckless boor yourself," Duftmon defensively countered. However, after a moment, he released a sigh and folded his arms. "But, yes, I am aware of that…"

Dukemon couldn't help but blink at Duftmon's personal insight. "You are…?"

"Are you saying that I am not self-aware?" Duftmon pressed the crimson Royal Knight.

The dragon man rubbed the back of his head. "Well… _Yeah_…" Dukemon admitted sheepishly.

"Hmph…" Duftmon scoffed, turning his head away. "As if you are."

Dukemon smiled and shrugged. "Neither of us is perfect. I'd be the first to admit that I'm not," Dukemon stated. He looked at Duftmon with an amused expression. "But being self-aware isn't exactly your forte."

"…I suppose you are right…" Duftmon admitted, somewhat reluctantly. "I am not adroit at social situations… I am honest with my opinions; as a tactician, I have to be… However, I say things in a manner that upsets Digimon. I may not know the right things to say, but I _am_ aware of other Digimons' reactions towards me. I suppose I cannot help it. I have to be honest."

Dukemon smiled and patted the spot beside him on Duftmon's bed. "Sit down," he offered.

Duftmon stared at the spot with hesitation. He didn't particularly want to sit next to Dukemon - especially not that close in proximity. "I would rather not…" Duftmon spoke.

"Oh, come on. It's rude to stand over somebody while talking to them," Dukemon teased.

"I didn't ask you to sit," Duftmon muttered, although reluctantly walking over and sitting on his bed. He sat down with poise, making sure that there was some distance between himself and the knight who he knew had a poor sense of personal space. "There. Are you satisfied?"

Dukemon grinned and rolled his eyes. "You and I are very different…" he pointed out.

The leopard knight stared at Dukemon with sarcastic eyes. "You don't say…"

A chuckle escaped Dukemon's mouth. "Well, it's true. I'm reckless and impulsive, while you're calculating and measured. I make decisions based on emotion; you make them based on logic. I'm good with Digimon; you're good with strategy and intellectual stuff. I'm sociable and you're not. I have a hot temper, while you have an icy one," he stated, looking at Duftmon.

"I do hope that you aren't just figuring this out now…" Duftmon muttered, his voice still dripping with sarcasm. "Yes, Dukemon, you and I are extremely different."

Dukemon grinned at the shorter, skinnier Royal Knight. "Now that's one thing we have in common; we're both honest to a fault. That's probably why you and I argue so much," he observed. "Even if we aren't always honest with ourselves."

Duftmon winced and looked away from Dukemon. "…It was that self-obliviousness that lost us the battle and got you and Dynasmon taken prisoner…" he murmured.

The crimson knight turned his head and looked at Duftmon. "What was that?"

"Nothing at all," Duftmon insisted, closing his eyes and straightening himself up.

Dukemon eyed Duftmon quietly for a few moments. He then sighed and bent forwards, placing his forearms on his knees. "I know it was a stupid thing that I did. I got myself and Dynasmon captured. It was a reckless plan. I know how worried I made everybody," he stated, looking down guiltily. "In fact, I'm surprised that you took this long to say anything. I expected you to be down my throat as soon as I got back."

"Fool," Duftmon muttered, shooting a sideways glare at Dukemon. "That… wasn't what I meant…" He looked away again, growing embarrassed.

Dukemon blinked. "Huh?"

"_I_ was the one who wasn't self-aware. I was overconfident and dismissive of other Digimon's opinions. I couldn't see past my own ego. That caused me to make a fatal mistake…" Duftmon spoke, his fists tightening on his lap. "I should have listened to the scouting report. What happened in that battle was my responsibility and mine alone. It is because of that that you and Dynasmon were forced to take drastic action… I…" Duftmon looked to the side opposite from Dukemon. His words were in a barely audible mumble. "…I apologise…"

Dukemon was stunned into silence. He gazed incredulously at Duftmon, unable to believe what he just heard. For several moments, he just stared at the blond hair of the back of Duftmon's head, since the tactician had looked away in order to hide his blushing face. After a few seconds, Dukemon scooted closer to Duftmon. He raised his hand and placed it on the tactician's shoulder, squeezing it.

Duftmon tensed up when he sensed the knight's proximity and felt Dukemon's large hand on his winged shoulder. He wasn't particularly good with emotional physical contact. He didn't know how to react to it. Nevertheless, he reluctantly allowed it, as he expected such a thing from Dukemon.

"Don't worry about it, Duftmon. We all make mistakes. We just have to make sure that we learn from them," Dukemon spoke, his voice warm and understanding.

Duftmon glanced over his shoulder, his cheeks still heated with embarrassment at his admission of fault. "Yes… That is what I am trying to do…" he responded. "It isn't easy, you know…"

"It's never easy, trying to change something about yourself…" Dukemon said. His words were soft with understanding. "What exactly do you think you need to change?"

"I believe that I need to be more considerate of other Digimon. In many ways…" Duftmon admitted. "I have heard several times that I need to understand the Digimon that are beneath me."

Dukemon smirked. "Let me stop you right there. You aren't going to make any progress as long as you consider other Digimon to be beneath you," the crimson Royal Knight pointed out in a playful tone. "You may be a genius, Duftmon, but that doesn't mean you're better than us simple Digimon because of it."

"Ah… So, you believe that Digimon should be judged on other qualities apart from intelligence," Duftmon spoke, thinking to himself. "How do you judge Digimon, then?"

"I don't," Dukemon answered, frowning slightly. "Or, I try not to… I don't like to be judged, so why should I judge other Digimon?" Dukemon rubbed the back of his neck as he thought about his words. "I guess that's my point. You shouldn't judge Digimon based on shallow things. You have to understand them. Every Digimon has good qualities and bad qualities, as well as personalities, quirks, and past experiences that make them who they are."

"This is complicated…" Duftmon said with an annoyed sigh.

Dukemon laughed a bit and rubbed the leopard knight's shoulder before letting his hand slide off. "Okay, let's try this…" he suggested. He looked at Duftmon directly. "Tell me about yourself."

Duftmon blinked and looked at Dukemon with confusion. "Why in the Digital World would I do that? You already know enough about me," he responded with distaste.

"Not really… You never talk about your past. I didn't even know that you had a friend at the Xuanwumon University," Dukemon stated. "I feel like I don't know you as well as I should, and you haven't really made an effort to find out much about the rest of us. Why don't we start there?"

Duftmon sighed and looked as if he just ate something bitter. "…Very well… If we must…" he replied with emphatic reluctance. "What would you like to know?"

"Hmm…" Dukemon hummed, thinking about it for a moment. "Okay. What was it like growing up? What were your parents like?"

"Mm…" Duftmon frowned a bit as he thought about the question. "I come from a wealthy, prominent family of noble lineage. I descend from the founder of Saversburg, who was also a great military general. My mother was the mayor of Saversburg for several years when I was young. My father was the general of the Saversburg military at around the same time. He was… strict," Duftmon remembered.

Dukemon gazed at Duftmon with immense curiosity. It wasn't every day that Duftmon was so willing to talk about himself. "Strict?" he asked.

"Yes. As their only son, I was expected to carry on the good name of the family. I received private tutors and went to an elite school. I was expected to be well-versed in myriad subjects and disciplines," Duftmon responded in a neutral, explanatory way. "Politics, martial studies, grammar, history, etiquette, science…"

"That must have been hard…" Dukemon said empathetically. "Didn't you ever want to do other things?"

"Not especially…" Duftmon admitted. "My father was very strict, yes, but I was always interested in learning new things. It was only slightly burdensome."

"Didn't you have time for friends or just relaxing?" the larger Royal Knight asked him.

"I didn't have any friends," Duftmon answered without any regret or bitterness in his voice. "I wasn't very good at making any, and I wasn't particularly interested in doing so anyways. I much preferred studying. It was only when I started attending Xuanwumon University did I begin to socialize more. I debated with Tactimon and other students on various issues. I enjoyed finally being among Digimon who could challenge my intellect."

"Tactimon. One of the generals of Saversburg's army, right?" Dukemon mused. "So, he was your first friend?"

"Colleague. He, Blastmon, and I led the Saversburg Army against the Death-X invasion," the tactician corrected.

Dukemon sighed and smiled with resignation. "Colleague. Right…" he conceded. "And I know the rest. We noticed your efforts as a general and tactician, so we invited you to join the Order."

"Correct," Duftmon answered. "…Although, my parents are still a constant irritation. Even as a Royal Knight, they insist that I marry and produce offspring. That will not be happening. I have absolutely no interest in the romantic or sexual associations with the opposite binary gender. I don't see the sense in creating more Digimon when there are more than enough already. Is that so hard to grasp?"

At this, Dukemon smirked but held back his laughter. "No, I didn't think you would be…" he responded. "…Okay. I feel like I understand you better now," the caped Royal Knight said with a smile. "Let's try me now. You ask the questions."

"What should I ask?" Duftmon questioned.

Dukemon shrugged. "Whatever you want to know about me that you don't already know," he answered. "It's practice."

"Very well…" the brown armoured Royal Knight agreed. He thought for a few seconds about what he wanted to ask. He then looked up at Dukemon. "When did you first get the Digital Hazard? Were you born with it? Or did you receive it at some point? Has it activated before?"

At this, Dukemon went silent. He squirmed uncomfortably in place on the bed and looked away from Duftmon with annoyance and uncertainty. Unbeknownst to Duftmon, he had just put his defensive walls up.

Dukemon shot Duftmon a look, although he attempted to play off his reaction with a grin. "Okay, lesson two. You can't ask Digimon personal things like that. You have to gauge what's acceptable to ask someone," Dukemon explained, having no intention on answering the questions.

"Hmph. You just told me to ask whatever I wanted to know about you. I was curious about the Digital Hazard so I took that into my decision making," Duftmon huffily answered, folding his arms. He levelled an annoyed stare at Dukemon. "Besides, you just asked me about my past. Can I not ask about yours?"

Dukemon sighed and rubbed his head with mild irritation. He didn't want to be a hypocrite, but he also didn't really want to talk about that aspect of himself. He hated being associated with the Digital Hazard. He felt there was more to him than just that, but he felt like it dominated others' perceptions of him.

"Okay, look…" Dukemon conceded. "I'll tell you a bit about my past. …The truth is, I was born as a roaming Digi-egg in a small village that no longer exists. I was raised in an orphanage until I was adopted. I didn't have the mark of the Digital Hazard until I became a Guilmon, but it's possible that it existed latently before then. A seer from the city of Brighthelm was visiting. He identified the mark as the Digital Hazard, which meant I had the potential to cause immense damage to the Digital World's security and create a worldwide calamity. That's how I first found out about it," he explained, obviously uneasy about it.

Duftmon nodded. He gazed at Dukemon with inquisitive eyes, as if he was reading an interesting book.

Dukemon glanced at Duftmon. "Anyway… Things were normal for awhile. But when I was a MegaloGrowmon, raiders attacked the town and killed everybody. Afterwards, I travelled the Digital World with Grani. Over those years of helping people and honing my skills, I met Alphamon, OuRyuumon, Omegamon, Imperialdramon, Magnamon, Dynasmon, and DarkKnightmon. That's pretty much it," Dukemon explained, purposefully skimming over the details between the attack and when he started going adventuring.

"I see…" Duftmon responded. "So, you met the founding members of the Order over that period…"

"Yeah… My good friends…" Dukemon said, smiling fondly. He looked over at Duftmon. "You know… despite how often you and I are at each other's throats, I count you among them… My friends, I mean."

Duftmon frowned at this and felt uneasy. He wasn't entirely sure how to react to it. "I see… Err… Thank you, I suppose…" he half-heartedly replied.

At this, Dukemon couldn't help but laugh. "It is so worth it to get soppy just to see the look on your face," Dukemon teased.

Duftmon shot Dukemon an annoyed glare. He stood up and folded his arms. "If you are just planning to tease me, then I think we are finished here."

Dukemon chuckled. "Oh, I'm kidding," he said, standing to his feet as well. He placed his hands on his hips and looked at the tactician. "Besides, I did mean it."

The slender Royal Knight glanced away. "Very well," he uncomfortably acknowledged. He felt obliged to say something in return. "And you… are a good Royal Knight."

Dukemon laughed again. "I'll take it."

Duftmon released a huff and began to straighten out the sheets of his bed. As he did so, he glanced out of the corners of his green eyes at Dukemon. "'Friends'…" he began, his tone thoughtful. "They really mean a lot to you, don't they, Dukemon…?"

At this, Dukemon grew serious but still retained a small smile. "Yeah, they do… I don't have a family and my hometown is long gone. My friends are the most important things to me," he explained.

"Mm…" Duftmon murmured in thought. "A lot of the other Royal Knights feel the same way, I have noticed. You all talk about friendship as if it is this great, empowering thing…"

"Well, it _is_, Duftmon…" Dukemon responded. "My friends give me strength. Because of them, I'm a better a fighter - a better Digimon… They mean everything to me."

"I see…" Duftmon spoke. "I have never seen the benefits to it. Meaningful social interactions have never done anything for me.

"You're missing out, Duftmon," Dukemon said to him. "Most of us consider you our friend. You should open yourself up more. It's nice to be able to have Digimon you can trust, who you can laugh with, cry with, share your experiences with… I'd be half the Digimon that I am today if it weren't for all of you."

At Dukemon's impassioned words, Duftmon stood up straight and folded his arms. After a few moments of thought, he nodded to himself. "Very well… Perhaps I should try this _'friendship'_ and see if there are any merits to your words. As a Royal Knight, it is my duty to be the best that I can be. I also must prove whether there is actually any benefit to the concept using empirical methods. I shall have to take notes and do some research…"

Dukemon burst into laughter at this.

Duftmon glared with irritation at Dukemon's chortling. "…What? What is so amusing?" he asked him, clearly annoyed. "I am being serious."

Dukemon tried to reign in his laughter. "So-Sorry. I'm n-not laughing at you," Dukemon responded between chuckles, rubbing an eye with a finger. "It's just so like you…" He took a deep breath and smiled broadly at Duftmon. "Hoo… Friendship has to be a natural thing, Duftmon. You can't overanalyse it…"

"Everything can be analysed," Duftmon insisted. "I have my own way of doing things, Dukemon. Now, if you would kindly excuse me, I need to go to the library to read the transcription of the Dark Area meetings."

Dukemon grinned and slung his arm over Duftmon's shoulders, walking out of the room with him. "Okay. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me. I know you hate things like that," he gratefully mentioned.

Duftmon tensed up and slid out from under Dukemon's arms. "Very well. It is fine," he insisted. "It was an enlightening experience."

"Oh! Then we should do it again sometime!" Dukemon exclaimed with a playful grin.

Duftmon shot him a leer. "That won't be necessary, Dukemon. Don't get carried away," he responded firmly. "You should go back to your duties."

Dukemon smiled and watched as Duftmon walked away. "_Is it possible? Did I actually make progress with him? He really has changed…_" he thought to himself pensively. He looked down introspectively. "_Well, if Duftmon of all Digimon is trying to change, then…_" He sighed and fingered at the Digital Hazard symbol on his chest armour, his doubts beginning to emerge again. "_I'll see…_"

* * *

Fujinmon watched as a brigade of D-Brigade soldiers marched down the largest road of Haganemame City, a thoroughfare that led from one end of the city to the other. Cyborg and machine Digimon made their way through the newly captured city in an orderly, efficient fashion.

The sound of marching footsteps sounded out in precise unison. The mechanical drone of engines rumbled as mechanised Digimon drove behind the columns of soldiers.

The thousands of D-Brigade soldiers made camp outside of the city, where a small D-Brigade base was being constructed. Their mere presence was enough to keep the Mamemon Kingdom in line. The D-Brigade Digimon who weren't policing the city were gathering in the south east of the city to await further orders.

Fujinmon pensively viewed the passing D-Brigade soldiers, making sure that everything was in order.

"Fujinmon!" a voice called out from nearby.

The Hurricane Commander turned and saw Raijinmon and Suijinmon making the way over to him. Raijinmon strolled down the side of the road, keeping pace with the slower Suijinmon. Suijinmon was larger than some of the small buildings in Haganemame City.

"Oh, Raijinmon, Suijinmon," Fujinmon greeted, nodding his V-shaped head in acknowledgment.

"How is the organization of our forces going?" Suijinmon questioned, plodding up to him with heavy footsteps that caused the smooth sidewalk to rumble.

"Fine. They are gathering at the staging area as planned," Fujinmon explained.

"Good," Suijinmon spoke, stopping in front of him.

"Why?" Fujinmon wondered.

Raijinmon stood beside his fellow Storm Commanders. "We have news," he explained, folding his arms behind his back. "Chaosdramon will be arriving here any minute."

Fujinmon blinked with surprised. "What? The emperor?" he asked. "Why is he coming here? Is he displeased that we didn't destroy their army?"

"He said that he didn't mind as long as our force was demonstrated," Suijinmon assured the green cyborg. "He just wants to see the newly conquered city for himself. He may want to talk to Mercuremon as well."

"He will probably want to congratulate us on our successful operation as well," Raijinmon noted.

Fujinmon frowned. "So, is that it? What happens next, now that our objective has been completed?" he asked them.

Raijinmon shrugged. "I suppose it's up to the emperor," the gold cyborg explained. "He decides on the overall strategic objectives of war. We do the rest."

Suijinmon looked at his two comrades. "There is still the Royal Knights to consider."

"It depends on how they react, I suppose," Raijinmon stated with a frown.

Their conversation was interrupted by a trembling in the ground. There was a soft thundering in the distance, which struck a slow rhythm as it echoed through the city. They were the sound of heavy footsteps.

The three D-Brigade Commanders turned to see Chaosdramon walking into the city. He made his way down the wide, main road of the city, as it was one of the few in Haganemame City that could actually fit him. The giant dragon cyborg towered over all of the surrounding, dome-like buildings, and his footsteps were strong enough to cause the structures around him to tremble. If the Mamemon civilians weren't hiding before, they were now.

"There he is," Raijinmon stated, looking down the road at the massive, crimson Digimon trudging up the street towards them.

"It isn't every day that the Emperor leaves the borders of the Metal Empire," Fujinmon noted.

Suijinmon hummed with agreement. "He is often too busy micromanaging our empire. His majesty is very diligent. It must be important if he has come out here to Haganemame City," he mused.

It took a few minutes for Chaosdramon to finally reach the trio of Commanders. Once he did, Raijinmon, Fujinmon, and Suijinmon all bowed.

"Good day, Your Majesty," Raijinmon spoke, raising himself from the bow.

"How do you like the new addition to our empire?" Fujinmon questioned, gesturing around to the city.

Chaosdramon released a soft grunt. "It is small and inconsequential," his voice echoed as he looked around at the buildings, most of which he could step on with ease. "Apart from a few trivial technologies, there is nothing for us to gain here. However, it is the principle that matters."

"Indeed. Our power has been demonstrated quite nicely, Your Majesty," Suijinmon explained. "Have you come to admire our new possessions?"

"In part," Chaosdramon rumbled.

"Will you see Mercuremon?" Raijinmon asked. "He has sworn loyalty to us, and he wishes to present you with the blueprints that were stolen from us."

"Later," Chaosdramon said dismissively. He looked around Haganemame City. "Is there anywhere in this puny town that we can talk in private? I wish to discuss sensitive information with you three."

Raijinmon looked at Chaosdramon curiously. "Er, yes. I believe there is a factory warehouse at the eastern edge of town that isn't currently in use. We were planning to repurpose it as a hangar for our mechanized Digimon. It should be able to fit you," he explained.

"That will do," Chaosdramon stated. He raised his claw arm and hailed his two Darkdramon bodyguards who were flying behind him. He gestured to them to continue following him. "This way."

Suijinmon walked alongside Chaosdramon obediently. Fujinmon gave Raijinmon a questioning look. The gold Thunderclap Commander frowned curiously in response, also wondering what Chaosdramon wanted. Both he and Fujinmon followed down the street as well.

"So, the operation went smoothly?" Chaosdramon questioned.

Suijinmon looked up at Chaosdramon as his vermillion body meandered beside the giant emperor. "Not a single Digimon lost in the main assault," Suijinmon stated proudly. "The only problem was that battle against the Royal Knights, but we overcame them in the end. Although at a dearly bitter cost to my soldiers."

"There was also the debacle where Dukemon and Dynasmon escaped," Chaosdramon noted.

Fujinmon narrowed his eyes and looked to the side quietly.

"That wasn't Fujinmon's fault," Suijinmon put forward, not wanting Fujinmon to be blamed. "It was an oversight on my part. I should have allowed for more soldiers to go as the prison escort."

"Suijinmon," Fujinmon told him calmly, beginning to feel guilty. "That isn't neces—"

"Never mind that now," Chaosdramon spoke authoritatively, interrupting the Hurricane Commander. "There are more important things to deal with."

"Such as the incorporation of the Mamemon Kingdom into our society?" Suijinmon suggested, continuing to walk along.

"That is simply one such goal," the red digizoid plated colossus responded in his hollow, mechanical voice.

Raijinmon frowned at his mysterious words. "Is there something we're missing, Emperor Chaosdramon?" he asked him.

"I have been doing a lot of thinking, Commander Raijinmon," Chaosdramon responded to the cream-coloured cyborg. "You will see soon enough."

After awhile of walking, the group made their way to the outskirts of Haganemame City, where there was a large warehouse positioned next to a sizeable factory. The factory was currently closed due to the invasion, and the area was under D-Brigade control. The warehouse was over thirty feet tall, and it had a pair of metal doors that were nearly as tall as the warehouse itself. They were currently wide open so that Metal Empire workers could transport the contents out of the warehouse, but the doors could be closed and locked securely. The interior was mostly cleared out of its contents, so it was beginning to look more like a hangar.

"Clear the area," Chaosdramon commanded the three Storm Commanders. "Consider this situation as Class 1 confidentiality."

"Yes, Your Highness," Suijinmon spoke, meandering towards the warehouse. He walked inside and asked the Metal Empire workers there to clear out.

Fujinmon flew forwards and did the same with the Digimon outside of the warehouse. After a few minutes, the Digimon left and made themselves scarce as ordered.

Chaosdramon turned towards his two Darkdramon bodyguards. "Make sure that nobody comes near," he ordered them, before craning his large, dinosaur head towards the warehouse. "Let's go, Raijinmon."

"Yes, Emperor," Raijinmon complied, walking forwards and going inside the spacious building.

Suijinmon was already inside, waiting for them. Fujinmon landed beside Raijinmon and began to enter with him. The interior of the warehouse was almost completely empty. All that was left were several large crates that were against the steel walls of the building. There were also plenty of giant, sturdy chains either lying around the floor or hanging from the ceiling as part of a complicated pulley system designed to lift and move heavy things in and out of the warehouse.

"Will this do, Your Majesty?" Suijinmon's voice echoed in the spacious warehouse as he turned towards their emperor.

"Yes, this is fine," Chaosdramon spoke in response.

Raijinmon closed the giant doors of the warehouse behind him and then walked up to Suijinmon and Fujinmon, who stood in front of Chaosdramon. "What is it, Emperor Chaosdramon?" he wondered.

"As I said, I have been thinking long and hard about this campaign," Chaosdramon explained, turning his crimson eyes down to look at the three smaller Commanders. "You three have done an excellent job so far."

Fujinmon frowned at his choice of words. "So far?" he asked.

"Yes," Chaosdramon tersely breathed. "We aren't stopping here."

Raijinmon blinked with surprise. "We aren't…? But our objective has been achieved, hasn't it?" he inquired on confusion.

"Our initial objective…" Chaosdramon said. "But… the Metal Empire is the finest kingdom in the Digital World. Our technical prowess, our strength, our discipline… We machine Digimon are the pinnacle of Digimon evolution: between our sturdy bodies, our exceptional power, and our sharp minds… nothing should stand in our way. Why shouldn't we expand our influence to reflect that?"

Raijinmon raised an eyebrow sceptically and quickly glanced at his two comrades for their reactions. "Are you sure, Your Majesty…?" he asked him.

"That is rather aggressive," Fujinmon agreed, feeling comfort in Raijinmon's scepticism.

Meanwhile, Suijinmon was silent as he processed the information and considered Chaosdramon's words.

"Do you disagree?" Chaosdramon asked them, levelling a cold, displeased leer at the three.

"No, Your Majesty," Suijinmon assured him. He looked at Raijinmon and Fujinmon with a wordless but emphatic gaze.

"Of course not, Emperor," Raijinmon replied. "I'm just surprised… We have been isolationist for decades. It's a dramatic shift to do what you suggest."

"Indeed. We aren't saying it's a bad idea; it's just surprising," Fujinmon agreed.

"Keeping to ourselves was a policy started under JumboGamemon," Chaosdramon pointedly replied. "I am not JumboGamemon. …Besides, the idea of borders is becoming outdated. The Royal Knights have no regards for them. Why should we? Digimon roam and intermingle freely just like in the olden times where borders were nonexistent. If we have the power to expand our control, why shouldn't we?"

"It could cause further war," Raijinmon pointed out.

"We are already at war with the Royal Knights," the crimson, steel titan explained. "If anything, this total victory over the Mamemon Kingdom and the Royal Knights has shown how much we are capable of. We passed through the Dual Chess Monarchy – they could make a useful addition to our empire."

Fujinmon smiled a bit at his ambitious words. "You may have a point, Your Majesty," he concurred.

Raijinmon looked at Fujinmon with surprise, not expecting for the Hurricane Commander to agree so readily. "I suppose invading the Dual Chess Monarchy is an option."

"It wouldn't take much invading," Chaosdramon rumbled confidently. He turned and looked at Suijinmon. "What do you think, Suijinmon? You have been quiet…"

"If you wish it, Your Majesty, I will obey," Suijinmon assured him. "I am positive that we can do it."

"Then we will conquer the Dual Chess Monarchy," Raijinmon complied.

Chaosdramon shook his head. "I have a bigger plan than simply conquering the Chessmon… We can do far better than that," he explained.

"What do you suggest, Your Majesty?" Suijinmon asked.

The towering cyborg released a breathy grunt. "The army of Saversburg attacked us previously, did they not…? Saversburg are staunch allies of the Royal Knights… I think it's time we taught them that the Metal Empire is not to be trifled with," he explained with a glint in his blood red eyes. "They have one of the largest cities in the Digital World, and they have a thriving economy. It will be more difficult than either the Mamemons or the Chessmons, but the reward is worth the risk."

The three Storm Commanders exchanged glances but all bowed with compliance. "So, Emperor, you mean…" Raijinmon began.

Chaosdramon nodded. "Yes… We will invade Saversburg," he declared. "Nothing will stand in our way… not even those pathetic Royal Knights."


	28. Chapter 19: Ambition

(Author's Notes: Here's Chapter 19! Sorry for the delay. I kept adding new scenes.

In other news, lots of Digimon stuff going on for me lately. Digimon App Monsters was announced, so that's pretty exciting. As a writer, if there's one Digimon I'm looking forward to, it's Reviewmon. ;) I also finished Cyber Sleuth recently, after long last. Definitely one of my favourite games of all time. I also watched the first episode of Digimon Adventure Tri for the first time last night. I really liked it! Can't wait for more.

Anyways, enjoy the chapter!)

**Chapter 19: Ambition**

The skies over Saversburg were thick with impenetrable, grey clouds. It was early in the morning, so the clouds were a dark, murky grey, and there was hardly any light across the grasslands. Shadows cast over the green fields and hills, giving the landscape a dusky atmosphere.

Several kilometers west of the large city of Saversburg were one of the giant sky waterfalls that fell from the firmament and emptied into the Champion River. The mist and spray of the crashing pillar of water cascaded across the surrounding grass. The sound of the gallons of falling water hitting the ground was reminiscent of a booming roar.

Scattered around the base of the waterfall and the edges of the river were shipwrecks. Several naval vessels lay on their sides in the grass, as if they had somehow run aground from the river. However, that wasn't possible since the waterfall came from the sky, kilometers above. They were really just more oddities of the Digital World.

On the apex of one hill was a wooden galleon, complete with majestic sails and a thick, wooden hull. There were many different kinds of ships. There was a beached, rusted dreadnought on the opposite side of the river, which was never operable to begin with. Some distance away was a derelict cruise ship, lying scuttled in the grass.

In the hull of the galleon was a massive hole, large enough for most Digimon to enter. The hill that the ship was stranded on was tall enough to overlook much of the landscape to the west. Inside the hole were three Digimon, watching from the vantage point and lying in wait within the shadows. The dark of the hull's interior cast enough shadows over them to conceal them from view.

Inside the gaping puncture, GrandisKuwagamon looked through a spyglass with his single, red eye. Using the handheld telescope, he peered into the distance, across the grassy fields and over the apexes of the distant hills.

Bolgmon sat nearby and gazed out of the hole in the ship as well. "See anything?" he asked.

"It's probably still too dark," Blitzmon responded. The azure insect man leaned against the wooden wall behind him, which was the ceiling of the toppled ship's cargo hold. He stood up straight and walked over to his two comrades.

"Hold up," GrandisKuwagamon said, staring through the telescope. "…Damn, it really is the Dick Brigade. Looks like they're crossing the river to invade Saversburg. They're still a few kilometers away."

"Let me see," Blitzmon said, stopping beside GrandisKuwagamon and holding his hand out.

GrandisKuwagamon lowered the spyglass and passed it to Blitzmon. "Go nuts," the black insect told him.

As Blitzmon peered through the scope, Bolgmon magnified his own vision and gazed into the distance. He could see the vague silhouettes of Digimon traversing the new bridge that spanned the tumultuous river. They were definitely coming from the Mamemon Kingdom to Saversburg.

"I see them," Blitzmon confirmed, narrowing his eyes.

"Ditto," Bolgmon said, adjusting his optics for better vision. "Lots of them… Can't make them all out at this range, but I can tell it's no greeting party. …Hey, weren't there supposed to be guards on that bridge?" he asked.

"There aren't anymore," GrandisKuwagamon figured. "I'm guessing the D-Brigade took care of them nice and quietly, just like they tried to do with us."

Bolgmon glanced at GrandisKuwagamon. "Well, we're not being paid to do quiet this time," he reminded him.

"Yeah, I know," GrandisKuwagamon replied shortly. "Our all-knowing client wants us to take a chunk out of the D-Brigade. He wants to make them angry. Only, I don't like facing down a D-Brigade army. Playing war's an idiot's game."

"Hit and run tactics, Grandis. It's no different from before," Blitzmon assured him. "We do what we always do: strike hard and then melt away in the shadows."

"We just have to wait for a scouting patrol. They always send scouts ahead of an attack party," Bolgmon pointed out.

"Just don't shoot them until you're sure you can hit 'em this time," GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically reminded him, thinking back to their encounter with the Royal Knights in the UDC.

"Fuck you," Bolgmon muttered to him, shooting the black insect a sideways glare.

"Whatever. I'm still not sure about this. These missions are getting more and more overt. That means we're going to be more exposed. I don't care if Wizardmon says things are coming to a head soon," GrandisKuwagamon pointed out.

"We just have to be smart," Blitzmon responded, lowering the spyglass. "I think Wizardmon's right. Things are coming to a close here. Just look at what's going on: the Metal Empire invaded the Mamemon Kingdom and now they're attacking Saversburg of all places. The Royal Knights won't stand for that." He closed his eyes. "All we have to do is do our job well, weather the storm, get paid, and then we can go back to doing what we do best."

"I guess so," GrandisKuwagamon said, though a bit reluctantly.

Blitzmon then smirked darkly. "Isn't it amazing to think about…?" he asked, prompting curious looks from GrandisKuwagamon and Bolgmon. "To think, all those years ago, we were orphaned street rats - stealing food, hawking stolen goods, petty crime… Now the Order of the Royal Knights and the Metal Empire are going to war because of _us_. Doesn't the power feel good? Think of the control we have…"

Bolgmon released an amused laugh. "Hey, you've got a point! Shit, I never thought of it like that," he stated, finding himself liking the idea. "We've got the Royal Knobs and the Dick Brigade dancing to our tune."

GrandisKuwagamon turned away and stared into the darkness of the cargo hold. He thought about Blitzmon's words carefully. His compound eye narrowed slightly, the bright red sheen of the sphere offset by the darkness around him.

"It's not true control though… It's a sucker's control. That's the problem," GrandisKuwagamon spoke, his voice brooding. He turned around and looked at Blitzmon. "_We're_ not the ones pulling the strings here. It's our client, whoever the hell that is. We're just pawns in his game, doing whatever he tells us because he dangles money in front of us. _I_ make _my own_ decisions. _That's_ true control."

Blitzmon locked eyes with GrandisKuwagamon. "We're nobody's lackeys. We're selling our services and skills. That's our job, remember. Our client needs us as much as we need him. Maybe more. Just don't forget… we need jobs to make money," he reminded the ebony beetle man pointedly.

"Yeah, I know how our business works, Blitzmon," GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically replied. He decided to drop the conversation. He knew he couldn't change their minds and he didn't want to press the topic. "Whatever, just hand me that telescope."

Blitzmon passed the spyglass to him and watched as the humanoid insect gazed through it, into the distance. "It's a hell of a feat though…" Blitzmon mused aloud. "How does our client keep getting this information? The D-Brigade is so disciplined and secretive. I doubt most of the officers knew about this operation until they were given their orders yesterday."

"Yeah, I've been wondering that too," Bolgmon agreed, folding his cannon arms.

"Why do you think I'm so suspicious?" GrandisKuwagamon asked. "Maybe he's got somebody on the inside of the D-Brigade. Or maybe _he's_ in the D-Brigade."

"And he's hiring us to attack the D-Brigade?" Bolgmon retorted. "That's dumb."

"Maybe it isn't. Maybe he's playing for power… Anyway, it's just speculation," GrandisKuwagamon answered, shrugging.

"Shh," Blitzmon suddenly hushed them. He tightened his gaze as he stared through the spyglass. "Something's coming."

Flying in the sky was a contingent of five D-Brigade scouts. The recon team was heading east, in their general direction. Among them were the draconic, cyborg bodies of a Megadramon and Gigadramon, the metallic pterodactyl Pteranomon, the humanoid, wolf form of a MachGaogamon, and a scout-class Mechanorimon piloted by a Sealsdramon.

"It's a D-Brigade patrol. Probably scouting ahead of the attack," Bolgmon said, smirking.

"That's our cue," GrandisKuwagamon stated. He turned and looked at Bolgmon. "Bolgie?"

"Yeah, I know," Bolgmon responded, planting his arms into the ground. Still concealed inside the hull of the boat, Bolgmon began to take careful aim. The targeting screen emerged from his back and he began to track the five scouts flying through the sky.

"Wait until they get close. If you miss, we're screwed," GrandisKuwagamon firmly told him.

"I get it. Shut up already and let me focus," Bolgmon fired back, trying to focus on the five D-Brigade scouts in the distant sky.

Blitzmon looked at GrandisKuwagamon. "We should get ready too," he suggested.

"Yeah," the insect mercenary agreed. He took a few steps back, deeper into the cargo hold of the ship, his black carapace melding into the darkness. "Slide Evolution… GranKuwagamon."

The large interior of the ship briefly flashed as GrandisKuwagamon's body glowed and he formed into his much larger, quadrupedal form of GranKuwagamon. GranKuwagamon stretched his arms and looked at his two comrades. "We'll go when you fire, Bolgie," he explained.

"Got it," Bolgmon answered, narrowing his eyes as he gazed at the approaching scout team. "Just another minute should do it…"

Blitzmon nodded and walked over to GranKuwagamon. He climbed onto the bigger bug's back and waited. "Everybody remember the plan?" he asked.

"Just make sure to wipe them all out before we escape," Bolgmon stated. After a few seconds, the tracking system on his back locked on to the targets. "Got 'em… Haha…"

"Start the countdown," GranKuwagamon said as he began to build up dimension-warping energy in his long, jagged pincers.

"Five…" Bolgmon spoke, starting to pour positrons into the chamber of his massive horn cannon.

While Bolgmon counted down the seconds, lightning danced between Blitzmon's fists and up the length of his horn.

"Two…" Bolgmon said, narrowing his emerald eyes. "One… Field Destroyer!"

His cannon ignited with a swell of positrons that ripped through the hull of the ship, burning the surrounding wood to splinters and then ash. The effulgent beam lit up the darkened, dawn sky and streaked towards the disciplined aerial formation of scouts as they flew through the sky.

"Incoming!" the Gigadramon shouted, noticing the beam hurdling towards them. However, no sooner than he could get the words out, the beam was already upon the surprised patrol.

The laser swept through the middle of the formation, decimating the Megadramon and Pteranomon scouts immediately. The three survivors broke away from the beam that cut straight through their ranks, quickly trying to evade the attack and regroup.

"Zone Black Hole!" GranKuwagamon hissed, tearing open a dimensional rift in the air that was large enough for him to pass through. Right as Bolgmon was pushed back from the back-blast and as the beam started to diminish from his horn, GranKuwagamon shot through the hole with Blitzmon as his passenger.

The three remaining scouts began to get their bearings after the unexpected attack. "It came from that ship!" the Gigadramon exclaimed, pointing his cannon arm towards the shipwrecked galleon on the apex of the hill. He turned to the MachGaogamon and the piloted Mechanorimon. "Report back to command that we're under attack!"

"Affirmative!" the Sealsdramon replied, piloting the Mechanorimon and turning it around. Just as he began flying back towards the D-Brigade army that was still a few kilometers away, a rift appeared in the sky.

GranKuwagamon shot out of the rend and tore through the air towards them. Blitzmon kicked off his back and flew independently of GranKuwagamon, his body sparking with electricity.

"I don't think so!" GranKuwagamon exclaimed, veering in front of the Mechanorimon's path.

He raised his giant insect arm over his head and stabbed it down into the Mechanorimon. GranKuwagamon's long, deadly claws pierced through the glass of the Mechanorimon's cockpit, straight into the Sealsdramon pilot. There was a shout of pain and blood sprayed onto the shattered glass surrounding the cockpit. With the pilot deleted, the Mechanorimon ceased functioning and dropped out of the sky, crashing into the ground.

"What?!" Gigadramon demanded, spinning around to look at the new Digimon that seemed to arrive out on nowhere.

GranKuwagamon then turned his attention to the MachGaogamon, who hovered in place using his jetpack. "Dimension Scissor!" he shouted, unleashing an arc of energy from his pincers.

The sickle of energy sliced through the air and cut straight through the MachGaogamon's body as he turned around to face him. The arc carved into him and caused the engine on his back to explode in a blast of sparks and data.

The Gigadramon was unable to react to his fellow soldier's deletion; Blitzmon was already surging towards him. He raised an arm to fire one of his missiles, but to his surprise, Blitzmon was already upon him.

"Thor's Hammer!" Blitzmon growled, driving his electrically charged fists right down on the dark dragon's head and sending static power shooting through him.

With his opponent momentarily stunned, Blitzmon slammed his knee straight into the Gigadramon's chin, sending him flying upwards. Blitzmon then bent down and hooked his large, blue horn on Gigadramon's chest, throwing him over his head. "Lightning Blitz!" Blitzmon exclaimed, unleashing the massive amount of lightning that was stored in his horn.

The lightning cracked and flashed as it shot up towards the sky. The bolt of electricity tore through the Gigadramon's chest and shorted his body.

"Lightning Bomber!" Blitzmon shouted, gathering lightning at the tip of his horn where it aggregated. He beat his insect wings rapidly and shot upwards. Quickly closing the distance, Blitzmon thrust his horn into the Gigadramon's chest. Electricity exploded out of the dragon cyborg's back and he was reduced to a cloud of data.

Blitzmon slackened and looked around to make sure they didn't miss anybody. It appeared that all of the scouts were deleted.

"Dimension Scissors!" GranKuwagamon suddenly shouted, unleashing a blast of dimensional energy that tore into the inoperable Mechanorimon. The machine Digimon exploded in a ball of flames, leaving a crater of flames and dissolving shrapnel.

Blitzmon looked over at GranKuwagamon. "Got him that time?" he asked.

The black insect flapped his wings and rose into the air beside Blitzmon. "Just making sure it didn't store any information about us that the D-Brigade could find in its memory banks," he explained. "Now let's get the hell outta here. There's no way they missed that."

Blitzmon nodded and shot through the air at high speeds towards the ship that they hid in. GranKuwagamon matched speeds with him, gliding through the sky and not wanting to wait around much longer.

Bolgmon already drove out of the galleon and was speeding along the grass in the direction of Saversburg. He looked over his shoulder and saw GranKuwagamon and Blitzmon catching up to them. The large tank Digimon hailed them by waving his arm. "Hey, Grandis! How 'bout a quick exit!" he suggested.

"Yeah, no shit!" GranKuwagamon called back. He turned and looked at Blitzmon, nodding at him.

Blitzmon flew over and grabbed hold of GranKuwagamon's back once again. Once he was secure, GranKuwagamon swooped down and descended on Bolgmon.

GranKuwagamon grabbed hold of the armoured insect, he slowed his speed and sliced his scissor-like mandibles shut. "Zone Black Hole!" he said, once again cutting through the fabric of space and opening up a temporary portal in the fabric of the Digital World. The black demon bug disappeared inside, vanishing from the fields kilometers west of the city.

Moments later, Black Pincer Company emerged back in Saversburg. They appeared on a city street with a couple Digimon walking up and down the road. When the exited the portal completely, the dimensional gateway snapped shut behind them. GranKuwagamon dropped Bolgmon to the sidewalk and touched down so that Blitzmon could hop off his back. The three mercenaries dusted themselves off and began walking as if nothing had happened.

Blitzmon smirked and looked at GranKuwagamon, who walked along on his four black legs. "See? Easy money."

GranKuwagamon grunted. "Yeah, yeah. When Bolgmon doesn't screw it up," he said half-teasingly, nodding over his shoulder at the tank Digimon behind them.

Bolgmon narrowed his eyes at GranKuwagamon and quietly rolled after them. A dark glare formed in his sharp, green eyes.

"_You'd better be careful, Grandis. I'm getting really fucking sick of you_," he thought to himself scornfully. "_We'll see who screws who…_"

* * *

To the west of Saversburg, the Mamemon Kingdom remained fully under Metal Empire occupation. The majority of the D-Brigade was on campaign in Saversburg, and most of the remainder were in the process of invading the Dual Chess Monarchy. However, there were still a couple special formations that remained in Haganemame City to maintain control and order. They also served to protect the D-Brigade's supply lines and guard against potential revolts from the newly subjugated population.

Overseeing this transition period was Mercuremon with the help of Metal Empire agents.

Mercuremon resided in the large, dome palace of Haganemame City. At several stories high, it loomed over all of the other buildings in the city, even the factories on the outskirts of the city.

The usurping aristocrat was reluctant to go out in public in these early stages of the transition of power from PrinceMamemon to him. Although he branded the surrender of the Mamemon Kingdom as a decision that ensured their very survival, there were some who said that this was a blatant power grab and that he colluded with the Metal Empire to overthrow their true ruler, PrinceMamemon. Mercuremon decided to stay out of sight until things smoothed over. As he did this, he planned his next moves.

Mercuremon sat on his newly acquired throne. Floating nearby him was a Digimon composed of a large gear and two smaller gears for his arms. The Hagurumon was a trusted subordinate of Chaosdramon.

"Has D-Brigade's intelligence team detected any whispers of discontent?" Mercuremon asked Hagurumon curiously.

"General PlatinumNumemon has been expressing some regret of letting you surrender, but he hasn't made any indication that he is willing to rise up with his army" Hagurumon noted. "Some of your peers on the other hand… Some nobles and wealthy merchants and entrepreneurs have been meeting in secret. They think that you usurped the throne and are in our pocket. They want to do something about it, I suspect."

"I expected as much," Mercuremon responded with a half-amused smirk. "I'm sure they're just mad that I thought of it first."

Hagurumon floated in front of him, his body clicking audibly as the cogs of the gears knocked together. "They could prove to be a thorn in your side," he pointed out.

"Yes, we will have to get rid of them - throw them in jail and make an example of them. That should scare PlatinumNumemon and the others into obedience," Mercuremon responded with a calm, unconcerned tone. "Can you have the D-Brigade stage a sting operation?"

"I will have to get military permission, but it shouldn't be a problem. That is in line with what we also want," Hagurumon assured him.

Mercuremon smiled as he looked at Hagurumon. "…Do you wonder why I betrayed my king and took his throne from him? I'm sure it must be hard to trust a traitor," he mused.

"On the contrary, you made the rational decision, by all accounts," Hagurumon responded logically. "If you listened to PrinceMamemon's protests, then your army would have faced total destruction."

"It's true, much of my decision was based on protecting our tiny nation from one foolish Digimon's utter stupidity," Mercuremon responded, taking some pleasure in musing about these things. "But I didn't _have_ to take the throne. I could have allowed somebody from the D-Brigade to take it, or suggested a suitable replacement from within the Mamemon Kingdom."

Hagurumon nodded contemplatively. "So… Why did you?" he asked.

Mercuremon smirked smugly. "I confess… Some of the things that my rivals are saying about me is true. I am greedy, ambitious, and opportunistic," he stated. "I wanted to take the throne of the Mamemon Kingdom… but only as a stepping stone."

Hagurumon looked at Mercuremon inquisitively and allowed him to continue.

"You see… I always felt held back. This kingdom… this minuscule, unimportant place that we call the Mamemon Kingdom… The most that I could expect was serving as the right hand of an oaf of a king. He would never be able to make an impact anywhere, and neither would I," Mercuremon explained.

The pair of lips within the mirror grinned further. "However… all that has changed. Now that the Mamemon Kingdom is under Metal Empire control, I have more room to… manoeuvre," he mused. "I will now be able to impress Emperor Chaosdramon with my unwavering loyalty, my competence, and my unparalleled administrative skills that have kept this kingdom afloat _in spite of_ PrinceMamemon… You see, Hagurumon, I wish to rise through the ranks of the Metal Empire. As a Digimon of steel, this is perfectly possible to do; merit is rewarded in the Metal Empire, is it not? …The limits are endless, especially in a magnificent empire like yours…"

Mercuremon chuckled. "In fact, I am confident that I could successfully poise myself to become Chaosdramon's successor. The ruler of the Metal Empire… Now, wouldn't that be an upgrade?"

"Indeed it would, King Mercuremon," Hagurumon stated neutrally.

Mercuremon smirked. "But… that is far in the future," he stated. "There is still much to do in the present."

"Especially now," Hagurumon responded in agreement.

"That reminds me, the D-Brigade is planning to attack Saversburg, yes?" the shimmering aristocrat wondered.

"Yes, in several days," Hagurumon answered.

"Hmm…" Mercuremon hummed. "The mayor of Saversburg wouldn't be bad either… But, I shouldn't get ahead of myself. There is still an economy to stabilize and generous trade deals with Facture to deal with. I suppose we should get back to work."

"I agree, Mercuremon," the Hagurumon complied.

Mercuremon smirked and quietly thought to himself. "_But one day…_"

* * *

Back at Castle Albion, preparations were under way for the journey to Saversburg. The whole Order was busy getting ready for the long trek and potential combat. At the moment, they were unaware of the Metal Empire's plans to attack Saversburg itself.

All of the Royal Knights, the Captains and lower officers, and the soldiers were busy getting ready. This left one Digimon in an odd situation as everybody else prepared.

Dorbickmon paced back and forth in the basement hallway. There was an annoyed sneer on his face, and his rows of jagged teeth could be seen behind his swollen lips. He fidgeted with the bandages that were wrapped around his right hand, occasionally flexing his clawed fingers.

"You really shouldn't agitate that," Examon suggested, walking down the hallway towards him.

Dorbickmon grunted. "Would you stop acting like my mother? You're the one being agitating!" he barked.

Examon stopped and frowned at his words, confused as to what angered Dorbickmon so much. "…Sorry. Did I do something wrong?" the Royal Knight asked, walking up to the mercenary.

Dorbickmon winced and folded his arms, looking away from Examon. "Tch… No... Fuck! I just can't stand this!" he growled in frustration.

The taller dragon looked at Dorbickmon inquiringly. "Can't stand what?" he calmly questioned.

"Being here," Dorbickmon explained. He turned around and looked at Examon. "No offence. It's nice and everything, but I feel… I dunno – trapped. I'm stuck around the castle all the time and I feel like I'm constantly under watch – either from Digimon who don't trust me or from Digimon like you who are constantly looking after me."

Examon rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, I didn't know I was being overbearing. I'll try to give you some space," he sheepishly responded.

Dorbickmon released a cross between a sigh and a growl. "I'm just used to being independent. I like being on my own. I don't like needing to depend on people."

The winged dragon nodded. "…I guess I can understand that. When I first joined the Order, I was the same way. I didn't know how to work with other Digimon either," Examon admitted.

"Yeah, well, I'm not planning on joining the Order," Dorbickmon stated decisively. "I just want to get back to doing what I do best: being a merc."

"Well, you can't do that as long as you've got a metaphorical bounty on your head, so the best you can do is wait for it to blow over," Examon responded with a calm, matter-of-fact tone.

Dorbickmon clenched his teeth and scratched the back of his head irritably. "Lucky me…"

Examon placed his clawed hands on his hips. "You should try to relax. Do you always get this annoyed and surly?" he asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

The red mercenary shot Examon a look. "Yeah. I do," he emphatically responded.

The dragon opposite Dorbickmon nodded in understanding. "I guess that explains the decades long grudge you held against me," Examon mused.

Dorbickmon stared at him blankly. "…Was that a joke?" he asked, his voice sounding like it was on a knife edge.

Examon half-winced and half-smiled with a sheepish expression. "…Sorry. Was it in bad taste?"

"Heh, I'm just surprised you had the balls!" Dorbickmon replied, unable to help but grin. "Maybe there's still hope for you, after all."

"…How come I'm the one who feels insulted here?" Examon muttered.

Dorbickmon let out a laugh. However, after a moment, he flattened out his smile and tried to grow serious again. He nodded over his shoulder, gesturing at Examon to walk with him. When Examon complied, Dorbickmon started walking down the basement corridor.

"So…" Dorbickmon began, glancing over his shoulder to the large dragon Digimon walking a few meters behind him. "Shouldn't you be preparing for… whatever it is you guys are preparing for? A war, I'm guessing?"

"I've finished my personal preparations," Examon explained. "I'm having a short break before I go help the others oversee things." He looked at Dorbickmon. "We're going to Saversburg now that the Metal Empire captured the Mamemon Kingdom."

"Should you be telling me that?" Dorbickmon asked, staring directly at Examon with a serious look in his violet eyes. "Isn't that secret information?"

Examon looked back at him. "It's fine. I trust you," he assured the mercenary.

"You shouldn't," Dorbickmon responded, looking forwards again. He could sense Examon's questioning gaze at the back of his head. "I've lied to you a few times. It's been a year since I was trying to kill you. I could take information like that to the Metal Empire…"

Examon furrowed his red brows at Dorbickmon's words. "Would you, though…?" he asked rhetorically. "I thought we were trying to move beyond all that. …Aren't we?"

Dorbickmon folded his arms and looked away. "Yeah…" he muttered. "Still… Don't be naïve, Examon. Even when I was trying to kill you, you took every fake olive branch I offered. If things went differently, I might've deleted you."

"I'm not naïve, Dorbickmon," Examon explained coolly. "I was trying to right a wrong." The Royal Knight sighed and rubbed his arm. "Well, not 'right'… but 'try to make amends for what I did'… I know I don't have the best social skills, but I'm not completely oblivious. I get that you have a certain perception of me and the Royal Knights, but…"

"Look," Dorbickmon awkwardly said as he raised a hand to rub the back of his neck. "I'm not making judgments… I'm just trying to give you some advice. There's worse Digimon than me out there. Just…watch your back. That's all I mean," he explained, not making eye contact.

"I will," Examon replied sincerely. "Thanks…"

"Uh huh…"

The two crimson dragons walked in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments. As they passed the alcove that led to the library, Dorbickmon shuffled along and was quick to break the silence. "So… How does living here compare with the UDC?" he asked, opting for small talk on instinct. "Maybe that's a dumb question. It's pretty comfortable living here."

"It's… different," Examon admitted, frowning to himself as he thought about it. "I don't know how to describe it… When I first joined, I had a lot of trouble adapting. I felt out of place… and not just because I'm a dragon Digimon among a bunch of humanoid Digimon. I was used to being alone… It took awhile, but now I feel like I belong…"

"And the UDC?" Dorbickmon asked

He glanced down as he wandered behind Dorbickmon. "It's funny…" he spoke, although his voice didn't sound all that mirthful. "As I began to feel like I belonged here, I felt increasingly out of place in the United Dramonic Coalition…"

Dorbickmon glanced at him. "Out of place?" he questioned, stopping and leaning against the cool, stone wall of the corridor.

Examon stopped beside him. "I grew up in the UDC, and I was their protector for decades. But now… I feel like they see me differently. They see me as a Royal Knight rather than as a fellow Dramon."

"Does that surprise you? That title carries a lot of clout. Besides, isn't that what the Royal Knights are all about?" Dorbickmon asked with a shrug. "Standing above petty distinctions like borders, species, and where you're from, you know, so that you can save the world and crap?"

"I guess so… Maybe I was naïve after all, thinking that I could join the Royal Knights and have everything stay the same with the UDC." Examon explained wistfully. "They have an army now, instead of me as their protector…"

"If shit went down in the UDC, the Royal Knights would still go to help, right?" Dorbickmon asked rhetorically. "Anywhere in the Digital World, that's the case too. You guys help out all over the place. So, you're still their protector, aren't you? You just don't live there anymore."

Examon smiled a bit. "I guess…"

"Anyway, you're not the only one that doesn't feel at home there," Dorbickmon informed him. "I spend most of my time travelling around the Digital World on mercenary jobs. Even though I'm there a lot, the UDC just isn't home to me anymore."

"Is that because of me?" Examon inquired, feeling a bit guilty. "I mean, because of what happened between us?"

Dorbickmon frowned for a few moments. He thought about the memory. Before long, the unreadable expression turned into a toothy grin. "Look, just because I plotted to kill you in revenge for you nearly deleting me, it doesn't mean that everything I do revolves around you somehow," he bluntly dismissed the idea. "When I was strong enough, I wanted to travel the Digital World and see all the different places for myself. I had a thirst for adventure and excitement. That's probably why I didn't run into you earlier."

Examon chuckled a bit and scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Okay. I guess that's a relief… So, you've been a mercenary for a long time?"

"Yeah. Even went to the eastern continent of Colossus for a year or two, but it wasn't for me, so I came back," Dorbickmon explained. "That, and I had a bad run in with the law over there."

The Royal Knight rolled his eyes. "Why am I not surprised?" he said with a sigh.

"Chill, Examon. I'll play nice for your knight friends while I'm staying here," Dorbickmon said with a smirk. "Wouldn't want to make you look bad."

"It's a bit late for that," Examon responded, smiling. "You didn't exactly make a good first impression."

Dorbickmon grinned and shrugged nonchalantly. "What can I say? I make friends everywhere I go."

"Well… at least you're in a better mood now," Examon pointed out.

Dorbickmon crossed his arms across his muscular, armour-covered chest and leaned against the stone wall. "Guess so," he answered noncommittally. "Anyway, I'll be fine. Maybe I can find somebody to spar against and get it out of my system."

"Heh. Just don't go overboard. I know how passionate you can get," Examon pointed out.

"Maybe I should spar against you," Dorbickmon said with a competitive smirk. "I had you on the ropes last time we fought."

Examon smiled calmly. "I was holding back," he teased.

Dorbickmon scoffed and puffed his chest out. "Like hell you were. By the end of it, you were giving it your all," Dorbickmon insisted.

"Maybe." Examon grinned and looked Dorbickmon's form up and down. "Besides… you can't win. You're too short."

At this, Dorbickmon's eye twitched. "…Short?!" he demanded, standing up from the wall. He walked right up to Examon and placed his chest against the Royal Knight's, surprising Examon with his boldness and indignation. Dorbickmon then stood up as straight as possible, raising his head and tilting his horn up. "…Yeah. I knew it. I'm taller!"

"Y-You are not," Examon insisted, standing up straight as well. On comparison, Examon was taller than Dorbickmon by a few inches. "I'm taller."

"…The horns don't count!" Dorbickmon shouted passionately, putting his body even straighter.

"I wasn't counting the horns," Examon answered steadily, although with a subtle air of smugness that Dorbickmon hated.

"I'm taller, damn it!" Dorbickmon challenged, standing on his toes. "I want an arbitrator!"

Examon chuckled and walked past Dorbickmon, heading down the corridor to the stairway leading up to the first floor. "Are you hungry?" he asked, deciding it was best to end the argument there. "I want to grab some food before I got back to work."

"Yeah, sure. I'll eat you under the table!" Dorbickmon competitively stated, following the dragon Digimon to the cafeteria. "I'll show you I'm taller sitting down too!"

* * *

Elsewhere in the castle, Magnamon walked down a wide, spacious hallway, decorated with ornate archways and ceiling vaults. Lanterns hung from chains attached to the ceiling. Each lantern was filled with swirling beads of glowing light, creating a bright radiance that lit up the large hall. High up on the right wall of the passage were several clerestory windows that allowed rays of light to beam in at a diagonal angle. The light caused Magnamon's golden armour to shimmer brilliantly. At the base of this wall was a long furrow filled with water that spanned the length of the gallery. At equidistant points, there were fountain spouts that poured gently streams of water into the fountain, creating the relaxing sound of pouring water. On the opposite side of the gallery were a few stone benches attached to the wall. There were digi-letters carved into the stone surface of the wall that mentioned the Royal Knights' responsibilities. It spoke of Yggdrasil, the Royal Knights' authority and responsibility for Net security, as well as their obligations towards each other and all Digimon.

This hall was called the Gallery of Reflection, and it was supposed to provide a place for introspection and soul-searching.

Magnamon walked down the stone gallery, gazing at the tranquil water nearby. The soft dribbling sound of the water was interrupted by a pair of metallic footsteps behind him.

"Hey, Magnamon," a deep voice said.

Magnamon looked over his large, shoulder plate to see Craniamon walking up behind him. "Craniamon, hello," Magnamon responded, slowing down so that the larger Royal Knight could catch up with him.

The violet Royal Knight stepped up beside him. "Did you come here to think about something?" he wondered.

"Not really," Magnamon responded. "I was looking for Alphamon, but I do enjoy passing through here."

"Yeah. It's quiet," Craniamon agreed. "Why are you looking for Alphamon?"

"I just need to talk to him about our preparations," Magnamon responded. As the two started walking down the gallery, Magnamon turned to Craniamon inquisitively. "What about you?" he wondered. It was then that Magnamon noticed a piece of paper in Craniamon's hand, prompting him to cock a curious eyebrow. "Is that a letter?"

Craniamon looked away sheepishly. "Uh… Yes," he answered, feeling a bit awkward about it.

Magnamon glanced up at the armour clad Royal Knight. "Who's it from, if you don't mind me asking?" he inquired.

"It's from my father. The mayor of Caer Ygg," Craniamon responded, his movements and voice slightly more rigid than before.

"Oh…" Magnamon answered, although he picked up on Craniamon's subtle change in demeanour. "Is something wrong?"

Craniamon shrugged a bit, initially reluctant to respond. However, he soon sighed behind his helmet. "No. It's just… I never received a letter from him before. Or, the few that I did receive, I didn't open," he replied, his ruby eyes glancing down at the paper. "We didn't have a very good relationship until I went there recently."

"Oh, I see…" Magnamon said understandingly. "What changed?"

"Dynasmon being a meddlesome blockhead," Craniamon responded, although with a tiny grin. "He made me see I was being stubborn and unreasonable. My father and I had a big falling out a long time ago, before I joined the Order. Once I became a Royal Knight, I wanted to put all of that behind me and move on to greater things. I was a Royal Knight, after all…"

Magnamon smiled behind his golden helmet. "We're Royal Knights. We're too important to have families…" he ironically stated, although with an understanding smile. "I… felt the same way, to be honest," Magnamon stated. "Once I had this status, this title, I felt like I had to be the best Digimon I could be. I tried to ignore my issues with my father being a great hero."

Craniamon looked down at Magnamon with interest. "Yeah…?" he pondered curiously. "I didn't know. But I guess I didn't exactly talk about my past either…"

Magnamon nodded. "I came to accept myself eventually, but even today, I still have that desire to be best Digimon I can be, because I am a Royal Knight," he explained. "I guess we both put pressure on ourselves because we're Royal Knights, huh?"

"I guess so…" Craniamon agreed thoughtfully. "It's not like there's anything wrong with wanting to be the best Digimon we can be, though… right?"

"You're right, just as long as we don't let it consume us," Magnamon concurred. "We're Royal Knights, but we don't have to be perfect. We're still Digimon when it comes down to it. We make mistakes, and we have issues sometimes. It's not necessarily a weakness, I don't think…"

"I suppose…" Craniamon responded.

"That said, we _are_ still awesome," Magnamon added with a playful wink.

Craniamon smirked and continued walking along. "I thought that was obvious," he answered confidently.

Magnamon chuckled. "So…" he stated, glancing over at Craniamon's hand. "Did you read it yet?"

"Yeah," Craniamon responded. "It's nothing too big. Just asking about how I am and stuff. I don't really know how to reply though… I'm not the best at writing letters," he admitted.

"I can help you, if you want," Magnamon offered. "I exchange letters with friends and family in Brighthelm all the time."

"I bet most of it is you replying to fan mail," Craniamon teased, glancing at the Knight of Miracles with his gleaming eyes.

Magnamon sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, unable to really deny it. "Not _all_ of it is…" he insisted weakly. "I exchanged letters with my friend Rapidmon a week ago."

Craniamon continued walking. "Well… I guess you can help, if you want," he said to his fellow Royal Knight, although in a way that sounded like he was doing Magnamon a favour. "It's not that I'm bad at it. I just don't know what to say."

Magnamon smiled. "Leave it to me. Although, since we're leaving tomorrow, it may have to wait," he pointed out.

"No rush," Craniamon replied.

As the two Royal Knights continued walking up the Gallery of Reflection, they saw a familiar figure ahead of them. It was Duftmon, who was sitting on one of the stone benches against the wall. He leaned against the back of the bench, his head tilted down as he held a book in his lap. The ends of the red sash around his waist draped over the edge of the chair, and he leaned forwards just enough that his blond hair didn't press against the stone wall. Duftmon's pensive, emerald eyes scanned the pages of the book in his hand.

"Hey, it's Duftmon," Craniamon noted, beginning to head towards the slender Royal Knight.

Magnamon walked beside Craniamon. "Duftmon?" he greeted, announcing their presence. "What are you doing? I thought you'd be busy."

Duftmon tensed up upon hearing Magnamon's voice. He had been concentrating so much on the book that he didn't take notice of them. "Oh…" he said, stalling. Duftmon rose to his feet and closed his book, using one of his fingers as a bookmark. "I have been hard at work all day; I am taking personal time. I did allot some time in my schedule, you realise," he responded indignantly.

"Sorry. I wasn't suggesting that you were slacking off," Magnamon responded diplomatically. He looked down and noticed the book in his hand. "Are you reading?"

"Er… I was, yes," Duftmon responded, his voice obviously cagy. He not-too-subtly hid the book behind his leg.

Both Craniamon and Magnamon picked up on this. "…What are you reading?" Craniamon asked, his curiosity peaked.

"Nothing in particular…" Duftmon defensively replied, concealing the book further. "Now, if you both are finished, you really ought to—"

Craniamon and Magnamon exchanged nods. "By the way, Duftmon, Gankoomon is smoking inside again," Craniamon said to him.

"…What?" Duftmon asked, angrily pulling his arms in front of him. He narrowed his emerald eyes dangerously. "…Does he have _no_ respect for the _rules_ or even _common courtesy_?"

As Duftmon protested, Magnamon eyed the book in Duftmon's hand. He gave Craniamon another look, wordlessly telling him to continue.

Craniamon noticed Magnamon's gaze and locked eyes with Duftmon. "And he was sitting in your seat at the council table while he did it," he added, knowing exactly how to push Duftmon's buttons. "It looked like he just came in from training SaviorHackmon too."

This tipped Duftmon over the edge. "What?!" he demanded, one of his eyes twitching with incredulous anger. "He's doing what in _my_ seat?!"

"Hey, can I see that?" Magnamon innocently asked as he plucked the book from Duftmon's hand now that the tactician was distracted.

Duftmon tensed up and grabbed for the book. "W- Give that back at once!" he ordered with uncharacteristic distress.

Magnamon dodged the swift grab and tossed the book to Craniamon, who caught the book with ease and used his other arm to block Duftmon from reaching it.

Once Craniamon had the book firmly in his possession, he looked at the cover. The jacket of the book was sky blue in colour. On the cover was a dark blue symbol shaped like the yin yang, but with two sickles branching out on each side. The symbol was the Crest of Friendship. The digi-letters emblazoned across the cover of the book read, 'Twenty Five Tips to Becoming a Better Friend'.

Craniamon's face fractured as he struggled not to burst into laughter. His red eyes lit up with pleasure and he quickly gave the book to Magnamon, who read the cover as well.

"Th-This is…" Magnamon stammered, a look of pure delight appearing on his face.

"You're… reading a self-help book… Duftmon…?" Craniamon asked, pausing between his words to keep his voice from quivering with suppressed laughter.

Duftmon blushed furiously and folded his arms across his chest. He looked away and tilted his head up with utter indignation and embarrassment. "Hmph… So what if I am?" he responded, refusing to acknowledge that it was a big deal.

Magnamon released a laugh and handed the book back to Duftmon as a token of goodwill. "It's adorable, Duftmon!" he stated, his happy crimson eyes suggested a beaming smile beneath his mask.

"It is not," Duftmon protested, snatching the book back and standing up straight in a dignified way. "A true Royal Knight works to improve himself in every area."

Magnamon placed his hands on his hips and smiled at Duftmon. "I'm proud of you! It's good that you're making an effort," he stated, wanting to encourage him rather than make him feel bad about it.

"Hmph. There is nothing to be proud of," Duftmon responded aloofly. "I am simply reading an informative book about social norms and interpersonal relationships. Is that so strange? It is nonfiction."

"A self-help book about friendship," Craniamon made sure to clarify, still wearing a shit-eating grin behind his visor. "I can't believe that you of all Digimon are reading that."

"It is my duty as a Royal Knight to—" Duftmon began stating emphatically.

"Okay, I get it," Craniamon interrupted.

"I merely wish to learn more information," Duftmon continued defensively. "I have been accused of not being sociable in the past. It is not as if I am incapable of taking constructive criticism and learning from mistakes that have been made," he explained firmly, careful not to use any possessive pronouns surrounding the word 'mistakes'. "Ergo, I am reading literature on the pertinent subject matter. No doubt it is highly rated among intellectuals if it is in our library."

Craniamon levelled an unconvinced look at Magnamon. Magnamon rubbed the back of his neck. "Then that's good, Duftmon," he encouraged the tactician. "Keep up the good work."

"Furthermore, this is nobody's business but my own," Duftmon also made sure to say. "Specifically, I do _not_ want you to go around gossiping about it. Is that understood?"

"We won't. We promise," Magnamon assured him with a grin.

"I don't gossip," Craniamon responded, folding his arms.

Duftmon released a haughty huff. "Good. You had better not," he stated. The Royal Knights' tactician proceeded to look at his watch. "And now I am one minute behind schedule. Thank you both very much."

Magnamon chuckled and scratched his cheek with a claw sheepishly. "We're sorry, Duftmon."

"Instead of lollygagging, you two should make yourselves useful," Duftmon stated, beginning to turn around and walk up the gallery to the opposite door.

Craniamon rolled his eyes and began to follow him, along with Magnamon. "We were," he responded. He then muttered. "Maybe you should read that book better."

"I was just looking for Alphamon, actually," Magnamon explained. "Have you seen him?"

"I last saw him outside, speaking with Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode. He said that he was going to address the Strike Forces and Defence Forces about our operation," Duftmon explained.

Magnamon nodded. "Then I'll help him," he stated. "I need to ask him about supplies anyways."

"I've got to go pick up Claiohm Solais and Avalon from the blacksmith's," Craniamon mentioned. "I want them to be in peak fighting condition if we might be headed into a fight."

"I am hoping that Dukemon returns soon," the leopard knight mused. "I must see how his meeting with the Deep Savers went. We will need them for swift transportation with the Locomon temporarily out of commission…"

Magnamon folded his arms across his chest. "It looks like we all have things to do. Let's get to it, Royal Knights," he stated tenaciously.

The three Royal Knights did just that, parting ways as soon as they exited the Gallery of Reflection. There were still many preparations that had to be made for the coming stratagem.

* * *

Half an hour later, Dukemon returned to Castle Albion. He landed in front of the drawbridge spanning the castle's moat and made his way inside the castle grounds. The crimson and white Royal Knight headed up the large road that formed around the main building of the headquarters. After ten minutes of walking, he strode by the training grounds and made his way to the east side of the castle where the staging area was.

The staging area was a massive, flat courtyard used for the purpose of organizing the various troops, having drills, and as an assembly area. Right now, it was being used to get the Strike Forces and Defence Forces ready for combat. There were hundreds of Digimon gathered there, assembling under the guidance of the captains, leftenants, and a few Royal Knights.

Dukemon could see Alphamon, Magnamon, OuRyuumon, and Knightmon clarifying the plan of action to the two primary fighting forces. They talked about how they would make their way up to Saversburg and then gauge the situation from there. The forces would all be ready to move out within the next day or so.

As he made his way up the road, his metal armour rattled with every step. The sky was grey, and pockets of roaming data could be spotted floating within the blanket of clouds. A soft breeze swept across the castle grounds and blew through Dukemon's long, white ponytail and his crimson cape.

Dukemon stopped at the edge of the staging area, not wanting to interrupt. He folded his arms and waited. The red and white Royal Knight had half-expected to see Omegamon there too, but, then again, he knew that Omegamon didn't like speaking up in front of hundreds of Digimon if he could help it.

After a minute, Dukemon sensed a presence behind him. He looked over his armoured shoulder to see Grani gently floating down from the sky and hovering behind him. "Well, if it isn't my favourite Zero ARMS!" Dukemon greeted with an amiable smile.

"Hello, Dukemon," Grani replied. There was a subtle look of levity in his blue eyes. "I wasn't aware that you knew any other Zero ARMS. Should I be worried?"

Dukemon chuckled a bit and turned around. "Oh, you're the only Zero ARMS for me," he playfully stated, placing his hands on his hips. "So, how are the Recon Forces doing?"

"We're all ready to go. Several squadrons will be staying behind with the Castle Guards for normalized patrols around the Free Area, but the majority are ready to head up to Saversburg," the metal bird-dragon explained.

"You're ready to move already? Leave it to you to be so organised, Grani," Dukemon stated with a grin.

"Of course," Grani calmly answered. "Wars require the utmost organisation and management. Even Karatenmon is doing his part."

"Still, we probably won't leave until tomorrow at the earliest," the crimson Royal Knight informed him. "There's still a few things we have to get done first."

Grani nodded. "That gives me time to go over the plans again with my scouts. We will be at the forefront of the operation," he responded.

Dukemon smiled. "Well, it couldn't be in more capable hands… claws… talons," he stated, ending with a sheepish laugh.

Grani rolled his eyes. "Thank you, I think," he spoke. "And what are you doing, Dukemon?"

"Just waiting to talk to Alphamon. I finished speaking to GigaSeadramon of the Deep Savers about getting transport. Four Whamon and one GigaSeadramon are going to transport us up to Breakwater on the east coast of the Republic of Node," Dukemon explained.

"Ah, I see," Grani replied. "That's good."

Dukemon nodded. He then looked around the castle grounds curiously. "Hey, Grani, did you happen to see Omegamon anywhere? I'm looking for him."

"I'm afraid not," Grani informed him. He glanced at Dukemon inquisitively. "Was there a particular reason you were looking for him?"

"Not really. Just wanted to talk to him about the upcoming operation," Dukemon answered.

Grani frowned. "Oh…" he said, with a bit of disappointment.

Dukemon tilted his head and folded his arms across his chrome digizoid-clad chest. "What's with that 'Oh…'?" he asked.

"Didn't you say that you were going to tell Omegamon and the others about what you told Examon?" he wondered.

"I will… Eventually," Dukemon responded noncommittally.

Grani sighed. "You're procrastinating. Again."

"We're in the middle of a war, Grani. And I was a bit busy getting taken prisoner. There's more important things going on right now than my issues," Dukemon reminded him. "Besides, it's kind of a weird thing to say out of nowhere. 'Hey, guys. You know the Digital Hazard I have? Well, one time I nearly caused a total collapse of the Digital World! Crazy, huh?'"

Grani shot him a dry look. "It's a start…" he answered. "At this rate, you'll just put it off. Examon reacted understandingly, didn't he?"

"Yeah, but why do I even need to? It was a long time ago and if I say anything, the others will just look at me differently," Dukemon muttered, narrowing his eyes bitterly.

"Because if you don't, you'll just keep thinking that," Grani explained. "You pretend it's not a big deal, but if it isn't a big deal then why are you so averse to telling your closest friends?" The Zero ARMS floated up to eye level with Dukemon. "You need to get this off of your chest and prove yourself wrong, Dukemon. I know that you worry about this more than you let on."

Dukemon winced and looked away from Grani. He hated to admit it, but he knew his rationally-minded friend had a point. "…I'll do it after this thing with the Metal Empire is finished with," he responded to the Zero ARMS.

Grani frowned. "Do you promise?" he asked him, not wanting Dukemon to just put it off again.

Dukemon sighed but looked into Grani's calm, sapphire eyes. "Yeah, I promise…" he answered sincerely.

The red-bodied Zero ARMS closed his eyes with a mixture of relief and thought. "Thank you. Very well, then…"

The holy knight Digimon nodded and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah… Anyway… So-"

"Dukemon! Grani!" a familiar voice called out from behind the pair.

Dukemon and Grani both turned and looked down the road. They both saw Karatenmon suddenly appear in mid air several meters away from them.

Karatenmon flapped his broad, jet black wings and gently descended towards them. As he landed, the strong buffeting of his wings blew up dirt from the ground. The corvid spymaster touched his talons down onto the stone road and looked at Dukemon and Grani with a serious expression in his red eyes.

Grani frowned, always finding it strange whenever Karatenmon took something seriously. "Karatenmon? What's wrong?" he wondered.

"I have news," the crow man answered, holding up a scroll. He looked past Dukemon and towards the staging area where Alphamon was. "I was going to tell Alphamon first, but since you're here, I'd might as well tell you two as well."

Dukemon lowered his gaze and looked at Karatenmon seriously. "What is it, Karatenmon?"

Karatenmon opened up the scroll to reveal a long message written in digi-letters. "It's big…" Karatenmon stated. "One of my spies confirmed with scouts in the Saversburg military. It seems like the D-Brigade is launching a surprise invasion of Saversburg…"

Dukemon's eyes widened as he read the message written in the scroll. "What?!"

Grani was stunned. He looked at Karatenmon incredulously. "Are you positive? Are you sure your spy got it right?" he asked him.

Karatenmon matched his gaze with Grani. "I'm positive, Grani," he said, leaving no room for doubt in his voice.

"Captain Grani, Sir!" a high-pitched, androgynous voice called out.

Grani looked up to see the golden, jet-like form of Sparrowmon zooming over to them. "Sparrowmon?" he asked, recognizing his subordinate.

"It's really important, Sir! It's massive information!" Sparrowmon declared, panting and obviously out of breath. "It's the Metal Empire! They're amassing their army in the northwest to Saversburg! Our patrol spotted them several hours ago and it looks like they're going to invade!"

Grani frowned at having this news confirmed. "So it is true…"

Karatenmon nodded. "One hundred percent," he answered. The avian ninja looked at Dukemon who was still reading the message. "Dukemon?"

Dukemon clenched his fist tightly. "This is bad," he spoke, a look of resolve and determination forming in his eyes. "We have to stop them… We need to stop the Metal Empire once and for all. They're a threat to network security and the Digital World."

The Royal Knight rolled up the scroll and turned around, running towards the staging grounds where Alphamon and Magnamon still were talking to the Order troops. "Come on!" he said to the others, dashing across the courtyard. "We need to tell Alphamon!"

* * *

Later that day, things were progressing quickly in the area to the north west of the free city of Saversburg. The vast majority of the D-Brigade forces had crossed the wide, sturdy bridge linking Saversburg to the Mamemon Kingdom. They had created a temporary military base on the Saversburg side of the bridge in order to secure the strategic position.

By this time, Saversburg and its military was fully aware of the Metal Empire's presence in their territory. The military was making speedy preparations to defend the free city from what appeared to be an imminent invasion.

At the outskirts of the massive city of Saversburg was a military base, positioned outside so that it wouldn't be in the way of the busy city. The base had several buildings and a large training ground on the grassy fields, allowing for lots of room for the army to train and manoeuvre. Currently, the base was bustling as the military scrambled to get ready for war.

General Tactimon strode out of the base, gripping his giant, sheathed sword, Jutetsufujin-maru, in one hand, and reading a long, opened scroll which hung from his other hand. He stepped out of the guarded gate leading into the base itself and walked out onto the stone road. This path connected onto the road that led into Saversburg from one direction, and stretched out into the distance.

His black cape flowed behind him as he walked, rippling in the breeze. He didn't take his eyes off the scroll as he made his way down the road at a brisk pace.

"Tactimon," a voice said from in front of him.

Tactimon looked up and saw Gaioumon walking towards him, heading up the road from Saversburg. Gaioumon was one of the Digimon who was part of the Dark Area Strategy group that had assembled in Xuanwumon University. Due to his bad history with the Warrior Ten, there was some tension with between him, AncientGarurumon and Anubismon (otherwise known as AncientSphinxmon) but Gaioumon brought a lot of strategic insight to the table that was valuable for the group.

Tactimon had been overseeing the Dark Area discussion when a messenger came in and told him about the threat. A few of the attendees, including Gaioumon, had overheard. However, the session went on for awhile even after Tactimon was forced to leave to attend to the developing crisis.

"Gaioumon," Tactimon greeted, rolling up the scroll and walking up to him. "I take it you already know what's going on…"

"Is it true that the D-Brigade has entered your territory?" Gaioumon asked him inquisitively.

"Yes… The guards that were stationed at the bridge haven't replied and there were reports of fighting earlier. This is a declaration of war on Saversburg," Tactimon said with narrowed, yellow eyes. "Do you think it's because we attacked them when they were fighting you and the Royal Knights?"

"It's possible… Or it could be because Chaosdramon has gotten a taste for conquest," Gaioumon mused. "He saw how easy it was to take the Mamemon Kingdom, so it could be that he feels emboldened by the victory. Saversburg is an alluring prize, after all… No matter the case, he will undoubtedly use the attack as a pretext."

Tactimon nodded and placed the scroll under his belt before shouldering the Jutetsufujin-maru. "What will you do?" he asked. "The Council of Seven will undoubtedly want to know about this…"

Gaioumon closed his eyes and thought about his question. "Indeed… I must take my leave and return to New Terminal in light of this information," he responded. "I have done all I can to help out with the Dark Area problem, anyways. We have a plan; all that is left is figuring out the precise details. That is not my area of expertise. I will leave that to the experts and those who actually have the power and clearance to modify the security data of the Dark Area's barrier – like Imperialdramon Paladin Mode and the Four Holy Beasts, for example."

"I understand. I have to focus on the coming war right now as well. The rest comes after," Tactimon replied, nodding in acknowledgment. He looked at Gaioumon carefully. "The Republic of Node… Can we expect your assistance? I know it's a lot to ask, but I wouldn't consider such a question if I wasn't desperate. I don't have the exact numbers, but I suspect we are outnumbered. I know it isn't as simple as 'yes' or 'no', but any help we can get… would go appreciated."

"I am not in the position to make that kind of promise. I apologise," Gaioumon said with a dignified, apologetic bow. "However… a powerful, aggressive Metal Empire would be a worry for the Republic of Node. They would not take kindly to Saversburg, one of our closest allies and trading partners, being taken over." Gaioumon gave Tactimon a subtle look that conveyed his meaning. "And what is not far south of Saversburg? The Republic of Node, of course…"

"So, you think that they might…" Tactimon spoke, his words trailing off as he thought.

"I can't say for certain… I can't say how many soldiers they might send if they agree to go to war. I can't make any promises to you, Tactimon," Gaioumon stated. "However, I will do my best as their advisor to lead them to what I think is the best decision."

Tactimon nodded. "I understand," he answered, reading the dragon samurai carefully. "Thank you."

Gaioumon glanced at him, his white hair flowing in the breeze. "In the meantime, I suspect that you will have the Royal Knights fighting on your side. That should help to even the odds," he stated. He smiled faintly. "And I doubt that AncientGreymon of the Warrior Ten will sit idly by as a tyrant invades Saversburg."

Tactimon continued his piercing gaze, which tried to get beneath Gaioumon's icy, impenetrable exterior and dig out the information that he concealed to himself. "And if the Republic of Node did help us, could we expect your personal help?"

"Perhaps," Gaioumon offered. "I am a warrior as well as an advisor and tactician."

"And is that okay, with the Warrior Ten potentially there?" Tactimon prodded. "I can't have you fighting each other over whatever history you have with them. I don't need a battle within a battle, especially not one where the stakes are so high."

Gaioumon smiled knowingly behind his helmet. "I am a professional, Tactimon… I will not involve myself with the Warrior Ten or KaiserGreymon. Rather, you don't have to worry about me stabbing them in the back. That's what you are thinking, isn't it…?"

Tactimon gave him a look. "You can't blame me for making sure… I know how volatile some of their personalities are… and your past precedes you. I have to account for everything."

"No, I understand. Don't worry. I will behave myself," Gaioumon assured him. He bowed before Tactimon. "And now I must return to New Terminal. I wish you luck, Tactimon." When he rose again, he offered his hand. "Do your best, and I shall do mine."

Tactimon nodded and shook his hand firmly. "I appreciate it, Gaioumon," he responded.

Before turning around, Gaioumon nodded behind Tactimon. "I believe that's for you," he pointed out, eyeing into the distance. Gaioumon then began making his way back into Saversburg for his journey back to New Terminal.

Tactimon turned around and saw a Digimon running towards him. It was a beast man Digimon, jogging on two, canine legs. His face was that of a wolf, surrounded by an orange mane and accentuated by a drill-shaped horn coming from the visor on his forehead. His body was clad with thick, metal armour that shimmered in the faint light. Over one of his metal hands was a shield armed with three, sharp claws on the bottom. In the other was a long, drill-like lance. As the JagerDorulumon jogged towards Tactimon, his white and orange cape flapped behind him, and his long orange hair blew in the breeze.

"Tactimon, Sir!" JagerDorulumon called out, running up to him from the grassy field.

"JagerDorulumon," Tactimon said to his second-in-command as the beast warrior came to a stop in front of him.

JagerDorulumon stopped to catch his breath, panting for a few moments before standing up straight and composing himself. "General," he greeted, saluting. "I've spoken to our scouts."

"Good. What did they find?" the demon tactician asked. "How large of an enemy force are we dealing with?"

"It isn't good, Tactimon," JagerDorulumon explained, a grimace forming on his face. "It seems to be most of the D-Brigade. There's over ten thousand… Plus, there are probably more back in Haganemame City and Facture."

Tactimon narrowed his eyes and stroked his chin with his thumb and index finger. "I see… We don't even have half that many soldiers," he responded. "Where are they? What are they doing right now?"

"Currently, they've set up camp at the bridge fifteen kilometers to the northwest of the city. They seem to be consolidating their position and protecting their supply line while they prepare to invade," the beast knight informed him.

"I see… I doubt they'll wait more than a couple days. We're probably lucky that they're playing smart and not rushing to attack. That gives us a bit more time to prepare," Tactimon mused, turning in the direction that JagerDorulumon described.

"And gather allies," JagerDorulumon suggested. "I think we'll need them. We can't stand against the strength of the D-Brigade alone."

Tactimon sighed and looked away from his second on command, staring into the distance. "I hate to admit it, but you're probably right. Even with the best tactics, it would be hard to make the most of them with our numerical disadvantage," he conceded.

"All three of the Storm Commanders are there. And scouts reported seeing Chaosdramon himself arriving just a few minutes ago," the orange wolf man added.

At this, Tactimon frowned. His mind worked quickly. "Emperor Chaosdramon…? What's he doing there?" he asked. "It couldn't be that he…" Tactimon trailed off.

The black armoured demon man looked at JagerDorulumon. "Get someone to send for General Blastmon. I need to talk to him about our defences. And also send a messenger down to the Royal Knights. If we're going to defend Saversburg, we're going to need them and soon."

"Yes, Tactimon," JagerDorulumon complied, racing off towards the military base.

Tactimon watched him run off. After a few moments, Tactimon narrowed his eyes and tightly gripped the Jutetsufujin-maru as he bitterly cursed the situation.

"_Duftmon, you and the Royal Knights had better show up to help us. If there was ever a time that we needed your assistance, it's now. Do not let me down…_"

* * *

The three Storm Commanders were busy organizing the D-Brigade. They were preparing most of the forces for the coming attack in a few days time. Before they could invade Saversburg, they needed to make their tactics and arrange the D-Brigade accordingly, as well as secure their position in case the Saversburg army tried to drive them off first.

D-Brigade scouts constantly patrolled their perimeter, as well as venturing deeper towards the city itself. Any activity from Saversburg was to be reported immediately. There was a degree of tension after their scouts had been mysteriously attacked that morning.

Presently, Raijinmon, Suijinmon, and Fujinmon were in a large, makeshift tent, going over tactics.

"So, you want to approach from this direction?" Raijinmon asked, looking at a map of Saversburg, leading his finger down across the terrain along the western part of the map.

"Yes," Suijinmon responded. "The north is too hilly for our mechanized Digimon. It would be ideal if we advanced down this road and then onto level terrain."

"I suppose that's fine, but it's a little predictable," Fujinmon mused.

"Predictable is acceptable sometimes, as long as we have the strength and discipline to back it up," Suijinmon explained. "Besides, they already know we are here, considering how they wiped out our advance patrol. We've already lost the element of surprise."

Raijinmon nodded and placed his metal hands on his hips. "And you expect that the Saversburg army will come out to meet us?"

"I believe so. I don't think they would want to risk the city. However, Tactimon is said to be a good general. He may have some tricks ready," Suijinmon droned. "What I would like to do is—"

"Excuse me, Commander?" a voice said from outside the tent.

The flap of the tent opened and the gear-shaped body of a Hagurumon floated in cautiously. "My apologies. Am I interrupting?"

"It is fine," Suijinmon told the child-level machine Digimon. "Do you have something to report?"

"Yes. Sort of," Hagurumon replied, saluting with his cog arm. "His Highness, Emperor Chaosdramon has arrived at the camp. He wishes to speak with the three of you."

Raijinmon blinked with surprise. "He's here at the base?" he said, perplexed at the news.

Fujinmon frowned. "That's unusual…" he muttered.

Suijinmon turned around. "Then we must meet him. Thank you, Hagurumon," Suijinmon spoke, walking outside of the tent to find Chaosdramon.

When the red machine Digimon lumbered out of the tent, Fujinmon leaned in towards the Thunderclap Commander. "Hey, Raijinmon… What do you think Chaosdramon wants? This is strange, isn't it?" he asked his comrade.

Raijinmon closed his eyes and folded his arms in thought. "It is, a bit… Maybe he just wants to see how things are going. Although he typically trusts military matters to us…"

"I wonder how much he really trusts us," Fujinmon whispered.

Raijinmon shot Fujinmon a look of warning. "You should put those thoughts out of your mind, Fujinmon," he advised the emerald armoured cyborg firmly. "Suijinmon is already suspicious of you for saying things like that. All it takes is one careless word and you could end up in trouble. Don't let that happen."

Fujinmon scoffed and straightened himself up with dignity. "It was just idle talk," he answered bitterly.

The gold cyborg sighed and began walking. "Come on, Fujinmon," he told him. "Let's catch up with Suijinmon."

There was a shimmer of passion in Fujinmon's narrowed, gold eyes as he followed Raijinmon out of the tent. However, he closed them and composed himself before striding up beside the Thunderclap Commander.

Suijinmon was several meters ahead of them, making his way through the military camp constructed on the riverbank. There were D-Brigade soldiers all around. The unmistakeable, colossal, crimson body of Chaosdramon could be seen near the bridge, surveying his D-Brigade carefully.

As the three Storm Commanders made their way towards the bridge, the draconic body of a Darkdramon flew down from the sky and touched down beside the three commanders. He saluted and turned to Fujinmon. "Commander Fujinmon."

Fujinmon gave a vertical salute with his Critical Arm. "How are the Special Recon Task Forces doing?" he asked his subordinate.

"They secured that strategic hill where we were attacked from," the Darkdramon officer replied. "They are now engaging in zone reconnaissance. There seems to be some activity from the Saversburg military, but we don't have to worry about them attacking us yet. Mostly scouts checking us out."

Fujinmon nodded. "Good. Keep an eye on them and let me know if anything changes."

"Sir," Darkdramon spoke, beginning to turn around and intensifying the spread of his white wings.

"Oh, and Darkdramon. Meet me later in the evening. There is something I want to talk to you about," Fujinmon added.

"Yes sir," Darkdramon complied, sweeping his effervescent wings out and shooting back into the sky.

Raijinmon looked at Fujinmon curiously. "What's that about?" he wondered.

"Just reviewing overnight patrols," Fujinmon answered, walking ahead of the two.

"Good thinking. That makes sense," Suijinmon agreed, plodding after the slender, green cyborg Digimon.

Raijinmon followed after them at a leisurely pace, folding his arms behind his back and observing the D-Brigade Digimon around the camp. His eyes kept going back to the large, red, lustrous emperor who had showed up suddenly. He kept wondering why. He couldn't help but wonder if Fujinmon was right.

They approached the river bank next to the rushing water. Emperor Chaosdramon was there, standing at the base of the bridge. The bridge was constructed of sturdy metal that arched over the tempestuous Champion River. It showed the impressive skill of Saversburg architects that they were able to build a bridge to support Digimon as heavy as a Chaosdramon or Deckerdramon.

Chaosdramon loomed over the whole campsite. His presence and gravitas was as heavy as his actual weight. As he watched the D-Brigade work, he stood on the stone road, unable to move onto the soft riverbank without sinking into the relatively soft ground. He walked up the road upon seeing his three Storm Commander approaching him.

"Your Majesty," Suijinmon spoke, slowly coming to a stop and bowing his head in respect.

Fujinmon and Raijinmon stopped beside the massive Waterfall Commander and bowed as well.

Chaosdramon raised his vice-like claws. "At ease, Commanders," he told them, allowing the three to relax.

"Emperor," Raijinmon spoke, standing up straight again. "What are you doing here?"

"We were unaware that you were coming," Fujinmon agreed. "We thought you were organising things back in Haganemame City."

"I was. I decided to come here," Chaosdramon rumbled in a deep, breathy reverberation. He stared at them with his cold, crimson eyes. "My presence doesn't cause a problem, does it?"

"Of course not, Your Highness," Suijinmon insisted. "Was there a particular reason that you wanted to visit us?"

"Yes…" Chaosdramon spoke, his intimidating whisper melding into a hiss of steam escaping the vents on his giant, metal backpack. "I have decided… I am going to personally oversee this invasion."

Raijinmon took a step forward. "W-What? You want to… what?" he asked incredulously, but trying his best to choose his words carefully.

Fujinmon's eyes widened, but his look of surprise swiftly changed. He closed his eyes calmly and seemed to passively accept the development.

Suijinmon frowned with both shock and scepticism at this idea. "Your majesty…? But…" He stalled, finding himself having trouble speaking against his superior. "In what capacity?" he asked, deciding to give a neutral response.

"I intend to invoke my martial powers – as the Chief Commander of the D-Brigade," Chaosdramon stated firmly. "I am the ultimate head of the D-Brigade, if you recall. I am not just the ruler of the Metal Empire."

"O-Of course, Emperor Chaosdramon…" Raijinmon spoke, frowning pensively at his choice of words. It was as if Chaosdramon wanted to remind them that the D-Brigade didn't belong to the Storm Commanders, even if they did most of the work.

"But, Your Majesty…" Suijinmon dared to speak up. "You know that you can leave the invasion to us, correct? We will not disappoint you."

"I never implied that you would, Suijinmon," Chaosdramon answered, turning his imposing gaze to the comparatively smaller, red, machine Digimon. "However, this is my decision. Our invasion of Saversburg marks a new era in Metal Empire's history. I will not be the one who sits around on his throne while his subordinates do all of the work. I will not rest on my laurels. I will be the one who leads the Metal Empire to victory and prosperity… with my own claws." He narrowed his blood red eyes. "I am the Metal Empire. I will make everybody remember what I am capable of."

"B-But it is dangerous, Your Majesty," Suijinmon protested.

Chaosdramon shot Suijinmon a look. "I was a soldier once. I became an officer in the D-Brigade thanks to my skills. Do not underestimate my sheer power and efficiency, Suijinmon. It wasn't just my intelligence that allowed me to overthrow JumboGamemon. It also needed my skill and muscle."

Suijinmon winced. "Yes, Emperor, I know, but if what if something were to happen to you?"

The blood-hued eyes of the emperor narrowed. "And just what would happen to me?" he challenged.

Suijinmon decided to stay quiet. He didn't dare dispute Chaosdramon any further. "…Nothing. I apologise, Your Majesty…"

"Good…" Chaosdramon stated. He turned and looked at Fujinmon. "Do you have any objections, Fujinmon?" he tested the Hurricane Commander.

Fujinmon opened his eyes and looked up at Chaosdramon serenely. "None at all, Emperor. If this is what you wish, then you are more than welcome to lead the D-Brigade, as is your prerogative…" he answered cordially.

Chaosdramon nodded before looking at Raijinmon. "Raijinmon?"

Raijinmon straightened up and folded his arms behind him in his usual posture. "Of course. We are lucky to have your experience aiding us in battle," he agreed.

"Yes, Your Majesty…" Suijinmon murmured, not wanting to challenge Chaosdramon, but worrying about his emperor's safety.

"Good," Chaosdramon rumbled. He moved around on his heavy, half-organic legs, turning towards the thousands of soldiers around the large camp. "How is the state of the D-Brigade?"

"At peak operating capacity," Raijinmon assured him. "We will be ready in a few days at the latest."

"And Saversburg?" Chaosdramon asked. "I spoke to some of the officers when I first arrived. Apparently one of our patrols has been wiped out?"

"Yes…" Suijinmon answered.

"Then they attacked us first. That gives us all of the justification we need to respond with crushing force," Chaosdramon declared. After a moment, Chaosdramon shook his head. "No… Our strength is the only justification that we need. No more playing politics with other states. No more compromising and putting up a front. I am a general, not a politician. …Politics… That fleeting moment in the history of the Digital World is soon coming to an end."

Fujinmon looked at Chaosdramon suspiciously. "Crushing force?" he inquired for confirmation.

"Yes, we will annihilate their army," the monumental cyborg explained. "And when the Royal Knights show up, we will destroy them too. They are too dangerous to leave alive. With them gone, order will be in our total control. It will be the intelligence, strength, and discipline of the Metal Empire that creates a new world order."

"Yes, Emperor…" Raijinmon spoke, although the words lingered in his throat.

"You can rely on us, Emperor," Fujinmon stated.

"Good," Chaosdramon spoke, turning forwards. He began to walk up the road, further into the military camp. "Suijinmon, give me a complete run down on the situation. This way."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Suijinmon obeyed, lumbering after him.

Fujinmon watched as the two ruby-coloured machines walked off. He waited several moments before turning to Raijinmon. "That was strange, wasn't it?" he asked his comrade.

Raijinmon frowned with thought. "I suppose it was…" he couldn't help but agree.

Fujinmon leaned in towards the medium-sized Thunderclap Commander. "You know what that was about, don't you?" he said to Raijinmon. "That was the Emperor asserting his authority over the D-Brigade. Without explicitly saying it, he was telling us that 'the D-Brigade is loyal to me, not you.'"

"What?" Raijinmon asked, looking at Fujinmon. "He wouldn't be so bold. You would think that he would trust his best subordinates."

"Don't you think he's been acting strangely lately?" Fujinmon questioned. "It's clear that he's starting to distrust us." Fujinmon levelled his calm, golden eyes on Raijinmon. "First, he assassinates JumboGamemon without telling us… Then he starts invading our neighbours, completely reversing our long standing, guiding principle of isolation. It's been ages since we've expanded our empire outwards, and we've never done so with such blatant aggression. I wonder… that attack on Facture… was it really from the outside? Perhaps the Emperor wanted a pretext to begin these invasions. All of this is far too calculated…"

Raijinmon narrowed his eyes. "Watch what you say, Fujinmon. You are speaking treasonously…" he warned him in a harsh whisper.

Fujinmon challenged Raijinmon's glare with his own. "So tell somebody. Arrest me yourself if you disagree with what I'm saying. You know that what I'm saying isn't unreasonable. You're a smart Digimon, Raijinmon," he fired back in a hushed voice.

The electric commander winced and turned his gaze away. "I agree that he's been acting differently in the way that you say… But saying that he planned all of this from the start may be a stretch," he reasoned.

"Even so… It's clear that he doesn't trust us anymore," Fujinmon explained. "Not even Suijinmon, who is as loyal as a Gabumon. I mean… Chaosdramon came to check on us in Haganemame City, and now he wants to conduct this campaign personally. It's clear that he's trying to undermine us."

Raijinmon closed his eyes. "Perhaps… I'm not sure…" he spoke, his uneasiness obvious in his voice. "Even so, he is our Emperor. All we can do is obey him and prove our loyalty and competence on the battlefield."

"That is only a short term solution, is it not?" Fujinmon asked rhetorically. "Distrust only grows with time. We need to start thinking about a way to protect ourselves…"

Raijinmon turned away from Fujinmon. He was quiet for a few moments before replying. "…We'll see…" he answered noncommittally. The Thunderclap Commander turned ninety degrees to look at Fujinmon behind him. "Fujinmon, because you're my friend, I won't breathe a word of this conversation to anybody."

Fujinmon closed his eyes and sighed softly. "I appreciate that, Raijinmon… Just don't dismiss what I'm saying out of hand… Think about it. One of your greatest qualities is your open mind. Use it, and you can become one of the greatest Digimon in Digital World history."

Raijinmon stalled. After a few seconds of thought, he quietly turned away from Fujinmon and began walking away from the riverbank and the bridge. Raijinmon walked into the D-Brigade camp and went back to preparing his forces for the battle to come.

As his friend walked away, Fujinmon rose his head and looked up into the sky with what would amount to a smile of satisfaction. "_This is it, Chaosdramon… This is my opportunity. After years and years of debasing myself before you, I will finally get my satisfaction._"

"_I will be the one who brings your reign of terror to an end, you damn tyrant…_"


	29. Chapter 20 Part 1: Betrayal

(Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay. I had some computer troubles, but I think everything's fixed now, I hope. Here's Chapter 20. It was 40 pages long so I've had to split the chapter into two parts for brevity. Due to the structure of the chapter, I couldn't make an even half-and-half split, so I decided to to make Part I shorter and Part II longer in order to keep the flow of the chapter. I'll post Part II around Friday or the weekend. R&amp;R and enjoy!)

**Chapter 20: Betrayal (Part I)  
**

All twelve of the Royal Knights walked up a wide road that led into Saversburg from the south. The road was large enough to support the large bodies of four Mammons standing side by side. This was in order to accommodate all the foot and transportation traffic going in and out of Saversburg.

The giant city stood majestically over the surrounding fields. Greeting the Royal Knights at the front entrance was a row of giant, golden archways, known as the Heroes' Entrance. The multitude of arches that spanned the road towered over even some of the largest Digimon. It was a beautiful sight on the way into the city.

The twelve Royal Knights made their way under the archways and continued towards the entrance. They couldn't help but notice the amount of Digimon coming out of the city. There were a lot of Digimon who were leaving with their belongings. The essential items were being transported by hand, carts, wagons, or heavy duty Digimon who were in the transport business, who carried large quantities of items. With the amount of Digimon leaving, the Royal Knights felt like they were swimming upstream of a river.

The Royal Knights walked on the side of the road in order to allow the fleeing Digimon to pass in a safe and organised manner. They walked in two columns of six in order to not take up too much room.

The rest of the Order military was about a kilometer or two behind the Royal Knights. Since they disembarked from their Deep Savers transports, the Royal Knights opted to go ahead to Saversburg and prepare for their stay there. Part of the reason for this was that the Strike Forces and Defence Forces would take awhile to catch up with their large numbers. Meanwhile, the Reconnaissance Forces and the Stealth Forces were each doing their own things – scouts were checking out the D-Brigade and the areas inside and around Saversburg, while the Stealth Forces were busy getting information and doing other covert operations. Waiting back at Castle Avalon were the Castle Guards, a handful of scouts and spies, the headquarters staff, and Dorbickmon, just so that the headquarters was well defended.

Alphamon walked at the head of the group with Imperialdramon Paladin Mode. Right behind them were Omegamon and Dukemon. The other nine followed from not far behind.

"There's a lot of Digimon fleeing the city," Magnamon mused, looking over at the passing Digimon of all shapes and sizes, from Baby to Perfect level.

"Maybe the mayor put out an evacuation order," Dynasmon suggested, walking with his arms folded.

"I guess it's true that the D-Brigade is invading," Dukemon said, narrowing his eyes. "Not that I'm doubting the reports. It's just… kind of unbelievable that Chaosdramon would go this far."

"To think that they would be so bold…" Duftmon mused. "I suppose it makes sense from a strategic point of view, but it was hard to expect this from the Metal Empire. They may be cruel and ruthless, but they generally wouldn't do anything so risky and audacious."

"The gauntlets are off now," Gankoomon spoke up. He nonchalantly placed his hands behind his head as he walked. "What do they have to gain by being careful, especially after everything they've done so far? Now that they've pissed us off so much, why not try to take as much as they can?" he rhetorically suggested.

"You mean, apart from the fact that we're going to blast them into spare parts," Dynasmon responded confidently.

"Yeah, apart from that," Gankoomon said with a grin.

Examon frowned as he thought about the situation. "So, what should we do?" he asked.

"Simple, Ex-sama. We defend Saversburg," UlforceVeedramon responded plainly. He grinned and stretched his arms; he was now completely healed from the injuries he sustained last time he fought around Saversburg "That's all there is to it."

"In battle?" Examon followed up. "That seems to be the only way we can do that at this point."

"I'm inclined to agree," Alphamon stated firmly. "We are at a point where we can no longer shy away from battle with the Metal Empire. Chaosdramon won't consider diplomacy, so we'll have to speak respond with a clear voice and a firm hand. It is our duty as Royal Knights to quell this threat."

Omegamon nodded in agreement. "I think we are all prepared for that," he stated.

"Yeah…" Sleipmon said pensively. He frowned as he thought about the situation. "This is what we need to do to protect people…"

"Indeed. The Metal Empire has been left unchecked for quite long enough," RhodoKnightmon agreed, folding his arms. "They must be reminded of what happens when Digimon do things like this. The Royal Knights and our justice aren't things to be ignored."

"Yeah. Time to put them in their place," Craniamon added in staunch agreement, cracking his knuckles.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode looked over at Alphamon. "Do you want me to join in?" he offered, also glancing back at Omegamon.

Alphamon frowned as he thought about the offer. Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode certainly was a force on the battlefield. "Is the Dark Area strategy meeting still going on?" he inquired.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode nodded. "Yeah, they said they were going to carry on until the battle reaches the city."

"Then you should stay with them," Alphamon advised. "While your combat skills would be more than helpful, we need a solution to the Dark Area crisis just as much."

Omegamon nodded with agreement. "I agree, Imperialdramon," he said to the white-armoured dragon man. "We need to focus on the long term as well as the short term."

Imperialdramon gave his friends a knowing smile. "And you're worried I'm rusty and I'll get myself hurt, right?" he deduced with a chuckle. "Well, I'll play along for now. Back to fixing the Dark Area it is…" His expression grew serious. "But if you do need me, you know where I am. I might even have to make an unannounced appearance if things get really bad."

"We know, Imperialdramon," Omegamon answered appreciatively, with a tiny smile reflected in his blue eyes.

"Thank you," Alphamon concurred, continuing to walk towards the city gates of Saversburg.

Dukemon patted Imperialdramon Paladin Mode's shoulder. "You'll be the first to know," he assured him. As Dukemon pulled his hand back, he turned and looked to the eastern sky. In the clouds, he could see the distant silhouette of a flying creature. The Royal Knight recognised it immediately.

Grani swiftly skimmed the sky before diving down towards the group of Royal Knights at a gentle angle. "Alphamon, Dukemon," he called out while approaching the group. Grani circled around them and reared his body back, coming to a soft stop beside them. He hovered beside the thirteen Digimon and floated along at their walking pace. "I apologise for taking so long."

"No apology necessary, Grani," Alphamon assured him. "How did the scouting go?"

"It's as they said in the letter: the D-Brigade is preparing an invasion up by the bridge," Zero ARMS: Grani responded. "They have started shooting at patrols that get close to them, both ours and Saversburg's."

Dukemon narrowed his eyes. "Are you okay, Grani?" he asked him, concern and anger starting to ignite his voice.

"I am fine, thank you. There is not a scratch on me," he assured his friend.

Alphamon looked at Grani evenly. "What did you see?" he questioned, his tone becoming serious and professional.

"They have started leaving their encampment and they are heading south-east towards Saversburg. Due to the geography, namely the rivers caused by the sky waterfalls north of Saversburg, I predict that they will have to hook around and advance from the west, rather than from the north or northwest, where they would have to cross the rivers and get caught up in capturing more bridges," Grani explained rationally.

Duftmon nodded in agreement. "Since it's impossible for the Metal Empire to besiege the city, they likely wish to crush any opposition as swiftly as possible. They have nothing to gain and everything to lose by dragging this invasion out; every moment wasted is another moment given to Saversburg to fortify and recruit allies. Attempting to capture and cross every other bridge from the north would waste a lot of time. They will likely do as Grani says and attack from the west in a day or two," he deduced.

"How many were there?" Alphamon asked as the group approached the city gates.

"I estimate around 9850 with a 3% margin of error," Grani answered with computer-like precision. "I would guess that around 70% of the D-Brigade is there. I have sent patrols to the north and the west to make sure they won't try anything clever without us noticing." He glanced forwards, noticing a Digimon walking towards them, rather than past them. "Alphamon."

Alphamon looked forwards. Walking out from the entrance to Saversburg was Tactimon. The dark, regal-looking general strode towards them, as if to greet their arrival. The Royal Knights came to a halt right at the edge of the city as Tactimon sauntered up to them.

"Hello, Royal Knights," Tactimon greeted, stopping in front of the group. He turned and looked at Duftmon specifically. "Hello, Duftmon. Thank you, all of you, for coming."

"Salutations, Tactimon," Duftmon mumbled, sheepishly glancing aside and not looking directly at his friend.

Alphamon nodded. "You didn't need to come out to greet us personally. You must be very busy with battle preparations," he stated.

"I am, but it was the least that I could do," Tactimon responded. "I assume that your presence here means that you will help us?"

"Yes," Alphamon replied. "We may have gotten you into this mess, after all. It is our duty to end this."

Tactimon breathed a sigh of relief. "That should help to even the odds a bit…" He looked past the group of thirteen. "Is the rest of your army en route?"

"Yeah," Dukemon spoke up. "They'll be here in an hour or two. We just thought we'd go ahead of them and prepare the way."

Tactimon nodded. "I will personally see to it that you all have lodgings. I know there are almost a thousand of you, so I am not sure if there will be enough space inside of the city… Will a camp out here do?" he asked.

"That should be fine. Thank you, Tactimon," Alphamon replied.

"Of course. To be honest, it would increase security inside of Saversburg as well, having the Royal Knights right outside," he explained. He took a calming breath. "We are concerned about D-Brigade infiltration squads getting into the city and sabotaging us or figuring out our battle plans."

"We can help you on that front," Magnamon assured him.

Alphamon nodded. "We are comrades in arms now. You can rely on us to fight on behalf of Saversburg," he added in agreement. He turned and looked at Duftmon. "We aren't about to let Duftmon's hometown and one of the greatest cities in the Digital World fall to a tyrant who thinks he can invade his neighbours without us responding."

Duftmon closed his eyes and bowed his head. "…Yes. We aren't…" he spoke in concurrence.

Tactimon nodded tiredly. Looking closely at his eyes, stress and weariness could be seen hidden beneath his glossy, gold orbs. "Thank you…" he responded.

Both Alphamon and Imperialdramon noticed Tactimon's state. "You should take a break, Tactimon," Alphamon advised him. "How long have you been preparing?"

"Since I first found out. I am fine, however," he assured them. "Every minute counts."

"You're no use to your army like that. Take a break, if only for just an hour or two," Imperialdramon suggested.

Tactimon sighed, conceding his point. "Very well. But only for an hour," he accepted, recognizing the wisdom in their words.

Alphamon smiled and folded his arms. "Good… Would you like me to make you some coffee or tea to help you distress? They are both very medicinal in their own ways," he offered.

Tactimon thought about Alphamon's offer for a moment. "…One of each sounds good," he agreed.

All of the other Royal Knights, Imperialdramon, and Grani exchanged uneasy looks. Alphamon had many qualities, but being a good coffee and tea brewer was certainly not one of them. Back when he first started, there were pieces of tea leaves in the tea, and there was usually ground or even whole coffee beans floating in his coffee. Now that he perfected the art of brewing, he has began to add new 'flavours' to the liquids, in a display of culinary adventurism. Everyone present has had to choke down his coffee at one point or another. Many have taken to stealthily jettisoning the tea into nearby plants. None of them envied Tactimon's ignorance.

Still smiling, Alphamon nodded. "Good. To the university, then? Just show me to where you keep everything," he stated. "Have you ever tried vanilla coffee? Vanilla is supposed to do wonders for stress."

"That sounds good," Tactimon said to Alphamon. He nodded at the Royal Knights and turned around, leading them through the largest of the golden archways – the gate to the city. "Right this way," he informed them, walking inside the bustling city of Saversburg.

UlforceVeedramon looked at those around him. "Should we warn Tactimon about Alphamon's… art?" he whispered, using the term art with a deliberate degree of sarcasm.

"Let him find out through experience," Duftmon coolly responded.

"Poor guy…" Magnamon murmured, fiddling with his golden collar.

Alphamon turned around. "By the way, do any of you want some as well? It won't be any trouble making extra, assuming they have enough ingredients," he offered with a proud smile.

"No, thank you," Omegamon quickly said.

"I'm good," Dukemon spoke up next.

The rest of the Royal Knights tried to rattle off some excuses as quickly as they could, not wanting to be one of the last ones to speak up, as one or two usually had to bite the bullet or else they'd look suspicious. Eventually, Examon and Sleipmon ended up taking pity on the black Royal Knight and agreed to have some, although with faintly sour expressions.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode chuckled at this and continued walking alongside Alphamon. "I'll have some of your coffee, Alphamon," he offered, walking forwards. "It's always an adventure."

"Great. You always did have a good palette," Alphamon stated with a hint of excitement. He walked alongside him and put some distance between themselves and the rest of the Royal Knights.

The large group of Ultimate level Digimon were now walking past the walls of the city and into the main road inside Saversburg. It was a busy road with many different shops and services on all sides. The large road continued straight, into the heart of the city. However, many other roads branched off from the main road in different directions, all lined with shops, restaurants, and businesses.

"I swear Imperialdramon actually likes that stuff," Dynasmon whispered to Craniamon, who was walking beside him. "There must be something wrong with his taste buds.

"Must be," Craniamon agreed. "I've seen tar more appetizing."

However, as the violet Royal Knight walked, one of the Digimon who was walking up the main street of the city caught his eye. Craniamon stopped and gazed curiously, eyeing a short Digimon as he made his way out of an apothecary and up the busy sidewalk.

It was a Wizardmon. The short demon man Digimon walked along, his head meekly ducked behind his collar to conceal the lower half of his face.

"What the…" Craniamon murmured, stepping further onto the smooth, stone street. He stopped and looked at the Wizardmon carefully. Something seemed familiar about him.

Dynasmon turned and looked at Craniamon, wondering why he went in a different direction. "What's up, Craniamon?" he wondered.

"That Wizardmon over there, I think I recognise him…" Craniamon replied quizzically. The dark armoured knight decided to test out his theory. He walked across the street, towards the Wizardmon in question. "Hey, you! Wizardmon!"

The Wizardmon froze in place. He turned and looked over his shoulder nervously. He spotted Craniamon walking towards him. It was then that he noticed all of the Royal Knights walking up the main Saversburg road. Their presence was attracting attention to them from the passing Digimon civilians.

Wizardmon's eyes widened with fear. He turned forwards again, half-heartedly pretending that he didn't notice Craniamon. A ways up the main road was the inn; that was supposed to be his next destination. He contemplated making a break for it, but he knew that that would cast suspicion on him, and he doubted he could get away. Grimacing, Wizardmon took a deep breath and turned around to face Craniamon, who walked right up to him.

"Y-Y-Yes?" Wizardmon questioned. His voice trembled and his legs shook as he looked up at the daunting, fearsome knight that loomed over him.

"Have we met before? I feel like I know you from somewhere," Craniamon explained, his glowing, blood-crimson eyes squinting at the mage Digimon.

"I… I don't think so…" Wizardmon offered, glancing to the side, having considerable trouble lying to the face of such an intimidating and powerful Digimon. "I think you, perhaps, could be mistaken…?"

"You sure you don't know me? I'm Craniamon of the Royal Knights. I'm sure I know you," Craniamon responded, giving Wizardmon a scrutinizing leer that once again made the demon mage wither. Upon seeing the sight, he was positive that he saw him before. "…I got it. Dusk Village. I remember seeing you in Dusk Village."

Wizardmon's eyes widened with terror. "I… I… I don't recall…" the shy sorcerer attempted.

"Yeah, I definitely remember you…" Craniamon turned his head and called over to the group of Royal Knights, who were slowly making their way up the long road, deeper into the commercial part of the city. "Hey, Examon! Come over here for a minute!"

Examon stopped and looked at Craniamon curiously. He raised an eyebrow and made his way over to Craniamon and Wizardmon. "Yeah, Craniamon?" he wondered, although he looked at Wizardmon with a prying gaze as well.

"You remember this Wizardmon, right? We met him in Dusk Village about a year ago. Remember, when we were investigating those disappearances in Dusk Forest and it was that Tankdramon who had a dark evolution thanks to a dark rift?" Craniamon said, looking up at the larger Digimon and hoping to dodge his memory.

Wizardmon winced at the keen perception that Craniamon had. He looked up at Examon for his response.

Examon blinked and nodded, suddenly placing the appearance into context. He folded his arms across his armoured chest and looked down at the Wizardmon. "Yeah, I remember now. You're definitely that Wizardmon that we met," Examon mused. "You were the one who hired that Tankdramon in the first place. It was because you wanted to investigate the dark rifts, wasn't it?"

Wizardmon winced and reflexively took a step back. He tried to compose himself, not wanting to look suspicious. There was no point in denying it now. "I… Yes, I vaguely remember now… I'm sorry… My memory is shoddy…" he sheepishly apologised, looking extremely uncomfortable.

Craniamon continued to scrutinise the Wizardmon. "So… You're a scientist with an interest in the dark rifts, aren't you?" he questioned.

"Yes… I… I research abnormal data," Wizardmon explained, starting to feel sweat underneath his clothes.

"What are you doing up here?" Craniamon questioned. "You didn't live in Dusk Village?"

"N-No, I was merely visiting there for research," Wizardmon replied, fidgeting with his wizard cap. "After I heard reports of Digimon acting differently in Dusk Forest."

Examon raised a hand to rub the chin of his snout with the dull edge of his claws. "If you're a scientist studying the Dark Area, could it be that you're here for a particular reason?" he asked, wondering if this Wizardmon was one of the Digimon part of the Dark Area strategy group. He wasn't able to ask him directly since the group was supposed to be a secret, but he wanted to press for information.

"What? No!" Wizardmon responded defensively. "I'm… I live here."

"Yeah?" Craniamon asked him, folding his arms. "If that's the case, you might not want to hang around. We won't let the D-Brigade into the city, but it's better to be safe."

"Um… Yes, you're right," Wizardmon replied. He glanced towards the inn he was supposed to go to. "I just have to…" He stalled. He didn't want to be followed into the inn, where Black Pincer Company was waiting for him. That would ruin everything. Wizardmon decided that he would need to be smart about this. He sighed with defeat. "Never mind. You're right. I should leave."

"Good idea," Craniamon responded, glancing towards the exit to the city,

"Goodbye then. It was an honour to see you both again, Sir Royal Knights," Wizardmon stated nervously. Without needing to be told, he submissively began to walk towards the exit of the city. With every step, he worried that he was going to be stopped by Craniamon and Examon again.

Examon watched as the Wizardmon walked off. He turned to Craniamon. "Do you think we should have told him about the Dark Area group?" he asked the violet knight. "If he's a scientist studying the dark rifts, he might know some useful information that the research group could use."

Craniamon narrowed his eyes, which were still fixed on the Wizardmon's back. "…I dunno. I'm not sure if we could trust him with that information," he said suspiciously.

"You don't trust him?" Examon asked.

Craniamon shrugged noncommittally. "Didn't he seem shifty to you? He looked uneasy…" the Royal Knight remarked, turning and looking up at Examon. "I even remember him acting weird back when we first met him."

"He's just shy," Examon reasoned. "Let's face it, Craniamon. We're both pretty intimidating Digimon. Dealing with both of us at the same time can be pretty unnerving, especially when he knows we're both Royal Knights."

"Still, I always thought it was weird that he hired that Tankdramon to do his researching for him, instead of doing it himself" Craniamon mused.

"Not every Digimon is as brave as you are, Craniamon," Examon pointed out. "I don't doubt that he was afraid to go in that forest. I mean, look at him. He looks pretty meek to me."

Craniamon shrugged. "I guess so…" he supposed. He then turned and looked up the busy Saversburg road. He could see that the group of Royal Knights were some distance up the shop-filled street now. "Come on, Examon. We're getting left behind."

Examon nodded and walked alongside Craniamon up the road. They marched at an increased pace to try and catch up with their comrades.

Meanwhile, Wizardmon walked out of the city and breathed a sigh of relief. He cast a look of regret over his shoulder, reached for his wand, and continued walking.

* * *

Wizardmon had been heading towards the inn on the next corner of the main road leading into Saversburg from the south. It was a large inn, capable of housing lots of Digimon of all sizes. It was known as the Adventurer's Rest. On the main level of the Adventurer's Rest was a bar area. Along the side wall was a long bar counter that overlooked the various stools and tables in the room.

Due to the crisis situation going on in Saversburg, there were only a few Digimon in the bar. Among these Digimon were GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon, who sat at a table and ate food. The evacuation order had been sounded, but it seemed like the owner of the inn was going to ignore it and weather the storm.

GrandisKuwagamon swallowed what food was in his mouth and then looked around the bar. "Where the hell is Bolgmon? He's taking forever."

Blitzmon shrugged. "He probably got distracted," he answered, cutting a piece of meat on his plate. "I'm more concerned about Wizardmon. He's late with our payment."

GrandisKuwagamon placed his elbow on the table and leaned his chin onto his black hand. "Yeah… There's that too. He should have been here an hour ago. I guess he got held up," he mused. He looked across the table at Blitzmon. "So… What do you think?"

"Think about what? Where Wizardmon is?" Blitzmon asked him.

"No. He said that he was going to take us to meet our client finally, remember? As a show of 'good will'… So, who do you think this client really is?" he wondered, thinking about the question himself.

Blitzmon shrugged. "Whoever it is must have a lot of money to keep paying us like this. Maybe it's a king or somebody else who wants to make good on the Knights and the tin cans taking chunks outta one another," he suggested.

"Maybe they just think this is worth the big investment," GrandisKuwagamon figured.

Blitzmon placed his fork and knife down on his empty plate. "Either way, I don't want to wait around here for too long. The D-Brigade wants Saversburg for themselves."

"Yeah… That's not good news for us," GrandisKuwagamon pointed out. "We take a lot of good jobs here. If the Metal Empire takes over, then this place turns into another Facture. That's less business for us. Not to mention we've got a bounty on our heads there."

"We've got a bounty on our heads here too. Have you seen the posters?" Blitzmon reminded him. "The Royal Knights must be spreading them."

GrandisKuwagamon smirked. "It's not easy being so popular," he joked.

Blitzmon closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat.

"Uh… Blitz?" GrandisKuwagamon suddenly asked with incredulity in his voice. "…What the hell is that?"

Blitzmon opened his eyes and was shocked to see a glowing ball in front of them. It hovered over the table between them, bobbing up and down. "The fuck?" he questioned.

Something suddenly came flying out of the ball of light and floated down, onto the table. It looked like a piece of paper. The glowing sphere then disappeared.

GrandisKuwagamon took the piece of paper and opened it. "It's a note…" he explained, his crimson eye scanning the paper. "It says, 'Sorry. Saversburg not safe. Meet me at Shroud in three days instead. From Wizardmon.'"

Blitzmon narrowed his eyes, not liking the sound of that. "What does he mean, 'not safe'?"

"I dunno… It's not because of the D-Brigade invasion, is it?" GrandisKuwagamon asked. He scoffed and shook his head, standing to his feet. "Whatever, let's find Bolgmon and head to Shroud."

Just as the two mercenaries stood up, the sound of the inn's doors swinging open sharply got their attention. Bolgmon speeded inside the lobby and made directly for the bar area. "Guys!" he called out urgently, skidding to a stop in front of their table.

GrandisKuwagamon cocked his head and eyed Bolgmon. "Yo, Bolgie. What's clogging your vents?" he asked, wondering what got him so worked up.

"Shut up and listen!" Bolgmon heatedly barked, glaring. "We're in deep shit!"

Blitzmon narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about? What's going on?" he asked him.

"Yeah, what did you do now?" GrandisKuwagamon questioned.

"Nothing, asshole! It's the Royal Knights!" he explained, not in the mood for his wisecracks. "They're in the city!"

This caused the expressions of the two other members of Black Pincer Company to darken. "What?" GrandisKuwagamon asked, his voice dead serious now. "The Royal Knights are here?"

"Where?" Blitzmon asked.

"I saw them all of them a few blocks away like half an hour ago! I had to drive behind a dumpster!" Bolgmon exclaimed, his emerald eyes wild and angry.

Blitzmon narrowed his eyes into a grimace. "So that's what Wizardmon meant by danger."

GrandisKuwagamon hissed and clenched his fists. "That settles it. We're getting the hell out of here," he declared.

"We can't!" Bolgmon retorted. "The Royal Knights' damn army is setting up right outside the south exit! They're all over the place! The west and north exits are all loaded with security too! We'll never make it out!"

"You've gotta be kidding me," GrandisKuwagamon growled. "Are you sure?"

Bolgmon shot GrandisKuwagamon a look. "Go and check yourself if you don't believe me," he snapped at him.

"Fine," GrandisKuwagamon grunted. "I'll be back in ten. I'll see if there's any way we can all get out."

Blitzmon nodded. "Don't get seen," he told the black insect Digimon

"I won't," GrandisKuwagamon responded, walking past them and slipping out the front door.

Bolgmon sneered and watched as GrandisKuwagamon left the inn. He waited a few moments before turning his armoured head towards Blitzmon. "So… Think that's really what he's doing?" he asked, floating his suspicion to Blitzmon.

"Huh?" Blitzmon wondered, not understanding what he meant.

The heavy armoured tank gestured over his shoulder towards the door that GrandisKuwagamon. "He might be off saving his own shell right now," he explained. "I wouldn't be surprised."

"What are you talking about?" the smaller of the two beetle Digimon asked. "He's going to scout."

"That's what he says… It's hard to trust him these days, don't you think?" Bolgmon put forward, giving Blitzmon a meaningful look.

Blitzmon frowned at Bolgmon's words. "Why are you saying that?"

"Hey, I just noticed that he's been acting weird lately. Ever since we started this contract, he's been working against us. He's always looking out for number one," Bolgmon explained. "I think he cares more about himself than he does about the company. That's what it seems to me, at least."

Blitzmon looked away. He thought about Bolgmon's words, but wore a sceptical look on his face. "I dunno… GrandisKuwagamon has always been loyal to the company, Bolgmon."

Bolgmon narrowed his green eyes at Blitzmon's reluctance. "Yeah, but Digimon change. I haven't forgotten what he said in the Forest of Memories," the bulky, blue cyborg responded fervently. "He said that he only looked after himself."

The insect man considered Bolgmon's points, but he didn't reply one way or another.

"Grandis can't be trusted. He may be with us now, but what about later on? What if our client wants to extend our contract? This is good money we're raking in, but Grandis has been against it from the start," Bolgmon continued. "He might be a threat to us in the future, Blitzmon…"

Blitzmon frowned and looked at Bolgmon. "If that ever happens, then we'll deal with it then…" he explained firmly. "Right now, we need GrandisKuwagamon. He's useful to Black Pincer Company. If he ever becomes more of a burden than a help, then I'll consider… whatever it is you're suggesting." He leered at Bolgmon with a cool gaze. "What _are_ you suggesting exactly? What are you trying to get out of this?"

Bolgmon winced and looked away, folding his cannon arms defensively. "Nothing! I'm just lookin' out for us, y'know? It was just on my mind."

"Yeah, well, keep it to yourself," Blitzmon told him. "We need unity right now. Not suspicion."

"Fine, whatever," Bolgmon muttered, glancing off to the side. "But… hypothetically, if it was between us and him, what would you choose?"

Blitzmon shot him a look. "What do you think?" he answered dismissively. The azure and yellow insect turned and looked towards the front desk of the inn. "I'm going to go pay up and check us out of the inn. We need to make a quick exit," Blitzmon explained. "Think you can come up with an exit strategy?"

"Yeah…" Bolgmon responded with faint bitterness.

Blitzmon nodded and walked out of the bar area and over to the front desk.

As he walked away, Bolgmon gave the insect man a sideways leer. He scoffed with frustration that his plan didn't work. He rolled over to the table they were sitting at. It was then that a devilish look of glee formed in Bolgmon's eyes. "_Fine… I've got another idea anyways…_"

_"__You won't bitch about getting rid of GrandisKuwagamon once you see this plan in action…_"

* * *

As the afternoon set in, the Royal Knights were getting settled into Saversburg. At the moment, they were largely busy preparing their forces and getting info on the battle situation. They coordinated with the Saversburg military and kept tabs on the movements of the D-Brigade as closely as they could. The Order military was now camped outside of the southern part of Saversburg, with tents and facilities provided by the city. They made their temporary residence around the giant archways near the entrance, flanking the road on both sides.

Currently, the Royal Knights were scattered around different areas of the city, each helping out and offering leadership in their own way.

Duftmon with Tactimon sat in the gardens of Xuanwumon University. They were seated in a small pavilion, surrounded by vibrant green grass and colourful floral arrangements. The stream that flowed through the gardens passed near the pavilion, adding to the serene environment that was supposed to help clear the mind.

They sat on the same bench, near each other, with a platter between them. The metal service tray contained two cups of tea, two cups of coffee, saucers, and additives.

Tactimon held a saucer with his cup of vanilla-flavoured coffee that Alphamon made for him on his lap. Within the blackish-brown liquid was an entire vanilla fruit, half floating at the top of the coffee. The pure, unadulterated vanilla was sickeningly sweet, as was the honey that Alphamon had also added. It was also painfully clear that the coffee wasn't properly strained, as there were thick globs of ground coffee inside the liquid. It looked more akin to bubbling tar than a drink. He looked at the unappetising cup of coffee with a displeased grimace.

Tactimon then glanced over at the cup of tea to see if it was a better alternative. He could see several bits of… _something_… floating in the steaming, orange liquid. The demon man Digimon looked up at Duftmon with a bland expression. "I don't want to insult Alphamon, but… he _does_ know that this isn't how you steep tea and brew coffee, isn't it?" he asked.

Duftmon didn't even bother trying to taste either of his drinks. "He can command an army and successfully lead the Royal Knights, but he can't make a decent cup of tea to save his life," he explained, shaking his head. "I have given up criticising Alphamon's brewing skills. No matter how hard I try, he can't seem to get it right... or he won't listen. And he insists that my palette isn't refined enough. He is obliviously stubborn when it comes this hobby."

Tactimon smiled and placed the saucer down on the serving tray. "Well, nobody's perfect…" he mused.

Duftmon folded his arms and stared down at his lap. "…Indeed…" he murmured in response.

The black armoured warrior looked at Duftmon inquisitively. "So… Are you ready to face the D-Brigade again?" he asked him.

The slender tactician clad in brown leopard armour shot Tactimon a look, bristling slightly under the perceived barb. "I take it that you have heard about my last encounter with them," he stated, his voice cool but with a sharp edge to it. "Where I made an embarrassing error in judgment and lost us the entire battle."

"I have, yes," Tactimon responded.

Duftmon turned his nose up and scoffed. "Then I'm surprised that you even want my help," he stated. "I would have thought that you would take the first opportunity you could to laugh at me. Or is that what you are doing now?"

Tactimon shook his head. "If you think that I want to laugh at you, you couldn't be further from the truth," he explained. "I do not wish you ill, despite what you may think. I merely want you to allow yourself to grow and become the best tactician you can be."

"And why is that, exactly?" Duftmon ask, casting a pensive look towards the Saversburg general. "What do you stand to gain from that?"

Tactimon looked away, somewhat embarrassed. "You challenge me. You always have. You are a good sparring partner," he explained. "Besides, I simply want you to achieve your full potential… That is what friends want for each other, isn't it? For example, why do you bother trying to help Alphamon improve his abysmal brewing skills?"

"Self-preservation," Duftmon deadpanned.

Tactimon chuckled lightly. "Very well…"

Duftmon folded his arms. "…Speaking of full potential, you look terrible. You really ought to take better care of yourself," he stated, eyeing Tactimon carefully. "I know that you are on the eve of war, but rest is also important. It is the duty of a commander and tactician to get sufficient rest and nourishment so that your mind can operate at peak efficiency and clarity. A strict regimen is absolutely necessary. I tell that to the others all the time. It is irresponsible to work tirelessly when you must command an army on the battlefield within a day or so."

Tactimon sighed. "Yes, I suppose you're right. I'll have a rest this evening. There have just been so many preparations that I have needed to finish," he explained.

"And how have those preparations been going?" Duftmon enquired.

"Successfully," Tactimon replied. "The majority of the Saversburg military is formed up and stationed on the western outskirts of the city. They are ready to repel any attack. The city is also on a high security level, both inside and outside. We are keeping a lookout for suspicious individuals and possible Metal Empire spies."

Duftmon nodded. "Good. The D-Brigade may be at our doorstep as early as tomorrow. They are disciplined and efficient enough to be ready for a full attack tomorrow."

"Yes, well… Now that you and the Royal Knights are here, we can start devising our tactics," Tactimon explained.

Duftmon observed Tactimon curiously. "You wish to collaborate on tactics?" he asked him.

"Of course. It could be a disaster if we both made tactics independently. It would be better to have a cohesive plan for both our armies, wouldn't you agree?' Tactimon answered.

Duftmon nodded. "Yes, that makes sense," he answered. "Why don't we go to the war room in the academy? We can begin there. Is there any word from Gaioumon and the Republic of Node?"

"They promised to send part of their military," Tactimon responded, standing up and unceremoniously dumping his tea and coffee into the bush outside of the pavilion. "A few hundred plus some special units. In the best case scenario, they will have their forces up by tomorrow."

"Very well," Duftmon spoke, standing to his feet as well. "We shall have to take that into account then." The Royal Knights' tactician began striding out of the pavilion and into the academy gardens. "Let us go and make the perfect stratagem."

Tactimon smiled slightly and followed Duftmon towards the large building of the academy. "_Is it possible? It's hard to believe_, but…" he thought to himself, looking at the Royal Knight in front of him. "_Could Duftmon really have changed…?_"

* * *

Suijinmon stood at the edge of the D-Brigade encampment. He watched stoically as legions of D-Brigade soldiers marched across the field, heading south.

They moved with machine-like discipline that was drilled into them at a young age, and reinforced with strict – almost brutal – methods during D-Brigade training. Basic training was hard enough, but the Selection-D process itself was especially gruelling, as only the best of the best could evolve from Commandramon to Sealsdramon. The result of this was an extreme sense of discipline. They learned to put the D-Brigade before their own wellbeing and interests. It also left the D-Brigade Digimon with a strong, almost blind sense of loyalty to their superior officers.

Suijinmon watched as the divisions under his personal command waited to march. He fostered a personal relationship with all of this troops, even the newly joined greenhorns. He knew that their loyalty to him was strong. It was not an overstatement to say that his soldiers would follow him into the Dark Area and back. However, in turn, he maintained a strong sense of loyalty to Emperor Chaosdramon, and he made sure that his soldiers did as well.

The D-Brigade soldiers began their tactical advance to the south before they would turn east and attack Saversburg from the western side. They walked in a rigid, uniform formation, with the ground soldiers marching in a block formation, mainly Child, Adult, and Perfect level Digimon like Commandramon, Sealsdramon, Kokuwamon, Andromon, Guardromon, Mamemon, and various cyborg Digimon. Flanking them were the large, mechanized Digimon like Tankmon, Tankdramon, Mugendramon, SaintGalgomon, Deckerdramon, and the like. Meanwhile, flying above, around, and ahead of the ground forces were the aerial Digimon – Megadramon, Gigadramon, Rapidmon, Cyberdramon, Mechanorimon, MagnaGarurumon, MetalGreymon, and other airborne D-Brigade soldiers.

Emperor Chaosdramon marched at the front of the army, leading them forwards and setting the pace for the rest of the D-Brigade. His giant, crimson body could be seen in the distance, all the way back from where Suijinmon was standing. Fujinmon's forces were going out first as both scouts and the vanguard, followed by Raijinmon's forces, and then Suijinmon's own as the rear guard.

Suijinmon watched patiently as the D-Brigade moved out. He waited for his turn and thought about the tactics for the upcoming battle. Although the Saversburg campaign took priority, he couldn't help but also wonder how the takeover of the Dual Chess Monarchies was going.

His attention was diverted when he saw the familiar body of Fujinmon, gliding through the air. Fujinmon seemed to be heading back towards the camp, away from his troops, which were making their way south. He couldn't help but find this curious.

Fujinmon soared on the wind and gently descended towards Suijinmon. He skimmed down the air currents and righted himself as he prepared to land. The Hurricane Commander gently landed in front of Suijinmon.

Suijinmon looked at Fujinmon curiously. "Fujinmon? What are you doing?" he wondered. "Is there a problem?"

"Somewhat," Fujinmon responded. "I need your help with something, Suijinmon."

"What is it?" the large, red Digimon asked the smaller, green one. "I'm happy to help, whatever it is."

"Good. I need you to come with me to Haganemame City," Fujinmon explained.

Suijinmon blinked at his odd request. "…What? Haganemame City? Why?" he enquired, finding it extremely strange that he wanted to go there right when they were moving out. "Is it that urgent?"

"Yes. I heard that the remaining division of the D-Brigade is running into more resistance than anticipated in the Dual Chess Monarchies," Fujinmon calmly explained, surveying Suijinmon's eyes for his response. "One of my officers has requested tactical advice from you. He wants to meet us in Haganemame City for a quick meeting."

"What? Resistance? I haven't heard about this," Suijinmon rumbled, not liking the idea of having to leave the battlefield. "The Chessmon were supposed to give way immediately."

"I just received news from a messenger. I told him to tell my officer that we would be there," Fujinmon explained. "Like I said, they are running into unexpected resistance."

"Can't your officer make a judgment call?" Suijinmon asked, mild irritation in his deep voice. "We are just leaving to head towards Saversburg."

"He says that the situation is critical," Fujinmon explained. "He's in a tactical quandary, and he could really use your advice, Suijinmon. Please? The Saversburg campaign is important, but what happens if we fail in the Chessmon Kingdom and our supply lines are cut off? We would be isolated. It might even give the Mamemon enough confidence to rise up in Haganemame City. We don't need that kind of pressure when we are trying to attack Saversburg."

Suijinmon winced, recognizing that Fujinmon had a point there. "I know… However… We're just moving out," he pointed out. "What about the Emperor?"

"I have already spoken to Emperor Chaosdramon and explained the situation. He has given us permission to go," Fujinmon informed Suijinmon calmly and rationally. "If we leave now, we can be back before our forces even make it into position. It's only several kilometers back to Haganemame City. We can be back in time for sunset."

Suijinmon still had a few misgivings about leaving, but he was starting to be convinced. He thought about it for a few seconds. "…What about our divisions?" he asked.

"Just do what I did," Fujinmon stated. "Have your junior officers lead the advance until we get back." He looked at Suijinmon with an urging expression. "Please, Suijinmon? It would be a big favour to me, and to the Metal Empire."

The bulky Waterfall Commander sighed with resignation. "Very well…" he complied. He looked over at the hundreds of D-Brigade Digimon nearby who were preparing to head out on Suijinmon's signal. "Just let me go talk to my Junior Commander, Darkdramon."

"I can do that, Suijinmon," Fujinmon said to him. "I'll explain everything."

Suijinmon blinked. "Why?" he asked curiously. "He is my subordinate."

"If I do it, it will be quicker. No offence intended, Suijinmon, but you are rather on the slow side," Fujinmon pointed out to his fellow Storm Commander. "The sooner we get moving, the sooner we can get back, you know."

A sigh escaped Suijinmon. "Very well," he conceded, beginning to amble around and head towards the bridge so that he could make a start at heading back across the river towards Haganemame City. "Tell Darkdramon that I will be back shortly."

Fujinmon nodded. "I'll be right behind you, Suijinmon," he replied.

The emerald cyborg watched as Suijinmon lumbered down the path leading to the steel bridge. While Suijinmon walked away, there was a satisfied glint in his Fujinmon's gold eyes. He grinned and began gliding off towards Suijinmon's D-Brigade troops.

At the edge of the aggregation of Digimon soldiers was a Darkdramon who was giving commands to some subordinates. As Fujinmon approached, the Darkdramon looked over at Fujinmon. He briefly glanced off to the side, noticing that Suijinmon was walking up to the large bridge that spanned the river.

As Fujinmon landed in front of the Darkdramon, the tall, dark blue-scaled officer turned and saluted him. "Sir," Darkdramon acknowledged.

Fujinmon returned the salute. "You have new orders, Junior Commander," he told Darkdramon. "Once Raijinmon's forces finish leaving, you are to lead the advance of the rear guard in Suijinmon's place. Understood?"

Darkdramon frowned at this odd news. "Uh, yes, Sir…" he agreed, clearly confused and uneasy. He glanced down the beaten path towards Suijinmon, who was walking away. "But… What about Commander Suijinmon? Where's he going?"

Fujinmon turned his head and looked at Suijinmon as well, making sure to wince. "Well… Emperor Chaosdramon has ordered Suijinmon back to Haganemame City… I'm not exactly sure why," he falsely explained. "He wouldn't tell me the details."

This seemed to make Darkdramon even more perturbed. "But that's-…" He stopped himself. "What could that be about?"

"I don't know for sure," Fujinmon responded. "All that I know is that he wants me to go with him for some reason. I do find it rather odd that the Emperor would want to send our finest commander and tactician away from the army, right on the eve of our largest battle yet…" Fujinmon glanced at Darkdramon, wondering if his words were having any effect.

Darkdramon looked away with a pensive, uncertain look. "Y…Yes, that is a bit odd…" he responded, minding his words.

Fujinmon nodded. "So, can we leave things in your capable hands, Darkdramon?" he asked him.

"Of course, Commander," Darkdramon responded obediently. After he finished, he stalled for a few moments, looking as though he wanted to say more.

"Yes, Junior Commander?" Fujinmon inquired in a reassuring voice.

"…You're a good friend of Commander Suijinmon's, aren't you, Sir?" Darkdramon asked. "You'll look after him?"

Fujinmon smiled. "Yes, he is. And, yes, I will do my very best," he promised Darkdramon. He could sense the worry in Darkdramon's voice. That was what he wanted to hear; he knew that Darkdramon was no fool.

"Thank you, Commander," Darkdramon spoke, saluting. "Leave it to me."

"You are welcome," Fujinmon responded. "Hopefully this is just a routine mission from the Emperor…"

"Yes… I hope so too," Darkdramon answered, wincing and turning back towards his troops.

The Hurricane Commander nodded and pushed off of the ground, to take to the air once again. He released a breath and flew through the grey sky to catch up to Suijinmon. As he soared, he looked down at the large, crimson Digimon with concerned and thoughtful eyes.

"_So far, so good… Now, I just hope that I'm able to convince you…_" Fujinmon thought before swooping down to float alongside his fellow Storm Commander.


	30. Chapter 20 Part 2: Betrayal

(Author's Notes: Here's Part 2 of Chapter 20. Be sure to check out the first half if you haven't already. Enjoy!)

**Chapter 20: Betrayal (Part II)**

Back in the bar in Saversburg, Black Pincer Company were huddled around one of the wooden tables. GrandisKuwagamon had returned without being seen, but he hadn't been able to find a safe escape route at any of the main exits. It was like Bolgmon said: there was too much security around the entrances to Saversburg, not to mention all of the patrols on the city walls and lookouts. There was also the fact that the Royal Knights' and Saversburg's militaries were everywhere. It was hard for suspicious Digimon like them to get in and out.

"See, Grandis? I told ya you wouldn't find anything, but noooo," Bolgmon complained, leering at the dark insect across the table from him.

GrandisKuwagamon rolled his crimson eye. "Whatever," he replied uncaringly. "Now, Mister Self-Proclaimed Logistics Expert, how the hell are we supposed to get out of here?"

"Shut up and wait," Bolgmon retorted. He looked back down at the table. A long, metal needle was extended from Bolgmon's cannon arm, which he used to draw on the wooden table top. He was drawing a crude map of Saversburg and the city districts, complete with the main roads and landmarks etched in the wood. He continued carving the sharp, steel tip through the wood, drawing the rough outline of the Xuanwumon University near the northwestern outskirts of the city. "Just about done…"

A maroon coloured AtlurKabuterimon walked over to their table and looked at them angrily. As the bartender of the inn, he wasn't particularly happy about these seedy looking bugs vandalizing their tables. "What do you think you're doing? You can't carve stuff into our bar tables!" he complained at them.

All three members of Black Pincer Company immediately soured and turned towards the AtlurKabuterimon with annoyed, threatening looks. Bolgmon raised his cannon arm and pointed the long, metal needle in the AtlurKabuterimon's face. "Oh, I'm sorry! Why don't I just use your shell instead?" he suggested intimidatingly.

The AtlurKabuterimon bartender raised his four hands up and backed away, reluctantly leaving them alone and slipping back behind the bar.

"Smooth," GrandisKuwagamon said with a sarcastic grin.

"Oh, zip it," Bolgmon answered, finishing his rough sketch of the city. "And done…" He then used the needle as a pointer.

The sizeable insect cyborg pointed close to the middle of the city, at a dot right next to a long line that signified the main road leading from the south exit and straight through the city. "So… We're right here," he stated. Bolgmon pointed to the four gaps in the rectangle perimeter of the city, which signified the city walls, with the gaps being the gates. "And these are the four gates leading out of the city in each direction."

"Which are all teeming with soldiers and security," GrandisKuwagamon pointed out. "And there's an order for the guards not to let Digimon fly over the walls. It's a no-fly zone."

"Which means that we either need to fight our way out through the main gates or try to find a way to sneak out," Bolgmon stated.

"Fighting our way out seems like a terrible idea," Blitzmon responded. "But I doubt we'll be able to sneak out any of those exits either. The Order Digimon would recognise us immediately."

"Plus, I saw some of our wanted posters in the city, so if we're not careful, somebody will tip the Royal Knobs off" GrandisKuwagamon pointed out. "There's gotta be another way…"

"Well, I do have one idea…" Bolgmon informed them, a gleeful look in his eyes.

GrandisKuwagamon looked at Bolgmon and folded his arms. "Yeah? And what's that?" he asked him. "If it involves blowing stuff up, forget it. You screwed us over enough times by doing that."

Bolgmon shot GrandisKuwagamon a leer. "Actually, it's a good idea," he retorted. He tapped the northwest portion of the map, where the academy was located. "Here. Xuanwumon University."

GrandisKuwagamon gave Bolgmon a look that asked him if he was an idiot. "…Huh? Don't tell me that your plan is to go there, take a bunch of smart Digimon hostage, and force them to come up with a plan _for you_, is it?" he asked in a deadpan voice.

"No!" Bolgmon fired back. "The academy is at the corner of the city, but because the gardens are so big, there's no wall around it – just towers on each side and a weak fence around the outer perimeter of the university." He kept tapping the circular spot on the map with the needle pointer. "We should be able to break through there no problem."

"Since it's too far for me to use Zone Black Hole from here, I guess that's not a terrible option," GrandisKuwagamon supposed. "Then once we're out of the city, I can ZBH us somewhere safe." He narrowed his eyes at the map on the table. "It's a long way from here to there though. We're risking getting seen by the Royal Knights just going outside."

"Is it safe going up that way?" Blitzmon asked.

"Yeah!" Bolgmon insisted ardently. "There was barely anybody up near the university last I checked. We'll be fine." He trailed his needle between the buildings on the map. We just need to stick to the alleys and only cross the main roads if we need to."

"We should also wait an hour until it's dark out," GrandisKuwagamon stated.

"I agree," Blitzmon concurred, much to Bolgmon's chagrin.

Bolgmon folded his arms. "Yeah, fine," he reluctantly responded, though he wanted to leave immediately while there was still light. "I'll do a scan to figure out which are the best alleys to take to get to the academy."

"Sure," GrandisKuwagamon answered. The black-shelled insect turned away from the table. "I'll go keep watch outside – make sure the area's clear."

"Yeah, okay," Bolgmon said, glancing at GrandisKuwagamon out of the corner of his eyes. "Don't get caught."

"I won't," GrandisKuwagamon responded, heading towards the exit of the inn. "And no drinking. We need our shit together to pull this off."

"Agreed," Blitzmon spoke.

"Don't have to worry about that. I won't be touchin' a drop," Bolgmon said with a smirk.

GrandisKuwagamon gave them an offhand wave and made his way out of the inn. As the door opened, the deep blue light of the sunset on a cloudy day could be seen outside. Due to the thick clouds, it was already pretty dark outside. GrandisKuwagamon stepped out into the street and then disappeared into the shadows just as a patrol turned the corner of the road.

Meanwhile, Bolgmon was left inside the inn with Blitzmon. The large tank Digimon looked down at his insect comrade, happy that he had a chance to speak with him in private.

"Hey, Blitzmon…' Bolgmon spoke up, prompting the bug man's attention. "This plan to head to the university is pretty good, but I've got another plan too…"

Blitzmon looked at Bolgmon with intrigue. "…You do?" he asked him. "What is it?"

Bolgmon pointed to the map, at about three quarters of the way from the inn to the university, up in the northwest of the city. "Right here, off this busy street," he informed Blitzmon, drawing his attention to that part of the map. "Down an alley next to the road… there's a big utility hole that leads to the sewers."

Blitzmon narrowed his eyes in thought. "…The sewers…" he stated with revelation.

"Yeah… The sewers drain out in the big river to the north of Saversburg. If we escape into the sewers, we can go out that way," Bolgmon explained. "It's a backup plan in case everything goes to shit with our main plan."

"Good idea," Blitzmon replied. "We should tell Grandis about this idea."

Bolgmon grinned at his friend. "Actually… Don't ya think it'd be better if he didn't know?" he suggested innocently.

Blitzmon turned and eyed Bolgmon suspiciously. "…Explain," he said.

"Well… This is a backup plan, right?" Bolgmon began. "If all hell breaks loose and we're getting chased by the Royal Knights or something, it might be useful to have a… distraction." The cyborg Digimon grinned.

"A scapegoat…" Blitzmon mused, considering the possibility.

"Yeah. Say we get spotted, we run up this main road here. We let GrandisKuwagamon go ahead of us, and then we slip down this alley and into the sewers. Then whoever's chasing us will forget about us and go after Grandis instead," Bolgmon explained. "I mean, if it comes down to us versus him…"

Blitzmon nodded. "Yeah… But only in the worst case scenario," he reasoned. "We stick with the main plan. This is just the backup plan."

Bolgmon wore a satisfied smirk in his eyes. "Deal…" he responded, although he was already happy with the way things were going.

Blitzmon eyed Bolgmon. "And I won't tell Grandis about this, for obvious reasons…" he added meaningfully.

Bolgmon retracted the needle on his cannon arm and nodded. "Good… Now… let's get ready for our great escape."

* * *

Suijinmon and Fujinmon walked along the outskirts of Haganemame City after a few hours of walking. The sun was past setting and there was a blue-grey glow in the clouds that blanketed the sky. The city of Haganemame City was dark and empty. Ever since the D-Brigade took over, there was a curfew imposed on the city, so anybody out past curfew would be considered suspicious and duly apprehended and questioned by the D-Brigade patrols. This made it so that only the members of the D-Brigade could be seen wandering around the city.

Fujinmon, however, wasn't bringing Suijinmon into the city itself. He floated along a road that led along the edge of the city. The aerial cyborg Digimon led Suijinmon away from Haganemame City, towards the factory warehouse that the D-Brigade had commandeered and were refurbishing into a military hangar.

Suijinmon followed Fujinmon obediently, but looked towards the large structure at the edge of the factory with curiosity and confusion. As his heavy steps shook the earth around him, the massive Waterfall Commander decided to speak up. "Fujinmon, why are we going this way?" he couldn't help but wonder.

"We're meeting him at the warehouse," Fujinmon explained to his friend.

"Why there?" Suijinmon asked.

Fujinmon looked over his bladed shoulder at the red machine Digimon. "For security reasons."

"Understood," Suijinmon complied, figuring that that was sufficient enough a reason. He lumbered after Fujinmon for a few more minutes before they reached the warehouse.

Once they were there, he noticed a Justimon who had been guarding the warehouse walk over to them. He recognized the Digimon as Fujinmon's junior commander – the one who was supposed to be having trouble in the Dual Chess Monarchy. "Commanders," he greeted with a salute.

The Justimon then took out a key and unlocked with warehouse for the two Digimon. He pushed open the heavy, durable, metal doors of the large warehouse and allowed Fujinmon and Suijinmon to walk inside.

The interior of the hangar was mostly empty. All of the primary contents had been removed in order to make the building as empty as possible. All that was really left inside was a large amount of thick chains that hung from pulleys on the ceiling and lay strewn around the ground.

Fujinmon looked at the Justimon and nodded. The junior commander nodded and saluted with acknowledgement. "Excuse me, Sir. I will just be a few minutes," the Justimon stated to Suijinmon.

Suijinmon looked at him curiously. "Very well," he responded, though he wondered where he was going.

The Justimon turned around and walked out of the warehouse, leaving the two Storm Commanders alone.

Suijinmon turned his attention back to Fujinmon, who stood before him, looking as though he had something to say. "Fujinmon?" he asked curiously.

"Suijinmon…" Fujinmon began, his golden eyes staring at Suijinmon seriously. There was a subtle look of intensity in his refined gaze. "You and I are friends, correct?"

"Affirmative…" Suijinmon answered, frowning at the odd query. "Why do you question that?"

"Because I need to know if you will support me," Fujinmon stated, not taking his gaze off of the Waterfall Commander.

"Of course I will, Fujinmon," Suijinmon stated adamantly.

The slender Digimon shook his V-shaped head beneath the green halo that rested overhead. "Don't say that until you know what I'm going to say…"

"Very well… Then what is it?" the bulky quadruped wondered.

Fujinmon sighed and looked up at Suijinmon. "Suijinmon… how do you feel about Emperor Chaosdramon?" he asked him bluntly. "How well do you think he is carrying out his duties as ruler of the Metal Empire?"

Suijinmon immediately tensed up, becoming defensive and uneasy about Fujinmon's question. He narrowed his red eyes at Fujinmon with a look that demanded an answer. "F-Fujinmon… What is this? Why ask such a question? It is not our place to question the Emperor," he answered with cold firmness, like that of resilient steel.

Fujinmon leered at Suijinmon in response. "That is what Chaosdramon wants us to think: that we are only answerable to him. However, that's nonsense. As the leader of the Metal Empire, he is answerable to the rest of us as well," he stated angrily. "As he is right now, Chaosdramon is nothing more than a dictator."

"Fujinmon! That's treasonous!" Suijinmon exclaimed, his voice becoming animated with shock and frustration. "You can't speak like that!"

"No, I can't. You're completely right. Doesn't that bother you at all?" Fujinmon demanded. "We can't speak our thoughts and feelings freely… not even us, the Storm Commanders: the second most powerful Digimon in the Metal Empire next to Chaosdramon himself. Doesn't that seem ridiculous to you? We're muzzled by fear. Chaosdramon would police our thoughts to root out dissidents if he were able to."

Suijinmon grimaced at Fujinmon's words. "Where… Where did all of this come from, Fujinmon?" he asked him, a faint hint of sadness and worry in his voice. "What happened to you? You should know that these measures are for the sake of security…"

Fujinmon scoffed and shook his head. "You really believe that, don't you…?" he asked him with disappointed resignation, already well aware of the answer. "To be completely honest with you, Suijinmon, I have been feeling this way for a long time… I was never able to express my true feelings without risking being arrested, exiled, executed, or mysteriously assassinated. And don't try to deny that – we both know how we operate when it comes to 'security threats'."

"But why…? Why, Fujinmon?" Suijinmon inquired, needing to know the answer. "What has changed?"

"Nothing has changed. I have had enough with this constant oppression, Suijinmon! Yes, I supported JumboGamemon back during the power struggle, but I am not defined by who I was loyal to!" Fujinmon stated ardently. He glared at Suijinmon intensely. "And _neither are you_!"

Suijinmon grimaced. "Don't do this, Fujinmon… Chaosdramon is a good ruler…" he tried to reason with him.

"No, he isn't, Suijinmon. Open your eyes…" Fujinmon beseeched. "He oppresses our fellow Digimon, he scares them into staying loyal… He is invading all of our neighbours and he is provoking the Royal Knights. He is power-hungry and paranoid. He doesn't even trust you, the Digimon who is more blindly loyal to him than anybody else. Did you know that he had JumboGamemon assassinated without telling any of us?"

Suijinmon frowned deeply at his words. "But that is… His Majesty must have had a good reason…" he figured. "One needs to be secretive with important operations…"

"Then why didn't he tell you about it after the fact?" Fujinmon pressed.

Suijinmon grunted angrily. "Why are you telling me this, Fujinmon? What do you want?" he demanded.

"I want you to help me, Suijinmon…" the green Hurricane Commander requested calmly. "Help me take down Chaosdramon. Help me change the Metal Empire for the better."

Suijinmon stared at Fujinmon with stunned disbelief. "Fujinmon… You… You aren't serious…" he breathed. "Do you have any idea what you are saying…?"

"Yes, I do…" Fujinmon answered resolutely. He matched his gaze with Suijinmon's wide eyes. "I'm asking you as my friend, Suijinmon. Stand with me."

The Waterfall Commander grimaced and turned on his four legs, staring away from Fujinmon remorsefully. "Do not make me choose, Fujinmon…" he replied bitterly. "Do not do this…"

"Please, Suijinmon… I know that Raijinmon has considered my idea too," Fujinmon pointed out, trying to convince his friend. "I don't want to have to fight you, Suijinmon. Stand with us."

"Do not put me in this situation!" Suijinmon shouted, one of the rare times that the Waterfall Commander lost his cool. He turned and gave Fujinmon a narrow glare. "Chaosdramon is our Emperor. We cannot commit treason."

"You mean like he did against JumboGamemon?" Fujinmon answered pointedly. His stare softened. "Please, Suijinmon… If you agreed, your soldiers would follow you. My soldiers would follow me. Raijinmon's soldiers would follow him."

"Stop saying such treacherous things, Fujinmon!" Suijinmon demanded, glaring at the smaller, emerald cyborg with frustration. "You know what happens to traitors!"

"Yes, I do! That's why I'm doing this!" Fujinmon fired back with passion of his own. "If you don't want me to be arrested as a traitor, then join me!"

Suijinmon growled. "That is emotional blackmail!" he angrily thundered. The Waterfall Commander narrowed his eyes and gave Fujinmon a resolute stare. "…No, I will not help you, Fujinmon. I am not about to lose you or Raijinmon to a reckless plan that will never work! Give up this foolish idea!"

Fujinmon narrowed his eyes into a near wince. He could tell that Suijinmon wasn't giving in. "Please, Suijinmon. Aid me. As your friend."

"It is because I am your friend that I cannot let you go through with this. If you care about that, do not put me in this situation," Suijinmon said, his calm voice containing the subtle undercurrents of passion. "Think about your own wellbeing, Fujinmon. Think about the wellbeing of your loyal soldiers… You, as their Commander, have a responsibility to them. What will happen to them if you rise up against Chaosdramon? You will be putting them in danger. If Raijinmon really did agree to your idea… then what about him? He is your friend too. Think about his wellbeing. Think carefully about these things, Fujinmon."

Fujinmon closed his eyes and bowed his head. He could see that he was fighting a losing battle now. "I know, but…"

"We can figure something out together. We can petition Chaosdramon to change his policies," Suijinmon stated. He gave Fujinmon a sincere look. "Just forget about this whole idea… You don't have to worry, Fujinmon. As far as I am concerned, this conversation never happened. I will not tell Chaosdramon about it. You have my word."

Fujinmon sighed. "I…" he began, but thought better of continuing. "Yes, you're right… I… I don't know what I was thinking…"

Suijinmon released a deep sigh of relief. "So, you will forget about this coup idea?" he asked, needing to hear it in his own words.

"Yes," Fujinmon said, looking Suijinmon in the eyes. "I will…"

Suijinmon sighed with relief. "So… I take it that the problem with Justimon was a subterfuge to get me alone to speak?" he deduced.

"I'm afraid so…" Fujinmon stated slackening his stance and looking over his shoulder towards the large, open hangar door. "Justimon!"

After a few moments, Justimon came into view. He had been keeping watch to make sure that nobody overheard. However, in his hand was a platter with two cups of a black, swirling liquid.

Suijinmon noticed the two cups of oil immediately. "Petrol? Did you have that prepared…?" he asked Fujinmon.

"Yes, I was prepared for either outcome. Either you agreed and we could celebrate… or, as is the case, you disagreed and hopefully you will have a drink with me to show that there are no hard feelings," Fujinmon offered as Justimon walked up to them. He looked at Suijinmon sheepishly. "I _hope_ that there are no hard feelings…"

Suijinmon sighed and reached his giant Accel Arm out to carefully take the large, metal cup gently between his large, metal digits. "There are none," he assured. "…These are non alcoholic, correct?"

"Of course. I don't approve of drinking on the eve of battle," Fujinmon spoke, carefully taking his own cup between the ends of his two Critical Arms. He raised his glass of oil. "To victory tomorrow."

Suijinmon raised his own glass. "To victory," he agreed, bringing the steel cup up to the gap between his eyes and pouring the liquid down his mouth. He didn't notice that Fujinmon didn't drink from his glass.

Fujinmon calmly watched as Suijinmon finished his drink.

"Thank you. That was refreshing," Suijinmon spoke. After a few moments, he began to frown a bit. "Now... Should we… Uh… Should we…?"

A strange feeling began to overtake the large machine Digimon. Suijinmon started to feel dizzy. His legs felt wobbly and his head began to grow heavy and numb. "W-What…? I feel… strange…" he murmured, wincing as the uneasy feeling began to grow stronger. He looked at Fujinmon questioningly. "You said… they were non-alcoholic…"

Fujinmon stood in front of Suijinmon, placing his drink back on the platter. He looked back at Suijinmon with calm, determined, but mildly regretful eyes.

Suijinmon extended his tail for balance and he leaned forwards on his giant Accel Arms, pressing his large, metal hands against the floor of the warehouse. The heavy sensation grew and Suijinmon began to feel himself having trouble holding onto consciousness. He looked at Fujinmon questioningly, now fully aware that it wasn't alcohol that he ingested. "Fujinmon…? What is…?"

Fujinmon looked away from Suijinmon's hurt gaze. "I'm sorry, Suijinmon…" he apologised. 'If you won't help me, then I at least need you to stay out of my way. I do not wish to have to fight you… Please, don't take it personally…"

Suijinmon thundered and tried to take a step towards Fujinmon defiantly. "Fujinmon… You…!" he growled. However, the strong sedative that was mixed into the drink had already taken effect. Suijinmon felt his legs buckle and he crashed to the warehouse floor.

Fujinmon sidestepped the Waterfall Commander's falling body and watched him collapse to the floor with a booming, metallic crash. He waited for a few moments to make sure that Suijinmon wasn't still cognisant. It was clear that Suijinmon was completely unconscious.

"Good, you got the dosage right," Fujinmon said to his junior commander.

"Sir. What now?" the Justimon asked.

The Hurricane Commander turned to the Justimon in question. "Restrain him and lock him up securely. He's strong, but enough of these chains should do the trick," Fujinmon ordered.

"Yes, Commander," Justimon said, going to collect the thick chains lying around the hanger.

Fujinmon waited and turned to look at the unconscious Suijinmon with a look of remorse.

"_I'm sorry, Suijinmon, but I have been waiting for this opportunity for years. I am not about to let it slip by,_" he thought to himself, observing the large, knocked out, metal beast. "_This is for your own good. Don't think too badly of me for this…"_

* * *

An hour later, it was dark out and night was setting in. Since it was turning into evening, the street was considerably less busy. Most of the Digimon who wanted to flee the city had already done so during the morning and afternoon, which was also a contributing factor to the small amount of Digimon around the usually bustling city. There were still many Digimon who dared to remain in the city in the face of the invasion, and several Digimon could still be seen travelling the streets. However, there were just as many night watch patrols wandering around, keeping the peace and making sure that no D-Brigade spies were walking around.

Alphamon walked alongside Imperialdramon Paladin Mode and Omegamon down the main road that passed from the south edge of the city to the north edge. The road bisected the city down the middle, as it was the main thoroughfare. There were a handful of other Digimon walking up and down that same road, and there were a few police and army patrols wandering the street too, but the road wasn't nearly as busy as it would usually be.

Alphamon, Omegamon, and Imperialdramon all walked down the middle of the wide road, heading south towards the Royal Knight camp outside of the city. Flanking them on each side were shops that were closed and securely sealed with chains and heavy duty locks.

"Ahh…" Imperialdramon sighed after taking a swig from a coffee cup that he borrowed from the academy. "Nobody makes coffee like you do, Alphamon."

"That's for sure…" Omegamon mumbled to himself, low enough to go unheard by his two friends.

Alphamon smiled at Imperialdramon Paladin Mode. "I'm glad you like it. I wanted to try something new with that batch. How's the taste?" he asked.

"Salty. It has a good texture," Imperialdramon responded, swirling the liquid in his cup. "That single anchovy definitely brings out the smoky flavour of the coffee beans." He turned and looked at Omegamon with a wide grin. "Are you sure you won't be tempted, Omegamon?"

"No, thank you," Omegamon insisted determinedly. Despite his avid denial, he couldn't help but wonder if there was some sensory revolution which he and everybody else was missing that these two somehow understood.

"He's a purist," Alphamon said. He gave Omegamon a playful smile before looking back at Imperialdramon Paladin Mode. "So… Did you make any more progress with the Dark Area research team since we arrived today?"

"Yeah, we did, actually," Imperialdramon responded, taking another sip of coffee. "We're getting into the nitty-gritty of the idea that Xuanwumon proposed and that AncientWisemon elaborated on."

"And what idea is that?" Alphamon wondered.

The blue scaled dragon man looked around to make sure that there were no Digimon around. "Well, it has to do with what started the instability in the first place."

"Ah…" Alphamon stated bringing a hand to his chin. "The Dragon veins… The ley lines flowing beneath the Digital World's surface."

"Yeah… Since Dorbickmon tapped into the dragon veins deep below the Digital World's surface to screw up the barrier with the Dark Area pocket dimension, we figure that the dragon veins may also be the solution," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode explained.

"How?" Omegamon wondered in his light, echoing voice. "It's one thing to break something, but it's another to restore it… How do they propose to fix whatever happened with the ley lines?"

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode smiled and thumbed at himself. "Using me," he nonchalantly explained.

Omegamon was immediately sceptical. He lowered his gaze with the dragon knight. "…How? What is this plan exactly?" he demanded, wanting to know if Imperialdramon was putting himself in danger.

"Okay… I'll try to explain this. I'm not sure if I understood all the scientific and metaphysical nonsense, but I think I got the gist of it," Imperialdramon said, folding his arms. "So… the idea is to involve me and AncientGreymon of the Warrior Ten. Only certain Digimon species can tap into the dragon veins beneath the Digital World… that's why AncientGreymon is needed – his KaiserGreymon form could work too, but he might need to be in his Ancient form so that he has a greater well of power to draw from."

"I see… I suppose Dorbickmon could work too, in that case?" Alphamon asked, rubbing his chin pensively. "Although, given what he's told us, I doubt that he has the sheer stamina required."

"Yeah, that's why we think AncientGreymon's the best choice. He has got stamina for days," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode explained with a smile. "So, once he taps into the ley lines, that is where I come in. I'm one of the few Digimon who has the security clearance and the power to alter the Dark Area. I'm supposed to use the Omega Blade to tap into the data that AncientGreymon is harnessing. Using the ley lines, I'm supposed to reset the Dark Area barrier's reconfiguration data. In theory, that should reset the barrier's data and restore it anew, prison intact."

"'In theory'…" Omegamon mused. "You make it sound so simple."

"I won't lie, Omegamon. It's not simple at all," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode explained, looking at the black and white knights seriously. "This idea is extremely hypothetical - thought up by a bunch of crazy geniuses. I remember how hard it was for us to create the digital code for the barrier in the first place. It's probably going to take everything we have to pull it off, and, if we make a mistake, we might just destroy the barrier completely." Imperialdramon sighed and took a sip from his coffee cup. "But… it might be our best and only option."

Omegamon winced, his blue eyes narrowing. "I see…"

"What is it that AncientGreymon always says? 'Who dares, wins'?" Alphamon asked lightly. "I suppose that or 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained' fits in this situation," he mused. Alphamon looked at Imperialdramon Paladin Mode steadily. "Anyway, if anybody can do it, it's you."

"Yes, it is," Omegamon agreed, looking at Imperialdramon reassuringly, despite his misgivings.

"Thanks, guys," Imperialdramon responded, smiling at them. He continued to walk down the dark street. "Anyways…"

Meanwhile, about twenty feet behind the three Digimon, there was movements in the shadows of a dark alley. The movements were silent enough that the Royal Knights didn't notice them, so the trio of paladins continued making their way down the road.

Moving in the darkness of the alley was Black Pincer Company. GrandisKuwagamon was at the head of the group. His ebony carapace blended into the shadows, so he made the best candidate for leading the team. Blitzmon followed behind him, and, taking up the rear was Bolgmon, who rolled down the alley with his engines on silent. GrandisKuwagamon carefully walked along the wall of the shop and stopped once he reached the corner.

He looked across from himself, up towards the north part of the street. That was the direction that they needed to head. It looked clear, from what he could tell. GrandisKuwagamon peered around the corner of the building he was hidden behind, looking down the opposite end of the road, towards the south. His eye narrowed when he saw Alphamon, Omegamon and Imperialdramon Paladin Mode down the road, walking away from them.

GrandisKuwagamon swore under his breath. He turned around and whispered to Blitzmon and Bolgmon. "Be quiet," he said quietly. "It's the Royal Knights."

There was a sly look in Bolgmon's eyes. "Got it. Let's hurry up and cross before that patrol we saw a block away decides to come down this way," he whispered back.

GrandisKuwagamon nodded and turned around again. He looked back around the corner, trying to keep his pincers as hidden as possible. He could see that the Royal Knights still had their backs to him. They continued to walk, and they made no indication that they were going to turn around. The black insect, half-blended into the darkness, slowly raised a hand and made a signal for them to follow on his command.

After a moment, GrandisKuwagamon gave a thumbs-up and quietly crept out onto the open road. He moved as quietly as he could as he began to cross towards the shadowy alley on the opposite side. Once there was about two meters between them, Blitzmon followed after him. He was emanating a magnetic field around himself to create an anti-gravity state around them, silencing his and Bolgmon's steps by not physically touching the ground.

Bolgmon watched with a grin as GrandisKuwagamon made it halfway across the road. He waited for a few seconds before it was his turn to go. He rolled after Blitzmon.

As soon as he was out of the alley and into the large, open street, he turned his head to the left and saw Alphamon, Omegamon, and Imperialdramon further down the street. Then, he turned to Blitzmon and GrandisKuwagamon, who had their backs to him as they crossed the street. He smirked darkly. This was his opportunity.

Bolgmon raised his cannons towards the Royal Knights. "Shit!" he suddenly shouted, acting as if he'd been seen. "Ultimate Thunder!"

His cannons spun into a frenzy and released the built of electricity that gathered at the tops of his arms. As the lightning illuminated the street around them, both GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon froze and spun around with dread. They watched as Bolgmon blasted the two electric orbs down the road towards the Royal Knights.

The three Royal Knights heard the voice call out behind them and heard the crackle of electricity. Sensing danger, all three of them pivoted immediately to see the spinning bolas of lightning whipping towards them.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode, who was walking behind the two Royal Knights and was the closest to the oncoming attack, turned around and saw the blast first. "Look out!" he called out. Imperialdramon reached over his head and summoned the Omega Blade in a flash of light that illuminated the area around him. He held the massive broadsword horizontally in front of him, one hand on the hilt and one hand on the flat side of the blade.

He braced his golden claws against the street and held the Omega Blade in front of them to block the incoming attack. The Ultimate Thunder blast surged into the sword and exploded on impact with the holy blade. Imperialdramon held against the destructive force of the impact, feeling wind and electricity blowing past his body and kicking up the dirt of the street around them.

"Imperialdramon!" Omegamon called out urgently. He raised his Grey Arm and Garuru Arm, from which the Grey Sword and Garuru Cannon propelled out of.

Alphamon narrowed his eyes and dashed out from behind Imperialdramon Paladin Mode, alongside Omegamon. "That's Black Pincer Company!" he exclaimed, recognizing the three insect Digimon immediately.

Further up the street, GrandisKuwagamon stared at Bolgmon with a mixture of fury, horror, and dumbfounded incredulity. "Bolgmon, what the hell is wrong with you?!" he demanded. "What the fuck are you doing, you dumbass?!"

"I thought they saw me!" Bolgmon explained, lowering his smoking cannon arms with a broad grin evident on his metal face. "Haha, oops!"

"Bolgmon!" Blitzmon shouted at Bolgmon angrily.

GrandisKuwagamon's eye twitched with disbelief, not only at his stupidity, but at the fact that he didn't seem to care at all. His gut instinct had a bad feeling about this. "Damn it! Run!" he shouted, making a break for it up the road.

As soon as GrandisKuwagamon took off in a sprint, Blitzmon and Bolgmon followed his lead. GrandisKuwagamon was several meters ahead of the two blue insects, but they were running and driving right behind him at full speed.

"After them!" Alphamon shouted as he pulled the Seiken Gradalpha from a glowing, magical circle in the air. As soon as the glowing blade of light was in his hand, he began running up the road after the three insect Digimon.

Omegamon grunted and began ripping up the street alongside Alphamon.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode gripped his blade and spread his grey-white wings. "Alphamon!" he called out to the black knight.

"Go and get the others! They're heading north towards the university!" Alphamon called back to Imperialdramon, not ceasing his pursuit.

Imperialdramon nodded and flapped his wings, lifting himself into the air. He soared over the nearby buildings and went to try to find as many available Royal Knights as he could.

Alphamon spread his wings and skimmed along the street beside Omegamon, trying to close the distance between them and Black Pincer Company. He raised his hand in front of him, and his palm began to emanate with a bright, greenish light. "Digitalize of Soul!" he shouted, unleashing the beam from his hand.

The beam tore through the air and streaked towards Black Pincer Company. He was careful not to hit any buildings.

Blitzmon glanced over his shoulder and saw the incoming attack. "Watch it!" he warned the others, dashing diagonally to the right to get out of the way of the beam. Bolgmon drove to the left while GrandisKuwagamon swerved to the right, allowing the large, emerald beam to pass between them. The shining green laser cast an eerie green long across their forms and the buildings as it skimmed along the road and exploded in the center of the road a ways in front of them.

"Garuru Cannon!" Omegamon shouted, launching his own attack from the Garuru head on his right hand. The cannon launched a high pressure, whitish-blue blast that sailed in the direction of the fleeing mercenaries.

"Here comes another!" Blitzmon called out, looking over his shoulder as he ran up the dimly-lit road.

GrandisKuwagamon hissed and slammed his black foot into the ground, shooting up from the ground and flying along the street for improved mobility. He glanced over his shoulder to look at the swiftly approaching blast and predict where it would hit. Blitzmon saw what GrandisKuwagamon was doing and followed suit, beating his insect wings and veering to the side.

As the icy blast closed in, Bolgmon swore and was forced to sharply jerk to the side, just meters before the beam shot could hit him. The blast impacted the ground with an explosion of ice that coated the ground with the slippery solid and sent icicles and shards of shooting up from the point of impact.

Bolgmon's treads screeched as he forcibly turned his bulky, metal body and he drifted along the street for a few meters. As he skidded, he suddenly put his gears into reverse and began driving backwards, facing the Royal Knights as he drove away from them. He sneered at his pursuers and raised his cannon arms towards them. "I've had enough of you pricks!" he shouted. "Ultimate Thunder!"

A pair of electric blasts pulsed from the two cannons and began shooting towards the two Royal Knights. Alphamon grunted and flapped the wings that protruded from his back, taking into the air and shooting towards, in front of Omegamon. He swiped the Seiken Gradalpha forwards with a mighty heave, sending the blade cutting through the two blasts of electricity. The concentrated lightning exploded and parted on contact with the blade, sending tendrils of lightning across Alphamon's armour.

Alphamon grunted as the electric residue of the attack streaked across his body, but he fought through it and continued to give chase.

"Alphamon!" Omegamon called to him, deciding to take flight as well. "We need to be careful of the buildings!"

Alphamon frowned. "We can't give up this opportunity… We may have to do a bit of damage to the city in order to stop them," he mused. He thought about it for a few seconds. "But maybe there's another way. Maybe we can corner them in the university gardens."

Omegamon nodded and continued to speed through the air, soaring up the street below roof-level.

Seeing that the two Royal Knights were still giving chase, Bolgmon hissed and expelled a lot of steam pressure from under his body. After lifting up from the ground, he spun around on his treads with a quick manoeuvre so that he was facing forwards again. He accelerated and drove up beside Blitzmon, who was flying several meters behind GrandisKuwagamon.

Blitzmon glanced over his shoulder towards the Royal Knights and then looked at Bolgmon purposefully. "…_Where_?" he asked Bolgmon fiercely.

Bolgmon grinned, knowing what Blitzmon was referring to. "Two blocks from here. Alley on the left," he said as lowly as he could so that GrandisKuwagamon wouldn't hear.

GrandisKuwagamon, however, couldn't hear them over the sound of his wing beats and Bolgmon's roaring engine. He was too lost in his own adrenaline and instincts to care about anything other than the Royal Knights chasing them anyway. He flew in an irregular pattern as he flew up the street, trying to throw the Royal Knights off as he headed for the university gardens at the edge of the city.

Blitzmon glanced ahead at GrandisKuwagamon, who didn't seem to notice. He turned to Bolgmon and nodded. "Tell me when."

Bolgmon nodded and glanced over his shoulder at the Royal Knights behind them. They seemed to be getting closer to him, thanks to his relative weakness in mobility. That was a mixed blessing for him. The tank Digimon kept his sights on the buildings to his left, mindful of all the landmarks. He activated the tracking system on his back and began to use that to try and pinpoint the desired escape route in the darkness.

He grunted and focused all of his energy into driving as fast as he could, not wanting to be caught by the two Royal Knights whose attention he purposefully grabbed. Dirt whipped up behind his tank treads as he drove at full throttle. Bolgmon looked forwards and could see a large maintenance alley a block ahead of them. He could also tell that the university was about three blocks away from where they were, judging from the silhouettes of the city wall and guard towers against the cloudy night sky.

"Lightning Blitz!" Blitzmon shouted, turning his head and looking behind him towards the two Royal Knights, who were about fifteen meters behind them. His long, blue horn crackled and glowed with concentrated electricity that flashed within the night. The horn then unleashed a bolt of lightning towards the Alphamon and Omegamon.

Alphamon and Omegamon divided to avoid the attack, which flashed by them and sent the feeling of static across their forms.

Bolgmon looked ahead. They were nearing the alley. The dark corridor between the buildings was in eyesight now. He briefly glanced ahead at GrandisKuwagamon. He also took a second to check on the two Royal Knights tailing them.

He decided that it was time to make his move.

After a few meters passed, Bolgmon suddenly shifted gears and skidded to a stop in front of the alley. He grabbed hold of Blitzmon's arm and roughly pulled him. "Now, Blitzmon! Go!" he shouted, suddenly blasting his engines and making a hard left towards the dark maintenance alley.

Blitzmon, although being pulled by Bolgmon, beat his wings and flew after him as well, speeding towards the secret escape route.

GrandisKuwagamon heard Bolgmon's words and suddenly noticed his two comrades disappear from behind him. He stopped buzzing his wings and spun around, still being carried by his momentum. To his shock and confusion, he saw Bolgmon and Blitzmon breaking away from him towards an alley that was ten meters behind him.

"What…?" he asked, stunned and dismayed by their actions. "What the hell are you two doing?!"

"Hahaha!" Bolgmon cackled, turning and giving GrandisKuwagamon a victorious smirk. "Good luck, Grandis!"

Blitzmon looked over at GrandisKuwagamon as well, shrugging as he zipped through the air. "It's nothing personal!" he called out.

GrandisKuwagamon stared incredulously as his two teammates escaped into the darkness of the alley, leaving him alone on the open street. It didn't take him long to figure out what was going on. "You… You fucking traitors!" he shouted after them, hovering in place. He would have shouted more – much more – but he was immediately aware that Alphamon and Omegamon were catching up. They would be on him in seconds if he didn't move.

The ebony insect man released a long, bitter hiss. He initially tried to go after Bolgmon and Blitzmon towards the alley behind him, but he quickly realised that he would never make it. The Royal Knights were closing in on him too fast. If he tried to go back, he'd be handing himself to the Royal Knights. Instead, he course-corrected his flight and went with the only option he had; he continued up the street, heading to his original destination of the academy.

Behind him, Alphamon and Omegamon watched as the GrandisKuwagamon went straight, while Blitzmon and Bolgmon escaped in the large alley to the left. "Omegamon," Alphamon stated. "Follow them. I'll go after GrandisKuwagamon."

Omegamon nodded. He came to a stop in the air for a moment before shooting off towards the alley, speeding into the shadowy passage. Meanwhile, Alphamon soared past the alleyway, tailing GrandisKuwagamon. He gained some ground when GrandisKuwagamon stopped, but the black insect was swift.

GrandisKuwagamon glanced over his shoulder as he flew up the long road. He was relieved that the second Royal Knight was gone, but still furious at Blitzmon and Bolgmon abandoning him. He was also annoyed that he didn't have any ranged attacks to throw Alphamon off. He couldn't slide evolve to GranKuwagamon because he'd lose speed and the ability to manoeuvre in these relatively tight streets.

He saw a large side street up ahead. The mercenary remembered that this street led up towards the academy. He knew that he was almost there. He just needed to go a few more blocks.

GrandisKuwagamon suddenly swerved sharply in the air and shot down the street to the left. The intense beating of his wings caused a low, fluttering behind him.

Alphamon watched the black insect turn suddenly, prompting Alphamon to react quickly during his flight. He too managed to turn down the side street, although not with the same agility that GrandisKuwagamon had. Nevertheless, Alphamon continued pursuing the insect. He wouldn't let him slip through his grasp again.

GrandisKuwagamon shot down the street, swerving from side to side, but not so much that it hindered his speed. At the end of the street, he could see the wall of the city. He briefly scanned the ramparts of the wall, wondering if it was a good idea to fly over it. However, he could clearly see guards on top of the wall, their silhouettes clear against the clouds. He decided he didn't need more Digimon after him, so he continued on his original course. At the base of the wall was another large road that ran parallel to the wall itself. GrandisKuwagamon knew that that road led up to the Xuanwumon Academy.

He glanced over his shoulder to check on Alphamon. He could see the Royal Knight hot on his tail. GrandisKuwagamon prepared his Gran Killer claws. He slashed one of his clawed gauntlets through a tree on the side of the road, slicing right through the trunk. The tree began to fall as he passed it, teetering over and slowly crashing across the street.

Alphamon narrowed his red eyes as the tree fell in front of him and blocked his path. Instead of stopping, he swiped out the Seiken Gradalpha and slashed the bright blade straight through the tree, cleaving it in two. With the trunk parting in front of him, Alphamon flew through and continued speeding after GrandisKuwagamon. "Stop at once!" he shouted to the mercenary.

"Bite me, tin can!" GrandisKuwagamon shouted back. Upon reaching the end of the street, he took a hard turn to the right. His black form disappeared around the corner and continued shooting up the road beside the wall. The insect man looked ahead of him.

The street was semi-lit by street lamps. At the very end of the road, he could make out a large gap between the walls at the corner of the city. In this space, there was a lot of green foliage from the academy gardens. That would be the perfect place for GrandisKuwagamon to escape.

GrandisKuwagamon accelerated his flight as much as he could, digging deep into his reserves. His lithe, insect body zipped through the air, heading between the wall to his left and the buildings to his right. He was getting closer to the academy. He could clearly see the foliage of the trees. The mercenary glanced over his shoulder and saw that Alphamon was still trailing him. He knew that the Royal Knight wouldn't give up that easily. He also knew that once they got into the academy gardens, there would be more opportunity for Alphamon to use his attacks, due to all the open space. He wondered if he should have taken advantage of the city and Alphamon's personal moral restrictions more, but now wasn't the time for second-guessing.

The mercenary bug pressed his arms to his sides and pulled his legs together to cut down on wind resistance. He increased his speed and shot up the stone road towards the gardens. After thirty tense seconds, he passed by the gap in the wall and flew up the stone path leading into the grounds of Xuanwumon University. He flew into the gardens, zipping over the flowers and foliage.

Alphamon grunted as he flew after GrandisKuwagamon. It was harder to see his body now that they were away from the lights of Saversburg, so he had to track him carefully.

GrandisKuwagamon smirked. He was deep in the garden now. This was his chance. "Slide Evolution! GranKuwagamon!" he spoke, his body flashing brightly for a brief second as his form shifted and grew into his much larger, beetle-like form. Despite his transformation, he continued flying forwards.

In the darkness of the night, he could see a massive tree some distance in front of him, but not much else. The tree was illuminated by twelve, glowing orbs that floated around the trunk of the tree – GranKuwagamon assumed that these were for lighting purposes. In fact, he never remembered seeing a tree that big in the gardens before. Unable to slow down, GranKuwagamon flew towards it. He began to realise that the closer he got, the bigger the tree was – and he had deeply underestimated the scale. After several seconds of flying, the giant bug was forced to come to a stop.

He stared in front of him, incredulous at what he saw. The giant tree was blocking his path. Its trunk was around fifty meters wide, and it had a massive, thick, impenetrable canopy. More than that, the colossal tree was resting on the back of the giant shell of a Digimon. An enormous dragon-tortoise Digimon was resting the middle of the academy gardens, actually asleep in the scenic landscape. Two, golden serpentine heads protruded from the giant shell and rested on the nearby stretch of grass. The twelve orb floating around the tree weren't lights, but digicores. The Digimon in question was Xuanwumon, the namesake of the academy, and one of the Digimon who had been attending the secret Dark Area discussions.

GranKuwagamon floated in place, his eye twitching with seething frustration and disbelief. The massive Digimon was inadvertently blocking his exit. Due to the giant tree, he wasn't even able to fly over him easily. Finally, GranKuwagamon's anger boiled over. "Why the hell is this giant, fucking, so-called 'god' passed out in the middle of the garden?!" he demanded.

Xuanwumon stirred and grumbled deeply, the eyes of his two heads wincing at the noise.

GranKuwagamon cursed up a storm inside his head. Aware of Alphamon immanently closing in on him, he knew that he had to act fast. He hissed and slashed his pincers into the air in front of him. As the jagged scissors moved, they tore into the fabric of space. "Zone Black Hole!" he shouted, ripping open a portal in front of him.

Alphamon sneered as GranKuwagamon prepared to escape. He rushed towards him to stop him, but was unsure if he could make it in time.

GranKuwagamon beat his wings and began to fly towards the abyssal rift in the air.

"I don't think so!" a voice shouted from nearby. "Tekken Seisai!"

Gankoomon lunged over Xuanwumon's giant leg and blazed towards GranKuwagamon. Just as the giant insect began to enter the portal, Gankoomon lashed out with his burning fist, throwing a heavy punch right into the side of GranKuwagamon's carapace.

GranKuwagamon let out a shout of pain as the fist impacted his exoskeleton. The force of the punch pulled him out of the portal and sent him flying through the air. His large, insect body soared for several meters before he was able to beat his wings and collect himself. GranKuwagamon narrowed his red eyes and glared at Gankoomon, who landed in front of the portal. "You…"

Alphamon came to a stop beside Gankoomon. "Gankoomon…" he said, half-surprised to see him there. "Good timing."

Gankoomon gave Alphamon a grin before turning to GranKuwagamon. "Going somewhere?" he asked the mercenary. "I've got a score to settle with you, bug."

GranKuwagamon hissed. "I don't have time for this," he spoke. "Zone—"

"Ulforce Sabre!" UlforceVeedramon called out from behind GranKuwagamon, seeming to appear out of nowhere. He slashed his glowing beam sword down the beetle Digimon's large back, sending a streak of burning pain shooting down his exoskeleton.

GranKuwagamon snarled with pain, but his sharp instincts and reflexes allowed him to react quickly. He kicked his large, hind leg back and drove the clawed appendage into UlforceVeedramon's chest, throwing the cobalt Royal Knight away from him.

He also noticed movement from above him. He looked up and saw Craniamon descending from the sky, pointing his Claiohm Solais lance down so that it was poised to stab. GranKuwagamon swiftly swerved to the side, narrowly avoiding being struck by Craniamon.

GranKuwagamon sneered and tried to fly back towards the city, but he had to come to a sudden halt when he saw a shimmering, green pillar of light shooting down from the sky.

"Pendragon's Glory," Examon spoke, unleashing an emerald laser from the Ambrosius as he hovered in place in the sky, looking down at the gardens from a high altitude.

As GranKuwagamon came to a sudden stop, the laser tore through the air in front of him, blocking his escape. He swore under his breath and reversed through the air. "_Damnit! There's too many of these damn Royal Knights! Where the hell did they all come from?!_" he wondered agitatedly. He looked all around him. There were now five Royal Knights to contend with. GranKuwagamon was in a hyper-alert state; he couldn't let himself leave a single angle unchecked. His mind worked fast as he tried to think of a solution.

He turned towards Alphamon and Gankoomon with a sneer. Maybe if he could get past them, he could get around Xuanwumon. He decided it was worth a try.

The giant insect began slicing through the air towards them. As he flew through the sky, he began spinning his body rapidly during his flight. The circular rotations picked up speed, and soon his body was that of a ferocious, black, horizontal tornado. "Grand Death Screw!" he shouted, tearing towards the two Royal Knights like a cyclone.

Alphamon and Gankoomon glowered and both prepared themselves as the spinning, dark vortex of jagged pincers and claws. They were about to try and jump out of the way, but Craniamon acted first.

The violet Royal Knight jumped in front of his two comrades as raised the Avalon shield right as GranKuwagamon closed in on them. "God Bless!" he shouted. The Avalon pulsed with energy and unleashed a transparent, bubble-shaped barrier that engulfed the three Royal Knights and protected them from all sides. GranKuwagamon slammed into the barrier and tore against it, though he was unable to get through.

Craniamon narrowed his eyes as he held the barrier up. He watched as the barrier flickered brightly as the tornado-like bug kept up his attack and tried to drill through. As impenetrable as the barrier was, it had the disadvantage of only lasting for three seconds, so it had only limited effectiveness against prolonged attacks. He readied his shield and spear, ready to act as soon as the barrier dropped. "Get ready," he told the others.

"Leave it to me," Alphamon spoke, stepping up beside Craniamon and raising his hand. His palm brimmed with green power. "Digitalize of Soul!"

As soon as final word finished, the barrier dropped and GranKuwagamon surged towards them. Alphamon unleashed a bright, emerald beam from his hand, right as GranKuwagamon broke through and swept into them. As the beam fired, the black tornado began to drill against Alphamon's extended hand, scratching up the palm with sparks and tendrils of energy. Alphamon winced with pain but held steady, continuing to pour his energy into his prolonged beam attack.

The beam parted around GranKuwagamon's body; it burned against his thick, outer coating but didn't get past it due to his defences and momentum. However, the beam had enough strength and pressure to push GranKuwagamon back, and ultimately slow his attack. Once the screw attack was slowed enough, the beam slammed into GranKuwagamon and blasted him away.

GranKuwagamon caught himself in the air and hissed as his body smoked from the impact. Despite the heat still against his body, he took the opportunity to think about his situation. "_This is bad. I'm in deep shit. They have me surrounded… My body's too big of a target. Gonna have to evolve back and fight my way out. I'll never get a Zone Black Hole out like this._"

"Slide Evolution! GrandisKuwagamon!" the dark insect called out, his body shining brightly. His form shrank back to his slender, agile, and close-quarters-oriented GrandisKuwagamon body.

GrandisKuwagamon looked around attentively. He flew from spot to spot, not wanting to remain in the same spot for too long and make an easy target for Examon.

Meanwhile, Xuanwumon was finally awoken by the sounds of battle. He opened the eyes of both of his serpentine heads and looked around with confusion. "What's going on…?" he wondered drowsily.

"Very sorry to disturb you, Xuanwumon," Alphamon apologised, although not taking his eyes off of GrandisKuwagamon. "We have a bit of a situation."

Xuanwumon raised his two heads and looked to his side, seeing the Royal Knights standing off against GrandisKuwagamon. He shook his two heads disappointedly. "Fighting in such a beautiful, serene place… What is to be achieved by that?" he asked.

"My apologies, but I'm afraid it can't be helped," Alphamon responded, flying into the air and moving towards the city to cut GrandisKuwagamon off from Saversburg. "You may want to get out of here."

"Oh, I will be fine," Xuanwumon's other head stated nonchalantly. "Though I'm afraid I can take no part in this, apart from protecting the university from attacks."

"I understand," Alphamon responded, gripping the Seiken Gradalpha in his right hand while aiming his left at GrandisKuwagamon. "We will try to finish this quickly."

GrandisKuwagamon shot Alphamon a defiant glare. "Don't underestimate me, you sanctimonious pile of armour! I can still take all of you on!"

"It's five against one, hot shot!" UlforceVeedramon pointed out to the insect Digimon, flying to GrandisKuwagamon's other side to flank him from the right as well. "We're Royal Knights. You should just give up."

"'Royal Knights'… That's nothing but a title," GrandisKuwagamon countered. "It counts for shit in combat. Who cares if you're the so-called 'Defenders of the Digital World'?! I've fought bigger, badder guys than you before, so don't flatter yourself. Come at me, if you're so confident!"

UlforceVeedramon narrowed his eyes and smirked, accepting his challenge. "I highly doubt that, buddy, but you got it!" he spoke, flapping his wings and speeding towards GrandisKuwagamon in a blur. It was seconds before he was upon the mercenary, slashing his glowing blade down.

To the Royal Knight's surprise, GrandisKuwagamon was deft enough to dodge him. He swerved to the right, narrowly avoiding the vertical swipe as the Ulforce Sabre hummed beside him. This prompted both GrandisKuwagamon and UlforceVeedramon to retaliate.

UlforceVeedramon spun around and extended his wings to stop himself. He raised his left V-Bracelet and extended a second Ulforce Sabre from it. He stabbed it towards GrandisKuwagamon.

GrandisKuwagamon pivoted in the air and stabbed his right Gran Killer forwards. The long, black claws hooked UlforceVeedramon's beam sword and contended against it as they battled for supremacy. Seeing an opportunity, GrandisKuwagamon smirked. "You idiot. It doesn't matter how fast you are if you're right in front of me!" he chastised his opponent. Partially holding UlforceVeedramon in place, GrandisKuwagamon lashed out with his leg. "How's that leg of yours?" he asked as he slammed his foot into UlforceVeedramon's left leg – the leg he remembered had been injured.

UlforceVeedramon shouted sharply as pain shot up his leg from the impact. Although the leg was largely healed, it was still sensitive. It caused UlforceVeedramon to pull away from GrandisKuwagamon and momentarily lower his arms.

GrandisKuwagamon took advantage of the moment to lunge forwards, fully intent of stabbing the Royal Knight.

UlforceVeedramon acted quickly. Since they both had the same reach, he didn't want to try counter-stabbing him. Instead, he deactivated the second blade and activated his defence barrier. "Tense Great Shield!" he said, extending the multidirectional shield from his V-Bracelet.

The black insect's Gran Killers stabbed into the geodesic dome and was stopped in their tracks. As the sphere grew and extended outwards, it slammed into GrandisKuwagamon and sent him flying away.

"Avalon's Gate!" Examon called from above, firing a shell out of his lance as he watched what happened. The container shot vertically downwards, breaking apart in midair. The shell released a series of metal ball bearings, which showered down on GrandisKuwagamon, as well as UlforceVeedramon's barrier, which protected him from the attack. The balls pelted GrandisKuwagamon's black body and tore up the ground below him. They weren't strong enough to get through his thick carapace, but they did enough damage to cause bruising and distract him.

Once the attack was over, Gankoomon sailed through the air with his arm coiled back. He closed in on GrandisKuwagamon and unleashed fury onto the bug. "Tekken Seisai!" he roared, slamming his fist, brimming with rage, square into GrandisKuwagamon's jaw.

GrandisKuwagamon released a grunt and was thrown through the air by the savage punch. He skidded across a bed of flowers, tearing up and crushing the colourful flora beneath him. However, he refused to stay down for even a second. He flipped himself to his feet and saw Craniamon lunging towards him. Craniamon swiped his double-headed spear down on him, but GrandisKuwagamon dashed out of the way. The blade embedded itself in the ground where he had been standing, sending a fountain of dirt shooting up.

The insect man tore through the wave of dirt and stabbed towards Craniamon, but the Royal Knight was ready. He raised the indomitable Avalon shield and blocked his vicious stab cold. Craniamon then lashed out with the Avalon, bashing GrandisKuwagamon back.

GrandisKuwagamon flew backwards and then swerved to the side, narrowly evading Examon's green laser as it fell from the sky and pierced deep into the ground. The mercenary then agilely flew down, ducking under an emerald laser from Alphamon this time. The Digitalize of Soul attack went over GrandisKuwagamon's head and streaked diagonally into the sky.

"Hahah!" GrandisKuwagamon laughed insolently, adrenaline flooding through his system. "That's the best you can do?! It's five against one, and the mighty Royal Knights can hardly even touch me!" he taunted, half-pissed and venting, and half trying to provoke them into making mistakes. "You Royal Knights talk about honour and that BS, but here you are ganging up on me. I always knew you were full of shit!"

"Okay then," Craniamon answered, leering coldly and stepping towards him. "Face me one-on-one."

"No, Craniamon," Alphamon spoke, trying to keep the Royal Knight's pride from taking over. "That's what he wants." For emphasis, Alphamon flapped his wings and tore towards GrandisKuwagamon from behind. "We aren't giving up this chance!"

GrandisKuwagamon spun around to see Alphamon descending on him with the Seiken Gradalpha, slashing the sword down vertically. Acting quickly, GrandisKuwagamon crossed the Gran Killers over his head to block the mighty sword strike. With his arms occupied, he kicked Alphamon between the legs.

Alphamon grimaced and felt his knees threaten to buckle. He was forced to weaken the strength behind his attack. He let go on the Seiken Gradalpha to hold it with one hand, and used his free hand to drive his fist across GrandisKuwagamon's face, around the bug's raised arms.

The bug Digimon's head jerked to the side and he spat out a glob of blood. His defence broke, and the sword came slashing down, but he was quick enough to shoot to the side and avoid the descending sword. GrandisKuwagamon spun around as swiped his Gran Killers across Alphamon's face. The helmet took most of the damage and sparks shot out from the screeching stroke. Alphamon spun around delivered a mighty back kick into GrandisKuwagamon's chest. As the insect Digimon flew back, Alphamon followed up by turning and extending his left arm. "Digitalize of Soul!" he shouted, unleashing a beam that engulfed GrandisKuwagamon.

GrandisKuwagamon's braced himself with his Gran Killers, but his chest armour began to fracture under the immense pressure. He hissed with pain and flew out of the laser as it began to dissipate. He flew upwards into the sky and then stopped in night air, heaving.

"You idiotic Royal Knights!" he shouted, brimming with anger. "What the hell are you even _doing_ here?! What are you trying to prove?" He spat out some more saliva mixed with blood. "You're here in Saversburg to - what? Fight a war with the Metal Empire? Do you even know what the hell you're doing?!"

Gankoomon gritted his teeth and cracked his knuckles. Hinukamui emerged from Gankoomon's back in a swath of golden energy. "What the hell are you getting at, bug?" he countered.

"You're being taken for idiots!" GrandisKuwagamon shouted, a smug smirk on his face. He didn't care about the contract anymore. Blitzmon and Bolgmon had sold him out. He knew that Black Pincer Company was over. All he cared about now was inflicting as much damage as possible, and hopefully getting out alive in the process. "You don't even realise it do you? It was Black Pincer Company that attacked your castle! _We're_ the ones that have been attacking your patrols! We were hired to make you think it was the Metal Empire. Somebody's been playing you and the Metal Empire off one another, and you fell for it! I mean, you're about to go to war with them now, you poor, idealistic idiots!"

Gankoomon scowled with anger at his taunting. "Why you…"

Alphamon narrowed his eyes at GrandisKuwagamon. It was true that they had fallen for their tricks before, but Dorbickmon had already told them this information. However, there was more pertinent information that he wanted to know. "Who hired you?" he asked GrandisKuwagamon firmly.

"As if I'd tell you that!" GrandisKuwagamon fired back, pretending that he really did know who their client was. He figured that if they thought he had valuable information, they would be less likely to go fight him to their fullest "I've still got a paycheck to pick up!"

"So, you do know?" Alphamon asked, probing for further information.

"Why do you think that I was here in Saversburg? Maybe if you're fast, you can go and catch him," GrandisKuwagamon suggested, shrugging.

Alphamon assumed that this was a lie, but he thought it was plausible that GrandisKuwagamon knew the identity of who hired them.

UlforceVeedramon used the opportunity to shoot through the sky like a meteor. Although GrandisKuwagamon tried to react, UlforceVeedramon was too fast. The dragon knight cut along GrandisKuwagamon's winged back with his laser blade. The sword cut into GrandisKuwagamon's wings and sent him crashing to the path below.

GrandisKuwagamon crumpled upon hitting the dirt, but he quickly rose to his feet again, just in time to see Gankoomon ready to attack. "Jishin! Kaminari! Kaji! Oyaji!" Gankoomon shouted, causing Hinukamui to surge towards GrandisKuwagamon. The dragon swept across the garden and descended on GrandisKuwagamon, clapping his giant pair of claws together and trying to crush GrandisKuwagamon between them.

GrandisKuwagamon let out an intense shout of effort as he threw his arms out and stabbed his Gran Killers into Hinukamui's palms, keeping them from crushing him. "Damn it…!" he hissed under the roar of the violent aura around him. He tapped into his inner reserves of energy. His crimson eye burned as he used all his strength to hold Hinukamui back, the power of whom was tearing up the grass around him.

Unfortunately for him, this left him exposed. Gankoomon burst through Hinukamui's semi-incorporeal body and levelled a punch straight into GrandisKuwagamon's face. As GrandisKuwagamon staggered backwards, Hinukamui lessened his grip and drifted back onto Gankoomon's shoulders. Gankoomon dashed forwards and tried to follow up with another punch.

This time, GrandisKuwagamon was ready. He stabbed towards Gankoomon, attempting to skewer him with his greater reach. Gankoomon deftly swerved to avoid the stab, and closed in to deliver a painful blow to the bug's abdomen. GrandisKuwagamon hissed and fought through the pain. "Grandis Scissors!" he shouted, shutting his pincers towards Gankoomon's neck with tonnes of pressure.

Gankoomon ducked under the deadly chop, losing a few strands of red hair in the process. He prepared to deliver another punch to GrandisKuwagamon, but he was too slow. GrandisKuwagamon drove his sharp knee up into Gankoomon's face. When the Royal Knight was forced upwards, he grabbed hold of Gankoomon's face and then head-butted him with the solid ridge of his forehead above his eye.

GrandisKuwagamon released Gankoomon and allowed him to stagger back. He then kicked Gankoomon in the chest and then followed up with a swipe from his Gran Killer for good measure, drawing a small cut across Gankoomon's cheek.

"Shining V Force!" UlforceVeedramon shouted, unleashing a ray from his chest that surged into GrandisKuwagamon as soon as Gankoomon was out of the way.

The beam exploded on contact with GrandisKuwagamon and sent him crashing through a stone fountain. The rock water feature crumbled with a large splash. GrandisKuwagamon winced, heaved and swore as he pulled himself out of the wet basin, his body smoking, dripping, and cracked. It was clear that the fight was starting to take its toll on him. He gritted his teeth and glared at the Royal Knights.

"You… Royal Knights think you're really fucking special… The so-called 'Guardians of the Network'! You try to save the Digital World and look after Network Security. Good for you!" he sarcastically taunted, swiping his Gran Killer out for emphasis. "You fight some giant asshole who wants to destroy stuff every so often – you know, that big, important stuff that gets mentioned in all the history books. Some ass-ugly Armagemon or Apocalymon who's trying to destroy the Digital World or make holes in the Dimensional Wall…" He narrowed his eye at them. "Where the hell are you the _rest of the time_? Where are you when other Digimon _need_ you? Low-key bandit attacks, small-time raiders… You don't stop them… Somewhere, there's a village burning and you're too busy playing the big heroes of the Digital World to realise it! Hell, you probably don't even notice! You only step in during big events like wars or cataclysms. You just do all this hero crap to make you feel good about yourselves! You're self-serving, just like the rest of us. That's the way the world is…"

UlforceVeedramon sneered. "What?" he asked incredulously. "That's not true…"

GrandisKuwagamon scoffed. "Tch… For all your lofty ideals, you Royal Knights are just worthless. And that so-called god you worship is just as worthless as you are!" he declared, shooting into the air with a returned vigor. "Yggdrasil, 'God'. They're just made up stories." He turned and pointed his Gran Killers at Xuanwumon. "And the so-called Four Holy Beasts are just ordinary Digimon. It's all a big sham!"

"It is not a sham," Xuanwumon spoke calmly, eyeing the bug as he continued to fight. "Perhaps you simply do not want to believe?"

GrandisKuwagamon released a laugh. "Funny! Since nobody can seem to agree on who the real 'god' is. Is it Yggdrasil? Huanglongmon? The Being of Goodness? All of the above? Hah! Make up your damn minds! Somebody's gotta be lying!" he declared. He grunted with effort as he circled around in the air to dodge a beam shot fired from Examon overhead. It skimmed his black feet, but didn't do any direct damage. When the beam faded, he stopped and raised his Gran Killers, ready to defend against any attacks levelled at him. "Or maybe, if by some cruel, illogical chance, there is some sort of entity that created the Digital World… then they just don't care. They let the Digital World be as brutal and terrible as it is without lifting a finger or claw or whatever to stop it."

"That's not true," Alphamon spoke. "We Royal Knights are the agents of Yggdrasil. Yggdrasil bears no ill-will towards the Digital World. We serve for the good of the Digital World."

"Yeah? Do you sit down and have tea-time chats with Yggdrasil then? What does he - she, it, whatever – look like?" GrandisKuwagamon challenged.

Alphamon frowned. "It isn't that simple, GrandisKuwagamon…" he calmly responded. These weren't questions that he could answer in a pithy response.

"Uh huh. Whatever. And awfully convenient response," GrandisKuwagamon dismissively said.

"He exists, GrandisKuwagamon," Alphamon stated firmly. "I assure you that Yggdrasil exists."

He glared at the Royal Knights, not wanting to hear their opinions on belief. "You can believe whatever bullshit you want. I don't care anymore. Just get your holier-than-thou butts out of my damn way!"

GrandisKuwagamon flew forwards, trying to soar over Xuanwumon and attempt to escape. He knew his limits, and he was aware that he couldn't take on five Royal Knights on his own, despite his bravado suggesting otherwise. He knew that his only way out of this was escaping.

However, as he tried to get past Xuanwumon, UlforceVeedramon appeared as a blue blur. The dragon knight stopped several meters in front of him, the V on his chest brimming with holy power. GrandisKuwagamon hissed and shot to the side. He ducked behind Xuanwumon's digicore, using it as a shield. "You won't attack his Digicore! Or do you want to try it?!" GrandisKuwagamon shouted out to the Royal Knights. He began flying again, weaving around the twelve digicores that surrounded the massive tree on Xuanwumon's back.

Xuanwumon eyed GrandisKuwagamon with annoyance at being used as a shield. "Never use a shield that contains a barbed edge," Xuanwumon's left head warned. "Mugen!" The god Digimon's eyes flashed and he released a dark mist from his mouth that billowed through the night sky and consumed GrandisKuwagamon.

"What?!" GrandisKuwagamon asked, trying to beat the mist away with his wings. He tried to fly forwards but found himself confronted by a wall of raging fire. The insect Digimon halted immediately and stared into the flames with a wide eye. He hissed and tried to fly backwards. However, when he looked over his shoulder, there was a billowing inferno behind him as well.

He gritted his teeth and looked around desperately. The fire was all around him, licking at his body. The burning flames and suffocating smoke were all around him. It threatened to consume him. His insides tensed up and he tried desperately to swipe the flames away with his Gran Killers. A cold shiver pierced down his body when he could hear screams and a deep, maniacal laughter echoing around him.

Little did GrandisKuwagamon know, there was no fire at all. It was simply an illusion created by Xuanwumon's mist. He was swiping his Gran Killers at air.

Alphamon narrowed his eyes and flew up, circling around and stopping several meters in front of GrandisKuwagamon. He raised his hand towards him. "Digitalize of Soul," he spoke, unleashing a powerful green laser into GrandisKuwagamon that burned at his form and blasted him through the air.

As GrandisKuwagamon was thrown out of the mist, he began to regain his senses. The flames around him were suddenly gone and he was pulled back into reality. "W-What?!" he demanded, wondering what exactly happened. He tried to right himself in the air, but the Royal Knights were ready.

"Shining V Force!" UlforceVeedramon shouted, unleashing a beam blast from his chest. The golden rays burned into GrandisKuwagamon's side and threw him through the air.

"End Waltz!" Craniamon followed up, spinning the Claiohm Solais over his head, right as GrandisKuwagamon was tossed over him. As he rotated the weapon rapidly, electricity and wind built up in the blades, immediately creating a violent cyclone that enveloped GrandisKuwagamon within it.

GrandisKuwagamon attempted to escape the folds of the wind, but he found himself getting sucked into the vortex. He was thrown around violently, tossed back and forth within the high-pressure wind and lightning. His already beaten body was hammered mercilessly.

When the tornado finally faded, GrandisKuwagamon was somehow still flying in the air. His body was fractured and weary. He heaved and panted, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth. The only way he was able to keep himself airborne was out of pure stubbornness and adrenaline.

He levelled a baleful, insolent stare at the Royal Knights. "…That the best… you can do…?" he taunted between haggard breaths. "Well… Oh great Royal Knights…? Maybe you should get… the rest of you to come and finish me off… if you guys can't…"

"Capture him," Alphamon commanded the Royal Knights. "I want him alive."

GrandisKuwagamon released an exhausted, taunting laugh. "How generous… I knew you guys don't have the balls… But hey, I'm not complaining…" he spoke. His face grew serious. "Still… won't be that easy…"

High above the academy gardens, Examon hovered in the night sky. He took careful aim with the Ambrosius. He knew which shell was locked in the chamber now. "Avalon's Gate," he spoke, pulling the trigger with his claw and firing the ordnance.

The shell burst from the Ambrosius' muzzle and shot down towards. It collided with GrandisKuwagamon's back and burst open, sending viral fragments into his carapace. Electricity suddenly started surging through his dark, armoured body.

GrandisKuwagamon howled with pain as a constant wave of electricity tore through him, causing his muscles to go numb. His wings stopped moving and he dropped out of the sky. He fell dozens of feet before crashing into the grass. When he landed, his body still twitched with electricity, which served to incapacitate him.

After a few moments, the electricity subsided. When it did, Examon fired a second shell into GrandisKuwagamon's back for good measure. This shell burst on contact with the bug Digimon and unleashed a paralyzing agent.

The mercenary winced with pain. He swore and cussed as he pushed himself onto his hands and knees. His arms and legs trembled as he tried to hold himself up, but the paralyzing agent was already taking effect. His limbs began to go numb, and his limbs buckled, causing his body to lurch forward in a bowed, kneeling position.

Gankoomon walked towards GrandisKuwagamon, cracking his knuckles. "I got this, guys," he told the others, planning to finally put GrandisKuwagamon out for the count.

He stepped up in front of GrandisKuwagamon and coiled his fist back. "Huagh!" he shouted, letting loose his punch.

Before the punch could connect with GrandisKuwagamon's head, it was caught by a black hand, much to Gankoomon's surprise. In a final act of defiance, GrandisKuwagamon had pushed himself up to catch the fist in his hand before it could hit him. He glared up at Gankoomon rebelliously. However, that was all he could do.

GrandisKuwagamon's body and consciousness gave way, and he fell forwards, crashing to the ground at Gankoomon's feet.

Gankoomon retracted his fist and looked down at the unconscious insect Digimon. He nudged his motionless body with his foot. "Finally…" he grunted. "He's stubborn, I'll give him that…"

Alphamon sighed and relaxed, pleased that it was finally over. He flew over and landed on the ground beside Gankoomon. Craniamon walked over, shouldering his spear. Examon and UlforceVeedramon flew over as well.

"We've been after this guy for awhile," Examon pointed out, looking down at GrandisKuwagamon.

"He sure wouldn't go down easy," Craniamon mused, prodding his unconscious body with the side of his spear.

"I can respect that," Gankoomon stated, raising his hand and wiping some blood off of his cheek with his thumb.

Alphamon looked down at the insect Digimon. "Maybe he can tell us who has been working behind the scenes."

"I doubt he'll give up that information easily either," UlforceVeedramon pointed out.

Xuanwumon looked at the Royal Knights with one head. His other head looked up into the sky. "Ah, hello, Imperialdramon," his right head greeted, looking up at the white armoured dragon man.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode gave him a slight smile. Flying beside him was Dukemon, who stood on top of Grani. "Hello, Xuanwumon. I hope it wasn't too noisy," Imperialdramon said good-naturedly.

"It was nice to have a bit of excitement," Xuanwumon responded light-heartedly.

Alphamon looked up and saw Imperialdramon Paladin Mode and Dukemon descending towards them. "Imperialdramon, there you are," he acknowledged as the two Royal Knights stopped beside them.

"Sorry I'm late," Imperialdramon replied sheepishly. "I managed to get all these guys, but trying to wake up Dynasmon and RhodoKnightmon was a lost cause. Seems like you guys did well enough though. I didn't think you'd need more than five to take down this guy."

"You weren't here," UlforceVeedramon said with a laugh.

"GrandisKuwagamon, huh?" Dukemon said, hopping off of Grani. He observed the unconscious mercenary. "What about the other two?"

Right as Alphamon was about to respond with uncertainty, a voice called out from nearby.

"Alphamon!" a familiar voice spoke up.

The group of eight turned and saw Omegamon walking out of Saversburg and into the academy gardens. He approached them, but there was no sign of Blitzmon or Bolgmon.

"Omegamon," Alphamon greeted. "Are you alright? What happened?"

As Omegamon walked up beside him, UlforceVeedramon's expression soured. "Huanglongmon. You stink, Omegamon. Where were you?" he said with a half laugh.

Omegamon gave him a look. "I was scouring the sewers for the past half an hour," he informed him. "The Numemon down there were not helpful."

"Well, you should learn to be more sociable," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode teased him with a chuckle.

Omegamon wasn't amused.

"Did you find the other two?" Alphamon asked curiously.

"I'm sorry," Omegamon apologised. "I lost them."

"It's fine," Alphamon assured him. "The Saversburg sewers are like a labyrinth. It's no wonder they were able to escape down there." He looked down at GrandisKuwagamon. "Besides, we managed to get their leader."

"It seems they were all too pleased to give him up," Omegamon pointed out, remembering how Blitzmon and Bolgmon left GrandisKuwagamon to save themselves.

"That's mercs for you," Dukemon stated. "They always look out for number one."

Alphamon looked at Grani. "Grani, can I borrow one of your scouts?" he asked the recon captain.

"Of course, Alphamon," Grani responded.

"Thank you. Could you get them to go to Havelock Prison and inform Reapermon to come here?" Alphamon inquired. "We have a high priority prisoner who needs restraint, transport, and medical attention. I would like to take him to our castle dungeons for the time being."

"Our dungeons?" Gankoomon asked curiously.

"Yes, I would like to speak with him when we finish up here," Alphamon responded. He looked down at the beaten down insect. "If we are fortunate, he might have some useful information for us."

UlforceVeedramon nodded and folded his arms. "Well, that's one thorn in our taken care of," he stated. "Now, we just have the Metal Empire." He turned to the Royal Knights with a grin. "Easy enough, right?"


	31. Chapter 21: Before the Storm

(Author's Notes: Hey, a few notes. I recently made a tumblr blog for my stories at adragoninshiningarmour dot tumblr dot com. There's art for my story there, and I'll be adding other things too.

Anyways, here's Chapter 21. Sorry for the delay. Read, review, and enjoy!)

**Chapter 21: Before the Storm**

It was a busy morning in and around Saversburg. At the break of dawn, scouts had reported that the D-Brigade had formed up a few kilometers to the west of Saversburg. Their whole army was preparing for battle that day.

The combined armies of both the Order and Saversburg were getting ready to move out and meet the D-Brigade in the field. There was a lot of collaboration going on between the two allied armies, as they had to organise in a coherent, effective way. The Saversburg army went on ahead towards the battlefield, being the slower of the two armies. They were relieved when a military force from the Republic of Node showed up a few hours after dawn. It wasn't their full army, but it consisted of a few divisions and a few specialised teams like the so-called Greymon Five, who were a small but powerful anti-Dramon force. With this addition, the gap in numbers between the D-Brigade and the allied army was weakened, but the D-Brigade still had a numerical advantage.

Outside of Saversburg, the armies were hurrying to get ready. The whole scene seemed chaotic, with Digimon going every which way, but it was actually highly organised. The Saversburg army was gathered on the western outskirts of the large city, and were marching across the road and grasslands towards where the D-Brigade preparing their formations.

Meanwhile, the Royal Knights were busy organising their forces and preparing to move out after the Saversburg army. In the distance, there were already sounds of attacks being launched. The skirmishes between scouts had begun, as the scouts of each sides tried to keep the other away from their armies. These fights were usually short and fleeting, as they were hit-and-run in style. Still beams, flames, and explosions could be seen lighting up the cloudy sky every now and then as the armies prepared to engage each other.

Alphamon walked outside of the Royal Knights' temporary camp. It was packed full of busy Digimon. The Strike Forces and Defence Forces were getting organised outside of the camp with the help of the Royal Knights. Also around were the Reconnaissance Forces and the Stealth Forces, as well as support crews.

Alphamon strode beside OuRyuumon as they made their way alongside the hundreds of Strike Force Digimon. "Are they ready to go, OuRyuumon?" he asked the Strike Forces' captain.

"Yeah. They'll be ready to move out and kick ass in fifteen minutes," OuRyuumon responded, looking over at his Strike Forces. "We're just doing last minute equipment checks."

"Good. We can't be too far behind the Saversburg army," Alphamon said to him. He turned and looked over to the equally large Defence Forces. Omegamon and Dukemon were talking with Captain Knightmon. Omegamon noticed Alphamon walking by and gave him a nod.

"It looks like the Defence Forces are ready to go," Alphamon observed from Omegamon's gesture.

"Okay. We'll finish up," OuRyuumon stated, patting Alphamon's shoulder before flying off and soaring in front of the Strike Forces where his leftenants were.

Alphamon continued walking alongside the camp. On the outskirts of the makeshift camp were the Digimon from the Republic of Node's military. They were currently getting filled in by Duftmon and RhodoKnightmon, who were telling them what their roles would be in the coming battle. The Republic of Node soldiers had agreed to follow the Royal Knights' instructions, so that their combined armies could act cohesively. Gaioumon was among them, having gotten the Council of Seven's permission to supervise.

The closest group to him was a team of five Ultimate level Greymon – a KaiserGreymon, VictoryGreymon, ShineGreymon, WarGreymon, and BlackWarGreymon. He recognised them as the Greymon Five, a new special shock team that was created when the Republic reorganised their military structure. Since they were busy being told their role by Duftmon, Alphamon decided that he didn't want to interrupt. However, he noticed that some of the Greymon were staring at Duftmon with fanboy-like glee.

Alphamon smiled to himself and kept on walking. He needed to speak to Captain Karatenmon next to see how the Stealth Forces were doing.

"Alphamon!" a voice called out to the Royal Knight.

The black armoured Royal Knight turned in the direction of the sound. When he looked, he saw a familiar, gold and silver body of a cyborg skulking towards him. He recognised the fearsome, skull-like face of Reapermon anywhere.

Reapermon, the warden of the Royal Knights' Havelock Prison, stepped across the grass and made his way towards him. The slender Digimon lugged a heavy bag over his shoulder. He looked around the area as he walked over to Alphamon.

"Reapermon, I'm glad you made it," Alphamon greeted.

"Where is he?" Reapermon asked, cutting straight to business.

Alphamon turned and looked over his shoulder. His eyes landed on GrandisKuwagamon, who was located at the very edge of their camp. The black insect sat cross-legged, his arms and pincers bound with chains. He was under heavy guard by several Ultimate level Order Digimon. "I assume you mean GrandisKuwagamon," Alphamon spoke.

"Yeah," Reapermon spoke, his dark, glowing eyes resting on the mercenary. "I've been after Black Pincer Company for a long time, and they've always eluded my grasp. It's just a pity I didn't get to take him down myself."

"The other two are still missing," Alphamon explained to him. "But that is a problem for another time. We can't distract ourselves by taking on too much at once."

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Reapermon responded, turning his gaze back to Alphamon. "What do you want me to do with him?"

Alphamon rubbed his chin with his fingers. "Most importantly, get him to our castle dungeons safe and sound. Just restrain him and leave him under watch until we get back," he told Reapermon.

"The castle dungeons? What do you want from him?" Reapermon inquired.

"He might have important information," Alphamon explained.

Reapermon nodded slowly. "…I know what you're going to say, but I can always _obtain_ that information in your absence…" the cyborg jailor offered ominously.

"No, Reapermon," Alphamon stated firmly. "I know you used to be a bounty hunter, but we don't operate that way. Just leave him to us."

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, Alphamon. You're no fun," Reapermon spoke, playfully eyeing the sharp tip of his sickle arm.

Alphamon smiled a bit. He turned and looked at GrandisKuwagamon. The prisoner was conscious but momentarily docile. "Can you transport him on your own? He's quite a handful," Alphamon cautioned. He smirked at Reapermon. "We had to replace two of the guards because he insulted them so badly that he reduced them to tears."

"Hmph," Reapermon grunted, tapping his metal exterior with his sharp claws. "I have thick casing."

Alphamon nodded. "Is there anything you need?"

"No, I have everything," the bounty hunter-come-prison warden explained, gesturing to the bag over his shoulder. "Heavy duty restraints and inhibitor viruses. I'll implant some in him to make sure he can't use his attacks or change forms."

"Very well. Just don't be too rough with him," Alphamon asked Reapermon. "'A foe today could be a friend tomorrow'."

"I'd say you're being idealistic, but I guess I'm proof of those words, huh?" Reapermon stated, shooting Alphamon an ironic grin.

Alphamon chuckled. "Heheh… Well, I can say from bitter experience that you are definitely better as a friend than as an enemy, Reapermon," he explained. He turned away from the cyborg Digimon and looked at GrandisKuwagamon. "I trust you with him."

"I'll behave. But if he's as mouthy as you say he is, I can't promise I won't shut him up somehow," Reapermon responded.

Alphamon smiled. "Do your best. I'm counting on you," he said to him.

Reapermon nodded quietly. He folded his arms and looked around curiously. "And how's everything going here?"

"We're about to make our way to the expected battlefield," Alphamon informed him. He closed his eyes with thought. "…It will be a difficult battle, but in times like this, we all have to do our best and work together."

"Well, if anybody can pull it off, it's the Aloof Hermit," Reapermon stated, glancing at Alphamon. He turned and looked over at GrandisKuwagamon. "Well, I'll go get my cargo and head out. You need to focus on doing your Royal Knight stuff."

Alphamon nodded. "Very well. He's all yours," the black Royal Knight answered.

"Good luck with the fight, Alphamon," Reapermon told him as he walked away and headed towards the insect prisoner.

"Thank you, Reapermon," Alphamon said to him, watching as Reapermon made his way over to GrandisKuwagamon and the guards around him.

Alphamon looked around at the Royal Knights' forces. He hoped that they were all ready for the battle. They would need to be. He didn't wish to lose any of his fellow Digimon if he could help it. However, it was war. He had to be prepared for that. Order Digimon would likely be deleted. Despite this, Alphamon would do everything in his power to protect as many Digimon as he could.

* * *

"Urngh… Huh…?"

Suijinmon uttered a deep rumbling groan that almost sounded like a fog horn. He began to regain consciousness after being knocked out since the previous evening.

He slowly opened his red eyes. His vision was fuzzy, so he began blinking to gain his focus. Even when he did, it was hard to see. The area he was in was mostly dark. He could deduce that he was inside somewhere, and he began to make out the faint surfaces of large walls around him.

There were only small rays of light entering the building – there were small apertures near the top of the side walls that allowed for light to shine in from the outside. This allowed him to see inside the building a little better. However, the beams of light in question were tempered by the thick clouds that covered the morning sky outside.

Suijinmon looked around, still trying to get his bearings. He realised that he was in the large warehouse that they had been converting into a hangar. It was then that he remembered the events of the previous evening. He remembered his argument with Fujinmon. He remembered getting drugged. His eyes widened with horror at the realisation. It was the day of the battle and Fujinmon was planning a coup.

He knew he had to stop it.

Suijinmon was lying on his side. He could feel the cool, steel floor against his metal body. He grunted and tried to get up from off the floor, but he felt that he couldn't. For some reason, his joints were stiff and immobile. Again, he tried to move his body, but he only succeeded in wiggling on the ground, causing the sharp, grating sound of metal friction.

"What…?" he asked in confusion. He glanced down at his large body and began to realise the situation that he was in, based on his sight and sensations.

His four, muscular legs were lassoed together with thick chains that wrapped around all of his ankles. His eyes widened at the realisation that his legs were tied up and rendered immobile, preventing him from standing or moving his heavy body. Suijinmon tried to move his giant, mechanical Accel Arms in order to break the chains, but he found that he was unable to move them either. His massive arms were pulled behind his back and restrained as well. His forearms were folded behind his back and chained together securely, resting against the horizontal part of his back. There were also a few chains wrapped around his upper body and biceps to make sure that he wouldn't be able to take advantage of the incredible strength of his Accel Arms.

He could also feel that something was wrong with his Accel Arms. He was having trouble even struggling against the chains binding them. It felt as if there was something wrong with the wiring of the machine arms.

"W-What?!" he demanded with anger and shock.

He struggled on the ground, attempting to use brute force to break his way out, but the chains weren't budging. Suijinmon began to panic, although it was completely internal. His outer exterior seemed calm, but his mind worked like a supercomputer as he tried to think of a way out of his predicament. His thoughts were distracted by the sound of footsteps walking across the metal floor.

Suijinmon stopped his movements and looked towards the noise. "Who's there?" he demanded, narrowing his eyes angrily.

"It's me…"

Fujinmon's form became visible as he walked into one of the rays of light. His green, metal form shimmered as the strands of light reflected off of his body. He stepped forwards for a few more paces before stopping several meters in front of the restrained Waterfall Commander.

"F-Fujinmon?" Suijinmon spoke, his eyes widening. His crimson optics hardened into a glare and looked down at his bound legs and arms. "What is the meaning of this?!" he said in a voice that demanded an answer.

Fujinmon closed his eyes calmly. "I apologise, Suijinmon, but these are necessary measures," he explained.

"How in the Digital World are these necessary measures?" Suijinmon asked, attempting to remain calm despite his circumstances.

"I tried to convince you to join me, but you refused to turn against Chaosdramon," Fujinmon explained. "You said that you didn't want to be put in a position where you had to choose Chaosdramon over me. Therefore, I chose for you. …This is for your own good, Suijinmon; I would hate to fight against you."

"Fujinmon… Don't do this…" Suijinmon spoke. He narrowed his eyes and there was a bristling in his deep voice.

"I have to…" Fujinmon responded serenely. "I agree with Chaosdramon about one thing: the status quo isn't good enough anymore. The Metal Empire is a shadow of what it once was. We're ruled by fear. We act how we're told to act – assigned to the roles given to us. Even us, the Storm Commanders, are at the mercy of Chaosdramon's wishes. …It is time to change that."

"Fujinmon…" Suijinmon rumbled in protest.

"I know you disagree. You think I'm crazy for even considering the idea… That's why I had to do this to you," Fujinmon explained, looking down at him and locking eyes with Suijinmon. "You would try to stop me otherwise."

"Of course I would. Think about what you're doing, Fujinmon. This is madness. Please see reason," Suijinmon beseeched his comrade, staring back up at him.

Fujinmon shook his head. "You are the one who won't see reason," he spoke in a voice that suggested that he was completely clear of mind.

"Fujinmon! You're going to betray, Chaosdramon! He will never forgive that, no matter how hard I try to convince him!" he begged Fujinmon. "If you rise up during battle, he won't hesitate to delete you! Even if he doesn't, you'll be executed afterwards!"

"Not if I win," Fujinmon challenged.

Suijinmon glared at the green cyborg in frustration. "How do you expect to win? Between Chaosdramon's forces and the enemy…" He glared deeper. "…I won't allow you to fight my soldiers."

"I will not be fighting your soldiers," Fujinmon responded confidently. "I have a plan."

"A plan… I've _seen_ your plans. They're too reckless. You never think about the finer details… That's your problem, Fujinmon; you think you have all the answers when you don't!" Suijinmon argued. "I'm the D-Brigade's tactician; I need to be there if we have any hope of winning against the Royal Knights. Release me, Fujinmon! Remove these chains at once!"

"No. If you won't help me, then you will only run counter to my plans," Fujinmon stated. "Remain here. I will come and get you after the battle."

"You won't make it to the end of the battle at this rate!" Suijinmon protested, struggling and fighting against his bonds. "Chaosdramon will crush you! You are underestimating him!"

"_You_ are underestimating _me_, Suijinmon," Fujinmon spoke, leering at the large, crimson machine Digimon. "This battle is my only chance."

Suijinmon rumbled angrily and continued fighting against his chains. "Fujinmon!" he thundered, slamming his heavy tail against the ground in frustration. "Release me at once! You don't know what you're doing! Listen to reason!"

"I'm sorry, Suijinmon," Fujinmon responded, turning his back to him. "This is my chance. I have to take it." He bowed his head and closed his eyes, as if having more doubts than he was letting on. "This is my best chance. I have to succeed. I can't do that with you against me."

The Waterfall Commander released a mechanical hiss as he strained his muscles and joints against his bonds.

Fujinmon glanced over his shoulder, looking past the large, green, halo-like protrusion that jutted out from his back. "I do not intend to lose… but if I do…" he began, regretfully. "Suijinmon, I don't want you to hate me. You—"

"You idiot…" Suijinmon spoke, grimacing hard with an uncharacteristic amount of emotion in both his pained expression and frustrated words. "Do… Do you have any idea how selfish you're being…?"

Fujinmon blinked and half-turned around. "Selfish…?"

"You aren't thinking about anybody but yourself… Do you understand what the effects of your illogical actions will be on the rest of us? Your subordinates? Raijinmon? Myself?" Suijinmon asked him, trying hard to persuade him. No longer was he using logic as his main argument. He was beginning to use emotion. "…Fujinmon… You and Raijinmon are my closest friends… If anything happened to you both… I…" Suijinmon trailed off.

"I… wouldn't know what to do…" he explained finally.

Fujinmon turned forwards. He made sure that his back was to Suijinmon so that the Waterfall Commander wouldn't be able to see his weakness and guilt as he grimaced. "…Nothing will happen to us, Suijinmon," he assured him. "It is because you are my friend that you are here. I know you too well."

Fujinmon strengthened his resolve and began walking away, heading towards the hangar doors. "I am sorry for putting you through this, Suijinmon. However, it must be done," he spoke, continuing forwards with determination. "As the Hurricane Commander, I will be the one who will summon the wind of reformation. Chaosdramon is finished."

"I won't let you…" Suijinmon spoke, narrowing his eyes.

Despite the fact that he couldn't move his limbs or even stand, Suijinmon acted. The four cannons on and within his broad, metal shoulders suddenly came to life. All four guns pointed at Fujinmon as he walked away. Suijinmon glared at Fujinmon. "You never focus on details, Fujinmon… You always make little mistakes as a result… You made a very big mistake this time…" Suijinmon explained to him. "You forgot to disable my Mugen Cannons."

Fujinmon stopped. He stood there for a moment, thinking about what Suijinmon said to him. He gently hovered a few centimeters off of the ground and turned around to face Suijinmon. Fujinmon saw the Waterfall Commander lying there, aiming his arsenal of shoulder-mounted weaponry at him. "I see…" he responded calmly.

"Release me and forget this idea… I won't let you betray Chaosdramon," Suijinmon stated, his voice deep and threatening. "Betray him… and I'll shoot you."

Fujinmon glanced at his Mugen Cannons and then looked back at Suijinmon. "No, you won't," Fujinmon answered confidently.

"I am not joking, Fujinmon," Suijinmon warned firmly. "Do not test me."

"You won't shoot me, Suijinmon," Fujinmon explained, staring at him directly.

Suijinmon began pouring energy into the Mugen Cannons. "Yes, I will!" he countered.

Fujinmon flew forwards a few paces, right into the cannons' angles. "…So, shoot me," Fujinmon challenged, staring into Suijinmon's eyes.

The loyal Thunderclap Commander growled angrily.

Fujinmon lowered his Critical Arms disarmingly, offering himself up to the restrained D-Brigade commander. "It's the only way that you'll get me to stop. If you feel that strongly about it, fire. End this coup right now. For the good of Chaosdramon and the Metal Empire…"

Suijinmon glared back at Fujinmon. The energy in his cannons intensified. "Fujinmon…" he warned.

Fujinmon leered into Suijinmon, calling his bluff. "…Fire, Suijinmon… Like a good soldier…"

Suijinmon inhaled. The beams swelled inside the steel chambers, causing the bores of the cannons to glow brightly. The energy looked as if it would shoot out at any second.

But after several tense seconds, the energy weakened. A hiss escaped from Suijinmon's body and the energy receded back down the tubes the connected to the cannons. Suijinmon grimaced and lowered his Mugen Cannons, indicating his submission.

"…Thank you, Suijinmon…" Fujinmon said to him sincerely. He turned around and floated away from Suijinmon.

Suijinmon shut his eyes as Fujinmon opened the heavy doors and closed them behind him. He could hear the sound of the doors shutting, and then the metallic clicking of locks. Silence overtook the warehouse and Suijinmon was left alone inside.

"_Chaosdramon… I couldn't do it_," he thought to himself bitterly. "_Does that mean I care more about them than I do the Emperor_…?"

Suijinmon opened his red eyes with a tormented look deep behind their pensive lenses. He looked down at himself and tried again to free himself from his bonds. "_Fujinmon… Be safe, you imbecile…_"

* * *

To the west of Saversburg were sprawling fields of grass. The plains were flat and level, making it ideal territory for mechanized Digimon that ran on treads and wheels. This would be the site of the battle.

On the southern edge of the fields was a tall hill that overlooked the battlefield. Due to the D-Brigade picking this battlefield and arriving first, they held the strategic hill. This hill served as a powerful flank that overlooked the battlefield, and the D-Brigade was already fortifying it with Digimon who had a lot of firepower.

The D-Brigade was still getting into position. Things had been stalled by the absence of Suijinmon and Fujinmon. This allowed the allied armies of the Order, Saversburg, and Republic of Node to get into formation as well. There were thousands of Digimon on each side of the battlefield.

On the east side of the battlefield, the allied forces were nearly ready to fight. The troops were organised into groups depending on their role in battle. They were spacing themselves out from each other based on where on the battlefield they were directed to go. It would be a huge mistake for everybody to clump together, given the D-Brigade's exceptional long-ranged bombardment capabilities.

The twelve Royal Knights stood in front of the combined army along with OuRyuumon, Knightmon, Tactimon and Gaioumon. Duftmon stood beside Tactimon and Gaioumon, going over the tactics again for clarity.

"To repeat, OuRyuumon, you will be leading the Aerial Strike Forces to capture that hill to the south. We need to secure that left flank and wipe out those bombardment troops otherwise they will decimate our ranks," Duftmon explained, tapping the ground with his rapier. "A contingent of Shield Guards and Aerial Guards will accompany you, led by Sleipmon and Examon." He looked at the two Royal Knights in question. "We will need your speed to take that hill as quickly as possible."

Duftmon eyed Sleipmon specifically before looking away. "Sleipmon, I assume you still do not desire to delete Digimon. Therefore, you may incapacitate them if you wish, just as long as you can absolutely get them to stop firing and retreat. How you do it doesn't matter," he said to him meaningfully.

At this, Sleipmon smiled with appreciation. "Thank you, Duftmon…" he responded warmly.

"Moving on," Duftmon said, quickly changing to the next order of business. "The Saversburg army will be in the middle with their ground, aerial and bombardment troops. This is where the majority of the Royal Knights will be as well. Tactimon will lead this portion of the army. Omegamon, Craniamon, Dynasmon, and Gankoomon will be at the front with our ground Strike Forces, serving as the vanguard on the ground. Your primary objective is to break through the D-Brigade's lines. Craniamon, Dynasmon, Gankoomon, I take it that this is where you are at your best," the brown-armoured tactician stated, placing a hand on his sash-clad hip.

Gankoomon smirked and cracked his knuckles. "That sounds about right. The thick of the action is where I shine," he agreed.

Craniamon nodded approvingly. "Can't wait…" he spoke, gripping the Claiohm Solais with excitement.

"Bet I can take out more than you, Moustache," Dynasmon challenged with a grin of anticipation.

Duftmon gave them both a bland look. "That is not to say that you can go jaunting about as you please. The all-important center serves as the anchor for our formations, and it is the area which will see the heaviest fighting. Having a strong, coherent center is the key to success here," he explained. Duftmon then turned. "Next, on the right will be the Republic of Node's military combined with the rest of our Aerial Guards and Shield Guards to ensure a sturdy flank. Alphamon, Dukemon, RhodoKnightmon, and Gaioumon will lead the right flank. Supplementing our armies from the rear will be the anti-air forces and the Reconnaissance Forces, who will help us to gain aerial superiority. Aiding them, as well as having flexible roles that allow us to move around the battlefield as needed, will be Magnamon, UlforceVeedramon, and I."

"Got it, Duftmon," Magnamon acknowledged, clenching his fists with dedication.

"We will do our best," Alphamon assured him, looking at Dukemon and RhodoKnightmon.

"We must be allow for flexibility," Tactimon spoke up. "Suijinmon is their tactician, and, as we now know, he is a very dangerous one. As the battle unfolds, be prepared for split second changes in tactics."

"With that said, do not stray from the assigned battle plan too much," Duftmon added.

"Understood," Omegamon agreed.

OuRyuumon nodded. "Yeah, gotcha. I'm gonna go fill in my leftenants," he responded. He levelled a look at Alphamon, quietly wishing him good luck in case they didn't see each other again before the battle started.

Alphamon smiled and nodded back at him. The black Royal Knight watched as OuRyuumon took off into the air, curving his long body through the sky as he flew over to where his Strike Forces were gathered. With his eyes observing the skies, Alphamon noticed another familiar Digimon soaring across the sky.

It was Grani, and the Zero ARMS was making his way towards them swiftly. Grani flew down to the group and stopped in front of them softly, hovering in place.

"Grani?" Dukemon asked, turning and looking at him.

"I'm not interrupting, am I?" Grani questioned, glancing at the Royal Knights.

"Of course not, Grani. Do you have something to report?" Alphamon inquired.

"Yes. I have just come from a reconnaissance run, deep near the D-Brigade's lines," Grani explained. His deep, sapphire eyes turned towards Alphamon. "I have confirmed your suspicions."

"Huh? What suspicions?" Dukemon questioned.

Grani turned and gazed across the reaching field, eyeing the D-Brigade army. There were many giant Digimon visible among their ranks, including a Deckerdramon, a few Mugendramon, a Breakdramon, and a Chaosdramon. "You see that Chaosdramon there?" he asked the Royal Knights, looking at the giant red body that towered over many of the smaller D-Brigade soldiers. "That isn't just any Chaosdramon. That is Emperor Chaosdramon."

The Royal Knights turned and looked across the open terrain, staring at the huge, easily-spotted, crimson body of Chaosdramon standing at the back of the D-Brigade troops.

"What?" Duftmon asked incredulously. "He is taking part in this battle himself? But that… is uncharacteristic."

Magnamon narrowed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. "He _was_ an officer in the D-Brigade a long time ago… An extremely powerful and effective one, from what MetallifeKuwagamon has said. Cold, efficient, merciless, and devastating… This could be trouble for us," Magnamon pointed out.

Alphamon closed his eyes and rubbed his chin pensively. "They say, 'In every crisis, there is an opportunity.' This could be a golden opportunity for us. Opportunities are rare and easily lost," he spoke sagaciously.

"So, what you are saying is, if there was ever a time to take down Chaosdramon, it would be right now," Omegamon spoke, looking at Alphamon.

"Exactly," Alphamon confirmed. "We have been biding our time for a moment to take him down for a long time. We can assume that Chaosdramon will be a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, so this may be unavoidable regardless."

"You may have a point, Alphamon…" Duftmon mused, thinking about the possibility. "We will have to see how the battle goes, but it will require the power of a Royal Knight to bring Chaosdramon to his knees." He glanced at the dark Royal Knight. "Alphamon?"

"I will do what I can," Alphamon stated. He smiled with measured whimsy. "Though, I would feel better having one of you at my side."

"We'll be beside you every step of the way," Omegamon assured him.

Dynasmon nodded and looked at Omegamon. "Have you made sure that Imperialdramon Paladin Mode will stay in the academy with the others?" he asked with a grin.

Omegamon sighed. "I have done all that I can. There's only so much I can do where he is concerned. I think he'll focus on the Dark Area, so long as the battle goes well," he responded.

"It'll be tough, but we've faced worse than this," Dukemon explained. "I'm not about to let us be defeated by Chaosdramon and the D-Brigade."

Grani gave Dukemon a look. "If you are overly reckless, I will be very cross, Dukemon," he reminded him.

Dukemon let out a short laugh but nodded. "Okay, Grani…"

The Zero Arms chuckled slightly before looking at him seriously. "…Are you sure you don't need me?" he asked him.

"I'll be fine, Grani," Dukemon assured him. "You focus on your Reconnaissance Forces."

Grani nodded. "Very well… Then I suppose I should get back to them now," he stated. He looked across the gathered Royal Knights. "Good luck, everyone."

"You too, Grani," Dukemon said to him, smiling.

Alphamon pivoted and looked at the Royal Knights. "He has the right idea. We should all get to our positions, the battle will be starting soon, yes?"

Duftmon nodded. "On our terms, yes," he responded. "I am frankly rather surprised that the D-Brigade hasn't commenced the battle yet. I suppose they must either be still preparing or waiting for us to move."

Grani glanced at him. "There is still the matter that Commanders Fujinmon and Suijinmon are nowhere to be found. My scouts have swept the entire area to the north, south and east of Saversburg, but they couldn't see them anywhere. Furthermore, it seems as though most of the D-Brigade is present here, and there haven't been any other movements of activity. It may be nothing to worry about and they are just hanging back in Haganemame City," he stated.

"That seems unlikely, given how this is supposed to be a set piece battle, but…" Duftmon frowned and shook his head. "It is worrisome. The D-Brigade is known for stealth. We must remain vigilant."

"I shall," Grani stated. The Zero ARMS turned rotated in the air and shot off to reconvene with his scouts.

Alphamon looked around at the gathered Royal Knights. "If we don't see each other before it all begins… Good luck, everyone. Do your best, look out for each other, and count on one another. Each and every one of you is strong and capable. Show them what the Royal Knights can do," he told them, looking at the eleven Royal Knights with a commanding but warm and reassuring gaze. "Believe in your bonds, Royal Knights. I'm counting on you."

"Ooh, I'm getting chills," UlforceVeedramon said with a light-hearted smile. "I love when you do your rousing speeches, Alphamon. Your one to the troops this morning had a lot more passion, though. Really got my blood flowing."

"I personally prefer arousing speeches," RhodoKnightmon stated, placing his hands on his hips. "Alphamon does have quite the sexy voice, however. It's so calm and commanding."

Alphamon smiled. "I'll see you all on the battlefield…" he spoke, giving them a nod before walking away. He walked along the groups of hundreds of Digimon soldiers, making his way to his group at the far right flank of the formation. Dukemon and RhodoKnightmon followed after him, heading to their place half a kilometer away.

As they walked away, Omegamon watched them out of the corners of his eyes. He made a mental note to keep tabs on them during the battle. He walked forward with Dynasmon, Craniamon, and Gankoomon, while the rest of the Royal Knights went to get into position.

Gaioumon stood near Tactimon and Duftmon, also watching as Alphamon walked down the frontline of the allied army. "I have to say… I'm surprised that the Aloof Hermit is taking part in the battle," he mused, eyeing Alphamon curiously. "He only rarely takes part in Royal Knight missions and conflicts. I believe he has the lowest mission completion rate next to the recently-joined Gankoomon, correct?"

Duftmon leered at Gaioumon. "Yes, that is true… Alphamon normally tries to stay out of missions and, instead, he focuses on administrating the Order," he replied firmly. Duftmon closed his eyes and folded his arms. "However, that is not to say that Alphamon is any slouch. He is perfectly capable of winning a battle single-handedly, as a matter of fact. He is first-among-equals of the Royal Knights, after all."

Gaioumon calmly smiled at Duftmon. "Of course. I was not suggesting otherwise," he explained. "I simply meant that I am surprised that he is personally taking part in this battle."

Duftmon nodded. "Alphamon acts when it truly matters. He wouldn't sit back and leave something this big to the rest of us. The thing about Alphamon is that he doesn't ask Digimon to do anything that he wouldn't do himself. He is just that kind of Digimon," the tactician explained in a deliberate, informative manner.

As Duftmon spoke, Tactimon eyed the Royal Knight tactician with a thoughtful gaze. He was surprised to hear him speak that way about another Digimon.

Gaioumon smiled. "So he is… There are some truly interesting Digimon in the Digital World who are like that, aren't there?" he mused.

Tactimon looked at the black dragon samurai. "I take it you are referring to AncientGreymon as well, aren't you?" he asked him. "Just what is your history with him, exactly?"

Gaioumon closed his eyes. "That is a very long story…" he answered mysteriously.

"More importantly, will the Warrior Ten be showing up?" Duftmon asked, looking at Tactimon.

"I cannot be certain. We sent a message to their base, but we haven't received a response," Tactimon explained.

"They will come…" Gaioumon assured him with a certainty in his composed, deliberate voice. "_He_ will come."

Tactimon eyed Gaioumon curiously. "…I hope you're right. We may have the Royal Knights, but we're still outnumbered by the thousands," he stated.

Gaioumon nodded. "I am certain of it," he spoke, narrowing his golden eyes slightly. He turned away and began to walk after Alphamon, Dukemon, and RhodoKnightmon. "I will go prepare the Republic of Node's troops. I will see you both later."

Gaioumon walked off, leaving Duftmon and Tactimon together at the head of the army. Initially, there was a pensive silence between the two tacticians. They stood side-by-side, each absorbed in their own thoughts in the face of the coming battle.

Tactimon broke the silence and turned to Duftmon. "…Once again, you have proven me wrong," he spoke, eyeing the leopard knight.

"Of course," Duftmon responded matter-of-factly, as if it was a knee-jerk reaction. However, he soon grew confused. "Pardon me, but how did I do that this time?"

Tactimon folded his arms. "I never thought I would say this… but you have changed," he observed, traces of pride in his voice.

Duftmon frowned quizzically. "I… have changed?" he asked him sceptically. "How?"

"The way you act as a tactician… You're actually taking into account different Digimon. You sent Sleipmon to take the hill because he would be able to incapacitate the Digimon there," Tactimon pointed out.

"Naturally," Duftmon dismissively replied, placing his hands on his hips. "If I allowed a pacifist to go into the thick of battle, he would only get in the way."

Tactimon looked at him dryly. "I noticed that you also put the most aggressive fighters at the vanguard of the center, where they could really let loose. This further proves my theory," he added.

"I merely placed them there because that is what any logical tactician would do. They have the brute force and temperament necessary for a vanguard," Duftmon answered confidently. "Your theory is false, Tactimon. I have not changed at all. I am merely doing what a good tactician should do; I am making the most of the Digimon at my disposal in order to make the most comprehensive and logical set of tactics. That is no different from what I have always done."

Tactimon couldn't help but sigh behind his helmet. "You are a stubborn Digimon, Duftmon. Even when I'm trying to be nice…" he stated.

Duftmon gave him a look. "I can't help it if you are drawing the wrong conclusions…" he casually informed him.

Tactimon scratched his cheek with a finger. "Even so—"

"HEY, TAC-CHAN!" a booming voice thundered out from the hundreds of Digimon soldiers behind them.

Tactimon tensed up. He wore a flat, irritated expression on his face. "I cannot deal with this right now as well…" he mumbled under his breath.

"Tac-chan~!" the voice chimed again, punctuated by the sound of thundering footsteps that sent vibrations through the ground.

Duftmon turned and looked over his shoulder. He saw what appeared to be giant, humanoid, mass of crystal marching towards them, walking between the groups of organised soldiers. The front of the Digimon's hulking body was composed almost entirely of pristine, flawless crystals that shimmered even in the dim light of the clouded day. He had large, tree trunk-like arms which contained gauntlets that were encrusted with crystals. His head had a hedgehog-like appearance, filled with sharp crystals jutting out from his large body like spikes. Around his waist was a belt that held a breechcloth in place. The cloth hung between his legs, which were covered by polished, metal armour and boots. Swinging behind him haphazardly as he walked was a long tail with a small, crystalline globe at the end of it. A large, black cape with a red interior flowed from his back, blustering in the wind as he marched towards them. Beneath it was a skin tight bodysuit that covered the grey skin of his back, arms, and legs. On his face were a broad grin and an excited look in his black, red eyes.

"Ah, General Blastmon," Duftmon greeted formally, nodding at the towering figure as he galumphed up to them. "Are the Saversburg troops ready?"

"Ready to kick ass!" Blastmon declared, punching his palm with his fist. He looked at Tactimon. "Are you done your tactics stuff now, Tac-chan? I'm itching to wreck these metal thingamajigs."

"Please do not call me that in front of the soldiers, General," Tactimon responded formally, subtly bristling. "…Or at all, for that matter. It is unprofessional and irritating. Refer to me as 'General'."

Blastmon yawned and stretched his arms out, pretending not to have heard him. "So, when do we start?" he asked him.

"Soon. Get into position and make sure the soldiers are ready for the battle to begin at a moment's notice," Tactimon advised him.

"Got it!" Blastmon declared, excitedly turning around to face the rows of Digimon soldiers. He folded his arms and stood in front of the Digimon dominatingly. "Listen up! We're about to attack these walking gizmos any second now! Spread out, you hear me?! Things are gonna start exploding soon, and if you're all clumped together you're gonna regret it! Put space between you, unless you're one of the ones shielding the attacks! Air troops, hang back and shoot those missiles down before they get close! Ground guys, help out and try not to get blown up!"

Duftmon observed Blastmon with a raised eyebrow. "He certainly is high energy…" he noted.

Tactimon sighed. "You have no idea…" he responded.

Blastmon then reached out and placed his giant hand on Tactimon's head. "And listen to whatever _General_ Tac-chan says!" he said emphatically, unaware of Tactimon's withering glare. "He's directing the battle and he's a heck of a lot smarter than you! That goes for Duftie here too! Got it? Got it! Good!"

"Yes, General!" the Saversburg military and the Order's Strike Forces called out obediently.

Duftmon's eye twitched at the pet name. "_Duftie_…?"

"General Blastmon…" Tactimon spoke, quietly seething at the large hand on his head and the repeated nickname.

Blastmon blinked and removed his hand. He turned to Tactimon and wondered why there seemed to be a dangerous aura emanating from the tactician.

"…Something wrong, Tac-chan?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Gankoomon stood in front of the army. He set himself apart from the military and the other Royal Knights, standing ahead of them on the grassy plain between the two opposing forces. His arms were folded and he stared defiantly at the D-Brigade lines several hundred meters away.

Craniamon stood behind Gankoomon, along with Omegamon and Dynasmon. He glanced over at Gankoomon guardedly. "Get back here, Gankoomon," he told him. "The D-Brigade might try to pick you off."

"Yeah," Dynasmon said with a laugh. "That bright red hair makes an awfully tempting target."

"Tch," Gankoomon scoffed, undeterred. "I'd like to see them try."

"At least come back once the bombardment starts," Omegamon advised him. The white Royal Knight turned when he saw a Digimon running over to them. "SaviorHackmon?"

"Huh?" Gankoomon asked, arching an eyebrow and turning upon hearing the name of his pupil. He looked to see SaviorHackmon dashing across the field from the left. The bipedal dragon Digimon sprinted over with determination as he ran down the frontlines. His bladed feet kicked up dirt and grass, and his crimson cape fluttered behind him as he raced over.

"Gankoomon-sensei," he spoke, coming to a clean stop in front of them. It was clear from his dexterous movements that he was quite used to his new Perfect-level form now. He turned to the other three Royal Knights and bowed formally. "Omegamon-shishou, Craniamon-shishou, Dynasmon-shishou."

"SaviorHackmon? What are you doing here?" Gankoomon asked, turning to him with a scrutinizing gaze. "Aren't you supposed to be working as a messenger?"

"That's what I'm here for," SaviorHackmon explained, standing upright. He turned and gave Gankoomon a look. "Although, I don't know why I have to be a messenger; I'm part of the Strike Forces, not the Reconnaissance Forces."

"It's because you just joined the Strike Forces and you don't have enough experience or training to fight in a massive battle like this yet," Gankoomon explained firmly, his rigid tone telling SaviorHackmon not to get any ideas about joining in the battle.

Omegamon looked at SaviorHackmon. "Also, the Recon Forces are stretched thin right now. With everything they have to do, they really need the extra pair of hands for delivering messages," he explained, trying to appeal to his sense of duty.

SaviorHackmon sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I know… I'm not complaining, Sir Omegamon-shishou," he explained. He raised an arm and rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I feel like I'm not contributing… while everyone else is going to risk their lives. I feel guilty."

"You _are_ contributing, SaviorHackmon," Omegamon explained in his soft, echoing, caring voice. "Messengers are crucial in large battles like this. You need to relay vital information like changes in tactics or other developments. Good communication is crucial. Without it, things fall apart…" Omegamon smiled a bit, remembering the problems that poor communication caused for them when DarkKnightmon working against them. "Trust me…"

"Yeah… Yeah, you're right," SaviorHackmon spoke, brightening up. He smiled at Omegamon, wanting to show him his eagerness and dependability. "I'll do my best, Shishou."

Omegamon nodded and smiled. "I know you will," he said encouragingly.

Gankoomon eyed SaviorHackmon, scrutinising him. "So, what are you here for again?" he asked him suspiciously. "You weren't just trying to convince us to let you fight, were you?"

SaviorHackmon looked at his mentor blandly. "No, sensei…" he answered. For emphasis, he held up a piece of paper. "It's a message from Captain OuRyuumon. He says that they're in position and ready to go."

"Good. Thank you, SaviorHackmon," Omegamon said gratefully. He looked over towards the left flank, which was preparing to move out and take the hill. "I'll tell Duftmon. As soon as the right's ready, we should be ready to start."

SaviorHackmon nodded and began to walk away. "I should get back to work. I have a few more messages to send," he stated. "Good luck in the battle."

"Stay outta trouble, kid," Gankoomon said, glancing over his shoulder at SaviorHackmon.

"Same goes for you, Sensei," SaviorHackmon answered back before dashing away to deliver his next message.

A tiny smirk formed in the corner of Gankoomon's lips before he looked forwards. "Mouthy dragon…" he muttered approvingly. Gankoomon went back to staring at the distant enemy. He watched as the D-Brigade troops made subtle movements, but the majority of the forces remained still.

"Isn't it weird that the Metal Empire is taking so long to attack?" Craniamon asked, folding his arms and looking across the field.

"Yeah," Dynasmon agreed, frowning suspiciously. "The Metal Empire hasn't moved for awhile. I don't understand why they're just letting us to get organised. Honour isn't something that you'd expect the Metal Empire to care about."

Gankoomon grunted. "Maybe they're planning something…" he suggested. "It just feels too easy. Things are never this straightforward with the D-Brigade."

Omegamon nodded. "We'll have to be vigilant," he stated. He leered across the battlefield, his cool, blue eyes landed on Chaosdramon, who walked back and forth at the rear of the D-Brigade's lines. "Be prepared for any surprises…"

* * *

"Where are they…?" a deep, monotone voice questioned. Although the tone was stoic, there was a lingering silence at the end of his sentence that subtly revealed his seething annoyance.

Chaosdramon paced behind the D-Brigade, marching from one end of the lines to the other.

In front of him were the several thousand D-Brigade soldiers, organised precisely in units and teams. Their total military stretched for a kilometer in length, from the hill they controlled to the south, to a small stream to the north. Even with Chaosdramon's heavy footsteps sending tremors through the ground, not a single D-Brigade soldier moved a muscle out of turn. They were completely organised and disciplined.

The units at the sides of their formation were the rapid attack troops like Tankdramon, MetalGarurumon, LoaderLiomon, and Assaultmon. Making up the base of their army were heavy duty ground troops like Tankmon, Guardromon, Andromon, HiAndromon, MetalTyrannomon, Tankdramon, Mechanorimon, MetalGreymon, and various other machine and cyborg types. The aerial units waited near the ground in front of the thousands of ground troops. These included Megadramon, Gigadramon, Pteranomon, MagnaGarurumon, Rapidmon, Tekkamon, Thunderballmon, Elephamon, Waspmon, Crossmon, WarGreymon X-Antibody, and RizeGreymon. Also, behind the D-Brigade military, as well as covering the hill to the south of them, were the D-Brigade's heavy bombardment units. These consisted of powerful Digimon like Mugendramon, Deckerdramon, SaintGalgomon, BlackSaintGalgomon, Cannondramon, ZekeGreymon, MetalGarurumon X, and RustTyrannomon. Due to the sheer power of these Ultimate-level Digimon, many of them were also officers of the D-Brigade. There were other D-Brigade officers such as Darkdramon, Justimon, HiAndromon, WarGreymon, and UltimateBrachimon who were difficult to contend with as well. Finally, the D-Brigade was known largely for their covert operations, so there were many teams of Sealsdramon, Commandramon, Tuwarmon, Chamelemon and other Digimon trained for stealth getting into hidden positions across the battlefield.

Chaosdramon turned around and began walking back the way he came, crushing the thoroughly trampled grass underfoot. He glared down at Raijinmon, who stood beside him.

"Where are they, Raijinmon?" he demanded.

"I have no idea, Emperor," Raijinmon assured the giant, cyborg dragon.

Chaosdramon expelled steam from the vents on his back, physically displaying his dissatisfaction. "How do you not know?" he asked him.

"I know as much as you do, Chaosdramon," Raijinmon explained. "I was with my division the whole time. I haven't seen Suijinmon or Fujinmon since we began our march yesterday afternoon."

The emperor stopped and narrowed his blood red eyes, which matched the hue of his red digizoid plating. "Both disappearing ahead of the decisive battle… when we require them most… It is… suspicious…" he breathed. Chaosdramon glanced at Raijinmon. "Wouldn't you say, Commander…?"

Raijinmon steeled his will in response to the implication. "We mustn't jump to conclusions, Your Majesty. Both Suijinmon and Fujinmon are extremely loyal. You know this… I know they wouldn't abandon their responsibilities. Not without a good reason…" he rationally stated.

Chaosdramon turned away from Raijinmon, gazing down at the D-Brigade before lifting his head and leering across the battlefield to the allied armies. "You had better be correct, Raijinmon," Chaosdramon spoke. "The dereliction of duty is a capital offence, even for the Storm Commanders of the D-Brigade. If they abandon their positions, the entire command structure will crumble and it will be anarchy. That is not permitted."

"That will not happen, Emperor Chaosdramon," Raijinmon assured him, folding his hands behind his back. Internally, he worried about Fujinmon and Suijinmon. This wasn't like them at all, especially not Suijinmon. Their absence was highly suspicious.

Chaosdramon was silent in response. He emanated an atmosphere of cold steel that restrained an inferno.

Raijinmon shifted in place and irritably flicked his long, yellow, wiry tail. He glanced at Chaosdramon. "How much longer should we wait, Emperor?" he asked him. "The enemy has already gotten into their formations. If we wait much longer, they will be the ones who make the first move."

"We wouldn't be in this situation had our head tactician not gone missing," Chaosdramon spoke angrily. "We wait another fifteen minutes precisely. If they do not show up, we will commence saturation bombardment."

"Yes, Emperor…" Raijinmon responded.

"Find me their second-in-commands," Chaosdramon added. "Perhaps they know where they went. Tell them to be ready to lead their divisions."

Raijinmon turned and was about to respond, but he stopped. The Thunderclap Commander sighed with relief as he stared past Chaosdramon, into the sky behind him. "That may not be necessary, Emperor. There is Fujinmon," he stated. "Suijinmon is probably right behind him."

Chaosdramon turned his head in the direction that Raijinmon was looking. He could see the unmistakeable green figure of Fujinmon soaring through the sky. "Good. I am interested in hearing their explanations pertaining to where they went," he stated, leering at the Hurricane Commander.

Raijinmon nodded, watching as Fujinmon skimmed through the grey sky. Once he was close enough to see him, Raijinmon waved one of his Blitz Arms and hailed him down.

Fujinmon spotted Raijinmon standing beside the far more noticeable Chaosdramon. He released a calming breath and flew down towards them. He knew that he would have to be convincing.

Lightly floating on the breeze, Fujinmon swooped down and stopped in front of them. He gently touched down on the grass before Chaosdramon and bowed deeply. "Chaosdramon, I am deeply sorry," he stated submissively.

Chaosdramon narrowed his eyes and looked down at Fujinmon. "Where were you? You were missing all of last night. You were not around for the march or the battle preparations, and you nearly missed the battle itself. This is unacceptable, Commander. What is your excuse?" he demanded.

"I am truly sorry, Your Majesty," Fujinmon insisted, wincing. "It's Suijinmon…"

"Suijinmon?" Chaosdramon questioned.

Raijinmon frowned at this. "Is something wrong? Did something happen?" he asked him concernedly.

"Yes, well…" Fujinmon paused and looked away. "I… I did my best to stop him… but…"

Chaosdramon's stare hardened. "Stop him…? Stop him from what? Explain yourself. Now."

"I tried to convince him otherwise, but I couldn't… I spent all night trying, but he was determined…" Fujinmon explained remorsefully. He forced himself to look up at Chaosdramon. "Suijinmon said that he wanted no part in this battle."

Chaosdramon stared down at Fujinmon incredulously. He was silent.

Raijinmon, meanwhile, shot Fujinmon a suspicious gaze, but likewise remained quiet.

"…What?" Chaosdramon finally spoke, his voice brimming with rage. "Explain…"

"He refused to come… He said he didn't want any part in this battle. He said that he didn't agree with the direction you are taking, Emperor Chaosdramon," Fujinmon explained.

"The direction that I am taking…? That is not for him to decide…" Chaosdramon spoke, simmering beneath his metal. The vectors on his scales seemed to glow a brighter red. "He is just a lowly commander."

Fujinmon gave Raijinmon a look at Chaosdramon's choice of words. The wording didn't go unnoticed by Raijinmon, who frowned with deep thought.

"He didn't like the aggression of the Metal Empire or the way you are taking charge on the battlefield," Fujinmon continued on. "He said that, although he couldn't condone what we were doing and refused to take any part in it, he wouldn't stand in our way."

"That is unacceptable," Chaosdramon declared, his monotone voice becoming biting. "Suijinmon thinks that he can so easily spit in the face of everything that I am doing? That is… treacherous…" His burning red eyes narrowed, fixing onto Fujinmon. "And what do you think, Fujinmon? What is your opinion?" He then glanced at Raijinmon. "What of you, Raijinmon?"

"Pardon?" Raijinmon asked, surprised. The gold cyborg Digimon stood up straighter and looked up at Chaosdramon. "I knew nothing about this, Your Majesty. I came here with the intention of following through with the battle. I am sure that Fujinmon did the same."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Fujinmon insisted, bowing deeply. "If I didn't, I never would have come back here. I did my best to convince Suijinmon, but you know how intransigent he can be when he gets set into a certain way of thinking."

Chaosdramon released a hiss that sounded like he was expelling more steam. "That stupid, stubborn, treasonous fool… Abandoning me when I require his tactics the most. He is a useless lump of scrap metal who needs to be dealt with…"

Raijinmon gazed at Fujinmon. There was a lot that he wanted to say, but not in front of Chaosdramon.

Chaosdramon breathed and turned away from the yellow and green cyborg Digimon. "I will deal with his insubordination after we achieve victory in this battle. We will proceed without Suijinmon. We will manage accordingly," Chaosdramon stated firmly. He glanced over his shoulder at the two D-Brigade commanders. "Get his second-in-command: Darkdramon. Fill him in on what he needs to do, but DO NOT tell him what Suijinmon has done. They may side with their precious Waterfall Commander. I bet Suijinmon has been preparing for a moment like this… Keep an eye on his divisions. They may share similar sentiments. They could desert during battle."

"Yes, Your Majesty…" Fujinmon answered.

"Of course," Raijinmon agreed, glancing at his slender, green friend.

Chaosdramon began walking away from them, heading towards the rest of the D-Brigade. "We start in exactly ten minutes," he added.

"Yes, Emperor…" Raijinmon answered, watching as Chaosdramon walked away from them. He waited until Chaosdramon began making his way to the front of the army, far out of their earshot.

Once he was gone, Raijinmon turned to Fujinmon. "…What the hell are you doing, Fujinmon?" he asked him.

Fujinmon looked at Raijinmon innocently. "Pardon?" he questioned.

"Don't play dumb, Fujinmon. You and I both know that Suijinmon would never do that. He would never defy Chaosdramon. He would certainly never betray him," Raijinmon explained, folding his arms. "So… Where is he? And what's going on?"

The Hurricane Commander hooked Raijinmon's arm with his Critical Arm and pulled him further away so that nobody could hear them. "Suijinmon is fine. He is just temporarily incapacitated…" Fujinmon explained, leaning in close to Raijinmon.

Raijinmon narrowed his eyes. "So that he would miss the battle? …Do you have any idea what danger you're putting him in? You are making it seem like he's betraying Chaosdramon. Chaosdramon may very well execute him," Raijinmon explained angrily.

"Not if we win," Fujinmon calmly explained. "Not if Chaosdramon is gone…"

"Gone…?" Raijinmon looked at Fujinmon incredulously. "You don't honestly mean…"

Fujinmon nodded. "Yes. It is time, Raijinmon," he told him. "This is our only chance. We need to eliminate Chaosdramon once and for all. If we miss this opportunity, everything will fall apart."

"'Our'? 'We'?" Raijinmon asked him. "I never agreed to treason, Fujinmon. You are talking madness…"

"Don't pretend that you haven't been thinking about what I've said, Raijinmon… Chaosdramon doesn't trust us. Did you see how quick he was to turn on Suijinmon? You could tell that I was lying about Suijinmon, but Chaosdramon couldn't because he was ready to believe that he betrayed him," Fujinmon explained calmly. "If we don't do something about him, he will do something about us."

"Because of what you are doing," Raijinmon countered.

Fujinmon shook his head, causing his long, green hair to sway behind him. "I merely revealed Chaosdramon's true feelings. He is suspicious of all of us, Raijinmon. You saw how he reacted back there… It is only a matter of time before he takes control of the D-Brigade and turns against us," Fujinmon explained, trying to appeal to rationality.

Raijinmon narrowed his eyes pensively. He didn't respond, and it was clear that he wasn't completely convinced.

"It is as you said, Suijinmon will be in trouble if we don't act now," Fujinmon pointed out.

"We will _all_ be in trouble if we do turn against him," Raijinmon argued. "This is an incredibly dangerous game you are playing, Fujinmon."

"It is not a game, Raijinmon. It is our lives and our freedom. Our dreams and desires… They are stifled under Chaosdramon's iron fist," Fujinmon spoke, narrowing his eyes passionately at Raijinmon.

Raijinmon matched his gaze. "It is incredibly risky… If you… if _we_ fail, our lives will be over."

"And if we succeed, we will be heroes," Fujinmon spoke, attempting to play to Raijinmon's own desires.

Raijinmon frowned. "Heroes…? How do you figure that…?" he asked him.

"If we win, we will be the ones who turned on our evil dictator and helped the Royal Knights defeat Chaosdramon," Fujinmon explained. "We will be lauded for our heroism. The Storm Commanders will become known as pillars of strength, skill, and liberty, not as accessories to oppression. As we are now, we are subordinates under Chaosdramon's shadow, but here, during this battle, we will be able to break away from Chaosdramon and make our mark. We can take down a tyrant and restore the Metal Empire to glory…"

Raijinmon thought about his words long and hard. His yellow eyes darted back and forth pensively as he considered Fujinmon's argument. "…You make some compelling points, Fujinmon, but there is still a matter of practicality. You want to turn against him in the middle of a battle against the Royal Knights? How do you plan to pull that off?"

"We will have to play along with Chaosdramon at the beginning, but I have a plan for how to turn the battle against him. We just need to make our intentions clear to the Royal Knights…" Fujinmon explained.

"The Royal Knights…" he mused, obviously biting at the chance. "…And the D-Brigade?" Raijinmon asked. "They may largely be loyal to us, but there is no guarantee that they will help us commit treason against the Emperor. Loyalty has been hammered into them all through their D-Brigade training. They will be highly conflicted between their loyalty to us and their loyalty to him." Raijinmon frowned. "And there is still the matter of Suijinmon's troops."

"There is another reason why Suijinmon is incapacitated, Raijinmon," Fujinmon explained mysteriously. "Leave Suijinmon's forces to me. Just go speak to your subordinates."

Raijinmon was hesitant, but he nodded. "…Very well," he agreed. He shot Fujinmon a deep stare. "…I am putting my faith in you, Fujinmon. I'm pinning everything on this… I hope you know what you are doing. If we fail…"

"We won't fail…" Fujinmon assured him. "I will not let you down…"

Raijinmon nodded again and turned away. He stopped when he saw sub-commander Darkdramon, Suijinmon's subordinate, walking towards them. "Now is your chance," he muttered to the green cyborg.

Raijinmon walked away from Fujinmon as Darkdramon drew near. Darkdramon stepped up to Fujinmon, looking around the area nervously. "Uh, Commander?" he asked Fujinmon.

Fujinmon looked at Darkdramon. "Darkdramon… I was going to find you next," he stated ominously.

"Find me…? Is this about Commander Suijinmon?" Darkdramon asked him.

"I'm afraid so…" Fujinmon responded, glancing away.

The Darkdramon officer narrowed his eyes angrily and looked at Fujinmon with a pleading look. "…What happened, Sir? Please, tell me…" he beseeched him.

Fujinmon made a point of looking around to make sure nobody was listening. He then leaned in towards Darkdramon. "It was as I feared… Chaosdramon had Suijinmon arrested for sedition and high treason…"

Darkdramon's eyes widened. "What?!" he demanded. "But that's… Suijinmon would never! He would never do that! The Emperor is… he is…" Darkdramon trailed off, not wanting to say anything treasonous.

"I completely agree with you, Darkdramon. Chaosdramon is becoming power-hungry and paranoid. He needs to be stopped," Fujinmon put forward. "Don't you agree?"

Darkdramon looked up at Fujinmon with a wide, shocked look. "I… I…" he stammered hesitantly.

Fujinmon locked his gaze with Darkdramon. "I have been thinking about how to save Suijinmon since yesterday. Taking out Chaosdramon is the only way. You know Suijinmon well, Darkdramon. He would never think of betraying Chaosdramon. This is how far the extent of Chaosdramon's suspicions have come," he explained to him. "You do want to save Suijinmon, don't you? I certainly do."

"O-Of course, Commander!" Darkdramon exclaimed, although obviously with misgivings. "It's just…"

"I understand, sub-commander. I do not take this decision lightly, but it is the only way," Fujinmon responded. "I should tell you this for your own safety, but Chaosdramon also suspects Raijinmon and I."

"That's ridiculous!" Darkdramon exclaimed, clenching his fists.

"You agree that he must be brought to justice, don't you? Otherwise, the rest of us will suffer under his arbitrary oppression. He needs to be stopped," Fujinmon continued.

Darkdramon narrowed his eyes, his face darkening as he considered his points. "Yes… I agree…"

Fujinmon nodded. "Good… Since Suijinmon is under arrest, that means that you are in charge of his forces," he explained. "Tell them what Chaosdramon has done. We will make our move during the battle. Get your troops on board as the battle begins. When the battle begins, just carry out the regular battle plan, so as not to arouse suspicion. Wait for my signal before we attack him."

"Yes, Commander. And your troops?" Darkdramon asked him.

"My direct subordinates know what the plan is. The rest will obey," the Hurricane Commander stated.

"Yes, sir. I understand. Secrecy will be kept from Chaosdramon," Darkdramon assured him.

"Good. Thank you," Fujinmon replied, smiling.

They were interrupted by the sound of Chaosdramon's footsteps. They turned and watched as Chaosdramon walked through the D-Brigade formations, heading over to them.

"Get into your positions!" Chaosdramon ordered them, obviously unaware of what they had been discussing. "We are beginning now!"

"Yes, Emperor!" Fujinmon stated, saluting before flying off to his D-Brigade soldiers.

Darkdramon wordlessly saluted and did the same, flying to where Suijinmon's troops were located.

Chaosdramon got to the back of the lines with the rest of the bombardment Digimon. "Prepare to fire!" he shouted, his deep voice booming across the field.

He turned around and angled his body down. The sounds of rounds clicking into their chambers and the hiss of energy swelling could he heard. The two massive cannons connected to Chaosdramon's giant, metal backpack suddenly began moving from their resting, downwards position. They curved upwards until the two cannons rested on his broad, muscular shoulders. They aimed over the D-Brigade, pointing across the battlefield at the Royal Knights' and Saversburg's army.

Chaosdramon's blood-hued eyes glowed as he began building up energy within the two cannons. The cannons howled as energy began to swell and gather inside them, pouring into them from Chaosdramon's backpack. As he sent dark energy spilling into his cannons, the lines of his body glowed with a bright red. Dark, burning energy and steam expelled from the vents at the backs of the cannons, helping to cool and diffuse them as they prepared to fire.

Beneath Chaosdramon's heavy, clawed boots, dark cracks began to emerge in the ground, sending dark energy wafting up from deep below the earth.

Chaosdramon narrowed his eyes and bent forwards, taking careful aim at the Royal Knights.

"Commence bombardment…" he spoke, just loud enough for the D-Brigade to hear his deep, bellowing voice. "Hyper Mugen Cannon!"

Intense, dark beams exploded from his cannons and surged across the battlefield, prompting the D-Brigade to start unleashing their munitions.

The battle had begun.


	32. Chapter 22: Blood and Iron

(Author's Notes: The battle has begun! Enjoy. Let me know what you think.)

**Chapter 22: Blood and Iron**

"Commence bombardment… Hyper Mugen Cannon!"

Chaosdramon's deep, guttural voice thundered across the D-Brigade's lines. Streams of dark energy tore from the muzzles of his cannons and swept across the field towards the Saversburg-Order army, particularly the middle where the Royal Knights and most of the Saversburg soldiers were.

No later than two seconds after Chaosdramon began his attack, the rest of the D-Brigade bombardment troops fired in unison. There was a deafening crack of cannons, the shrill whistle of launching missiles, and the deep howl of beams being fired. They all opened fire at once, creating a thunderous symphony of mechanical destruction.

The allied army watched as the attacks began to pour out of the D-Brigade's lines. Hundreds of missiles soared through the air like rain. They prepared themselves with nervous anticipation and adrenaline.

Craniamon narrowed his eyes, staring across the field as one of Chaosdramon's two beams came barreling towards him. Even though the beams flew several meters above the ground, they were still powerful enough to burn up the grass and send shallow trenches ripping through the dirt.

"Here they come," Gankoomon spoke, narrowing his eyes and digging his heels in.

Omegamon eyed the two dark beams that surged towards them. He offhandedly noticed something ominous about them, but at the moment, he was more concerned about their immediate destructive capabilities. "Incoming!" he announced, his light, dual voice resounding.

"Behind me," Craniamon told them. He jumped into the path of one of the gigantic beams and raised the Avalon shield in front of him. He dug his boots into the ground and braced for the impact.

"I've got you, Craniamon!" Dynasmon shouted, flying up behind the violet Royal Knight and pressing his hands on Craniamon's back in order to help brace him for the impact.

"I'll get the other one," Omegamon stated, flying into the path of the other approaching beam. He angled the left side of his body forwards and got a good footing. The orange Brave Shield Omega on his left shoulder suddenly enlarged to cover half of Omegamon's body.

Like Dynasmon, Gankoomon ran over and got behind Omegamon, holding him firmly to help support him in blocking the attack. "Hold steady!" he shouted with fiery determination

"God Bless!" Craniamon shouted, right before the titanic beam was about to hit him and Dynasmon. He purposefully left it until the last moment in order to have more time. The shield released an omnidirectional barrier that surrounded himself and Dynasmon, also serving to protect the Digimon behind them. The blast slammed into the transparent screen and roared as it tried to get through. The barrier held steady against the attack, causing the beam to part around them. Dark tendrils of energy shot out around the barrier and tore into the ground and fizzled in the air.

After three seconds, the barrier faded, and the remnants of the beam slammed into the Avalon shield, forcing Craniamon to rely on his strength in order to block it. His and Dynasmon's feet dug deep into the ground under the intense pressure of the beam blast. Their arms and legs strained as they held against the stream of dark energy. The blast pushed them back a meter, tearing against the metal, digizoid face of the Avalon.

The result was the same with Omegamon and Gankoomon. Having weaker defences than Craniamon, they only barely managed to block the powerful beam and remain standing. Omegamon and Gankoomon were pushed back further, and it was through sheer force of effort that they held firm against the devastating beam.

Omegamon's bright, sky blue eyes narrowed with effort, but also with pensive thought, as he felt the pressure of the beam against him. "_Why does this feel so familiar…?_" he couldn't help but wonder at the back of his mind.

After several sustained seconds, the pressure of the beams weakened and they started to subside. The beams thinned as the tails of the dark plasma impacted the two Royal Knights' shields. The pressure faded, allowing the Royal Knights to finally slacken. Both the Avalon and the Brave Shield Omega were superheated from the powerful beams. Smoke drifted up from around them and the metal glowed, scorching to the touch.

"Damn, that packed a hell of a punch," Gankoomon observed, gritting his teeth. "Chaosdramon's a powerhouse."

Omegamon frowned and stood up straight. "Something didn't feel right…" he mused.

Gankoomon looked at Omegamon, arching an eyebrow behind his visor. "Huh? What do you mean, Omegamon?" he asked.

"Forget it right now!" Craniamon reminded them firmly. He pointed his spear towards the sky, from where missiles were descending. The explosive munitions fell like rain pellets from the grey clouds. Meanwhile, beams, blasts, and shells were streaking across the battlefield and plummeting on their ranks. "We've got more incoming!"

Omegamon glared and nodded. He soared up into the sky and swept his left arm out, causing the massive Grey Sword to eject from the orange Grey Arm's mouth. He looked over his shoulder at the allied Digimon army behind them. "Everyone, begin countermeasures. Leave the first volley to me," he spoke, his voice echoing and a flash shining in his blue eyes.

Omegamon flew through the air, towards the screeching missiles as they descended towards him. He narrowed his eyes and pivoted his body to the left to rear his Grey Arm back. The massive blade suddenly erupted with a swell of fire. "Grey Sword!" he shouted, his dual voice resounding as he spoke. He swept the Grey Sword outwards and unleashed a massive arc of flaming energy from the blade. The arcing fire blast carved into the air and slammed into the hundreds of missiles as they swooped down towards him and his comrades.

The flames ignited the missiles and crushed them upon impact. A chain of dozens of explosions began tearing through the sky. Multiple, blinding flashes erupted in the air like fireworks, sending fire, smoke, and molten shrapnel shooting out above the center of the battlefield.

However, not all of the missiles were destroyed, and many continued to shoot through the smoke. This prompted Omegamon to extend the Garuru Cannon from his right arm and begin aiming at the stray missiles. He tracked their movements carefully as he built up freezing energy in his giant cannon.

"Garuru Cannon!" Omegamon spoke, unleashing a powerful blast from the Garuru Cannon. The bluish-white blast pulsed from the muzzle and soared through the sky towards a cluster of descending missiles. The orb of energy consumed four missiles in one pass, freezing them and causing them to break and detonate. Omegamon then turned and fired another blast at two more falling missiles.

Dynasmon followed Omegamon's example and flew up to his side. "Dragon's Roar!" he shouted. He raised his claws and started shooting blasts of elemental energy from the gems on his palms. Blasts of fire, light, electricity, and ice burst from his claws and pierced through individual missiles, detonating them before they could meet their mark.

Below, ranged attacks began hitting in front of or inside the spread out ranks of the Order-Saversburg center. The Saversburg shield troops did well to protect the army behind them from the front, but several of the attacks got through or sailed in from overhead. Explosions erupted within the dispersed lines, causing a handful of Digimon to be deleted by the powerful blasts.

Tactimon scowled as the bombardment by the D-Brigade continued. He raised his hand, lifting his sheathed sword over his head. "Destroy, neutralize, or block those attacks!" he shouted to the Strike Forces and the Saversburg military. "Minimize the damage as much as possible!"

Blastmon unleashed a rolling yell and careened into the air, directly towards an oncoming missile. "RrururuRAAAGH! JUNJOU EMERALD CHOP!" he shouted animatedly. He unleashed a powerful swipe of his giant arm and sent his hand chopping right into the missile. The munition exploded at point blank range, but did no more than throw Blastmon back to the ground with hardly a scratch on his crystalline body.

Upon landing, he turned around and folded his arms at the thousands of soldiers spread behind him. "Just like Tac-chan says!" he announced, completely ignoring a second missile that flew down and impacted his broad back. The fiery blast singed his cape and caused his body to tremble, but he was otherwise unaffected. "Reduce these puny, little party poppers to data!"

"We'll take the big ones!" Gankoomon announced, dashing forward. He stopped firmly on the ground and slammed his foot down. "Chabudai Gaeshi!" he shouted, stomping his foot down into the ground hard enough to send a giant slab of rock shooting up from beneath the grass. Gankoomon then spun around and drove his foot into the thick stone block, sending it shooting into the air. The giant hunk of rock sailed into the sky, right in front of two colossal missiles launched by a MetalGreymon's Giga Destroyer attack. The stone crashed into the missiles, causing them to explode violently above the ground. The detonations tore a crater into the ground below and completely obliterated the stone strata, sending bits of rock shooting everywhere.

Although those two organic missiles were dealt with, a Mugendramon proceeded to launch a pair of beams from his Mugen Cannons. The giant, glowing lasers howled as they tore across the battlefield towards their forces.

"Gankoomon, heads up!" Craniamon called out, jumping in the path of one of the beams to block it with his sturdy Avalon shield.

Without missing a beat, Gankoomon turned towards the oncoming beam, preparing to face it head on. "You D-Brigade are too scared to fight with your fists, huh?!" he asked aloud. He gritted his teeth. "Well, bring it on! I'll show you how a man fights! Jishin! Kaminari! Kaji! Oyaji!"

Hinukamui expanded from Gankoomon's back, his yellow energy swelling as he rose up into the air. The majestic aura dragon released a roar as he spotted the oncoming beam.

"Let's do it! Hinukamui!" Gankoomon bellowed, dashing forwards stubbornly.

Hinukamui growled with agreement and flew above Gankoomon, shooting towards the rolling beam that threatened to consume many of the Digimon behind them. Just as the beam was about to slam into them, Hinukamui rushed forwards and placed his giant, aura claws in front of the beam, pushing against it. Hinukamui growled with effort as he strained to hold the beam in place, the positrons branching and splaying off around his claws.

Gankoomon sneered and dug his feet into the ground, pouring his reserves of energy into Hinukamui as he helped him hold the beam back with his flaming fists. "Damn it…! Don't give up, Hinukamui…!" he roared with effort, pushing hard against the Mugen Cannon's beam. "We're not… gonna take a single step backwards…!"

Hinukamui released a strained rumble as he tried to hold the beam back. They momentarily ceded ground before digging in deeper and pushing back against the immense blast. With a final roar, they pushed forwards against the beam, fracturing the energy and causing it to part around them. The beam burst into tendrils around them and ripped up the surrounding grass before fading.

Craniamon watched from behind his shield, holding off the other beam with his God Bless ability. He was inwardly impressed that Gankoomon was able to block the beam that way.

When the beam faded, Gankoomon and Hinukamui relaxed and sighed. The red-haired Royal Knight raised a hand and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Damn… That was close…" he muttered, taking a moment to breathe.

Craniamon lowered his shield and turned to Gankoomon. "Stopping a beam with your hands? That's stupid, even for you," he teased him.

"Shut it, Pigtails," Gankoomon responded with a smirk. "We can't all hide behind a shield like you."

"Tch," Craniamon scoffed. "Just focus on the battle. We'll see who does a better job."

Gankoomon grinned and cracked his knuckles. "Yeah, we will. Won't we, Hinu?" he asked, looking up at the yellow energy dragon above him. Hinukamui responded with an affirmative grunt.

The last of the missiles and shells landed with explosions in the grass as the salvo began to fade. The Saversburg army and the Strike Forces took some casualties from the first salvo of the D-Brigade's attack, but the bombardment was finally over for the moment.

Behind the four Royal Knights, Tactimon noticed the lull in the bombardment. He stepped out in front and turned around. "Duftmon, are the flanks in position?" he called to the tactician at the rear, speaking into the LRAC around his wrist. Using this, the two tacticians would be able to communicate easily.

"Yes, they are advancing nicely," Duftmon responded. He was flying in the air, at the rear of center so that he could oversee the battlefield.

"The first salvo of the bombardment has stopped. I want to begin the advance before they get a chance to launch another," Tactimon spoke.

Duftmon looked at the left flank, which was led by Sleipmon, Examon, OuRyuumon. They and the Aerial Strike Forces were approaching the base of the hill where much of the D-Brigade artillery troops were stationed upon. The tactician then looked at the right flank. Alphamon, Dukemon, and RhodoKnightmon led the Defence Forces along the northern river, guarding Gaioumon and the Republic of Node's military as they advanced. They were about a quarter of the way across the open field and they were just beginning to face D-Brigade resistance.

"Very well. Commence the advance, Tactimon," Duftmon said to him. "The flanks are progressing nicely. Now would be the best time to move forward."

"Agreed," Tactimon answered. "Keep me updated."

"Affirmative. Out," Duftmon replied, lowering the LRAC around his wrist.

Tactimon turned around to face Blastmon, who was busy brushing dirt off of his crystal coating. "General Blastmon. Now. If you please," he calmly said to the hulking Digimon.

"About time, General Tac-chan!" Blastmon replied enthusiastically. He spun around to face the Strike Forces and the Saversburg military. "Okay, everyone! Advance! Move out and give the D-Brigade hell!" Blastmon shouted, his voice booming. "Artillery troops, cover us with a bombardment!"

Tactimon nodded and turned forwards towards the four Royal Knights. "Are all of you okay with this?" he asked them.

Omegamon nodded calmly. "We defer to your and Duftmon's tactical knowledge," he assured him.

Gankoomon grinned excitedly. "We're more than okay," he added.

Craniamon nodded quietly and turned forwards, leering at the distant D-Brigade excitedly. "I'll lead the way…" he spoke.

Dynasmon let out an adrenalized laugh. "Time for a little payback!" he shouted.

The four Royal Knights began flying and dashing across the field, heading straight for the rows of D-Brigade soldiers a kilometer away.

Tactimon raised the Jatetsufujin-maru and pointed after the Royal Knights. "Advance! Begin the bombardment!"

* * *

As the symphonic din of attacks erupted from the center of the battlefield, the Royal Knights' left flank continued soaring towards the southern hill as planned.

Sleipmon led the way courageously. He galloped across the grass towards the base of the hill. Flying above him were Examon and OuRyuumon, who flew at the front of the right echelon formation of the Aerial Strike Forces. They glided through the air with their weapons in hand, not taking their eyes off of the D-Brigade-controlled hill in front of them. Some of the Aerial Guards flew at the front of the formation to protect the Aerial Strike Forces' advance, and several Shield Guards followed behind Sleipmon on the ground.

They were just about at the hill. As they approached, Examon narrowed his eyes and scanned their adversaries. From that distance, he could clearly see that the apex of the long hill was covered with heavy duty D-Brigade Digimon. He could see a Deckerdramon, a Mugendramon, the DigiXros version of a MetalGreymon, several Tankdramon and MetalTyrannomon, and a handful of other Digimon who had bombardment and defensive capabilities.

"It's heavily fortified," Examon said to OuRyuumon.

"No kidding," OuRyuumon responded, eyeing the Deckerdramon in particular. He looked down at Sleipmon, who continued running below them. "Sleipmon! That Deckerdramon is gonna chew us to pieces! Can you deal with him?!" he called out.

"Leave it to me!" Sleipmon responded, galloping forwards in front of the rest of the formation. He made it to the base of the grassy hill and began charging up the incline.

"Here they come," the Mugendramon spoke stoically. "Formation Type: Delta. Prepare to defend this point. Sub-Captain Deckerdramon, prepare to commence an extensive anti-air barrage. Group B, target Sleipmon. Fire."

A MetalGarurumon X-Antibody, a BlackRapidmon, two MetalTyrannomon, and an Assaultmon stepped out in front of the formation of D-Brigade Digimon. They looked down the slope of the hill and aimed at Sleipmon, who was charging up it towards the top.

Sleipmon narrowed his eyes as he saw the five Digimon target him with their weapons. He raised the Niflheimr shield and prepared himself, not slowing down his gallop in the slightest. He increased his charging speed, really tearing his way up the hill. He knew that Examon, OuRyuumon and the others were counting on him to stop Deckerdramon. He didn't have time to deal with these soldiers.

The D-Brigade soldiers called out their attacks and began unleashing their devastating bombardment. The MetalGarurumon X-Antibody's and Assaultmon's Gatling gun arms began unleashing a storm of bullets that ripped up the ground around Sleipmon. The BlackRapidmon and two MetalTyrannomon all fired missiles from their hands, which rocketed through the air towards the Royal Knight.

Sleipmon blocked the hail of bullets with the Niflheimr. The red digizoid of the shield easily deflected the storm of bullets, but they kept Sleipmon suppressed. The equine Royal Knight was forced to slow his charge in response to the heavy fire directed at him, but he pressed on stubbornly despite the pressure against him. There was a constant battering sound of metal on metal, ricocheting bullets, and cascading sparks.

When Sleipmon heard the whistling of missiles closing in on him, he knew that it was time to make his move. The red digizoid armoured knight suddenly broke away, dashing off to the side at high speeds, gliding with his hooves just above the grass. The missiles landed where he had been standing, causing a giant explosion on the face of the hill.

As Sleipmon avoided the attacks, he began speeding up the hill diagonally, moving in a zigzag pattern to avoid the attacks directed at him. As he moved, he kept his shield up to block the bullets and missiles shooting towards him. He angled his Muspellsheimr crossbow around his shield and took careful aim.

"Bifröst!" Sleipmon spoke, firing a bolt of incandescent light from his crossbow. The bolt shot up the hill and pierced through the missile pod mounted on the MetalGarurumon X-Antibody's shoulder. The missiles inside the pod detonated, blowing the shoulder mount up and throwing the cyborg Digimon to the ground. The chrome digizoid plating protected the D-Brigade Ultimate Digimon from most of the damage, but he still hit the ground hard. Despite this, the MetalGarurumon X-Antibody angled the linear cannon on his opposite shoulder and fired a beam from it towards Sleipmon. The beam tore up the ground diagonally in front of Sleipmon, showering him with clumps of grass and dirt.

Seeing that Sleipmon was under fire, and aware of the essence of speed, OuRyuumon looked over his shoulder. "Okay, Strikes! Fire a barrage at the top of that hill to cover Sleipmon! Don't fry him in the process!" the Strike Forces Captain ordered.

The layered echelon of Aerial Strike Forces began launching their attacks towards the apex of the hill. Examon flew up and watched as the multi-coloured attacks flooded through the air and impacted the hill's crest, straight into the D-Brigade's forces. Explosions erupted upon impact, blasting the D-Brigade Digimon and covering Sleipmon's advance.

Examon watched as the single chain of explosions bloomed and faded, leaving smoke and dust in their wake. Sleipmon continued racing up the hill. Examon could see that he was nearly at the top, but he noticed D-Brigade soldiers moving around through the clearing smoke.

The Assaultmon burst out of the veil of smoke and aimed all of his machine guns at Sleipmon. Examon quickly aimed the Ambrosius at the Assaultmon. He fired a shell from the lance's muzzle, which shot towards the attacker. The shell burst open in mid-air and released a net that fell onto the Assaultmon and stabbed into the ground with weighted, metal pegs, which pinned the soldier to the hillside.

Sleipmon glanced out of the corner of his eye at Examon appreciatively. He then bashed away an incoming missile with his shield, and continued dashing to the top of the hill, where the flashes of attacks and muzzle fire could be seen within the smoke. He made it to the crest of the hill and galloped into the smoke.

The Mugendramon commander grunted and swept his giant booster claw out, blowing the smoke away with the mighty swing. He quickly took stock of the situation, seeing where the Royal Knights' attack force was relative to their position. He turned his head to the Deckerdramon. "Hurry up. Fire," he ordered.

"Sir!" the Deckerdramon complied as he finished aiming the Deckerdra-launchers on his back. Dozens of missiles clicked in unison as they locked into place, and the metal covers of the missile ports opened up.

Sleipmon saw this and narrowed his eyes. He had to hurry. He dashed across the level crest of the hill, completely ignoring the D-Brigade Digimon around him, even the ones who turned to attack him.

Mugendramon turned and was surprised to see Sleipmon penetrating their ranks on his own. The rest of the Shield Guards were still climbing the hill. The colossal machine dragon gave a mechanical grunt and prepared to dispose of the Royal Knight. He aimed his giant, left claw at him. "Booster Claw."

The hulking, metal claw suddenly shot out of his arm with high speed, pneumatic force, connected by a sturdy wire. Sleipmon saw the giant claw propel towards him, intent on skewering him. He acted quickly, putting all of his might into his six legs. He then pushed off of the ground and performed an impressive jump. The claw, which was about as large as his body, stabbed into the ground beneath him, sending a wave of dirt shooting up from the heavy impact.

Sleipmon landed on the ground and continued his charge. He swiftly galloped around Mugendramon and made a direct course for the Deckerdramon, who was on the verge of firing. The Royal Knight narrowed his violet eyes with determination and raised the Niflheimr shield in front of him.

"Odin's Breath!" he shouted, unleashing a flurry of freezing blizzard from his shield. The icy cold air swept across the hill top and engulfed the titanic, metal crocodile in front of him. Ice began to form over the Deckerdramon's legs and back, quickly growing thicker with every second. A heavy layer of ice froze over the Deckerdramon's missile ports, sealing the insides of the missile tubes and freezing over their exterior as well.

The Deckerdramon's eyes widened with shock. There was no way that he could fire without detonating his own cannons. He tried swatting Sleipmon with his massive, steel tail, but the appendages metal joints also became caked with thick ice, stifling its range of movement. "S-S-Sir!" the cyborg reptile called out to the Mugendramon, his teeth chattering from the cold.

"What?" Mugendramon demanded, lumbering around to face Deckerdramon and Sleipmon.

With the Deckerdramon's missiles disabled, Sleipmon turned and waved his arm to OuRyuumon and Examon. He wasted no more than a second before once again focusing on the battle around him. He spun around and fired a burning bolt from his crossbow straight into the loading cylinder of a RizeGreymon's Trident Revolver, damaging the weapon from the inside and causing it to jam.

OuRyuumon saw Sleipmon's signal and held his sword up. "Now! Attack!" he called to his Aerial Strike Forces.

"Paildramon, take wings one through four and attack from the left! The rest of you, with the Captain and me!" Leftenant HippoGriffomon ordered.

"Sir!" Oversergeant Paildramon obeyed, shooting off to the left with dozens of winged Digimon. As she flew, she strafed the left part of the hill with her hip cannons, damaging and suppressing several D-Brigade soldiers at a time with beam bullets.

Examon watched as the Aerial Strike Forces and Aerial Guards began flooding towards the apex of the hill in formation. "I'll provide precision cover," Examon said, looking at OuRyuumon.

"Don't be afraid to get your claws dirty if we get bogged down," OuRyuumon replied, looking over his shoulder at Examon with a teasing smirk. "You know, like how a real Dramon fights."

Examon smiled a bit at his words. "If I need to…" he responded. "Good luck, OuRyuumon. Don't get hurt."

OuRyuumon looked forwards seriously. "…You too, Exadork," he said to him amiably. With those words, OuRyuumon shot forwards, his long, serpentine body swaying as soared. He flew to the front of the formation and began diving towards the D-Brigade-controlled hill.

"Eiseiryuoujin!" OuRyuumon swiped his swords down and unleashed, bright, burning blasts from his dual scimitars. The blasts tore into a black MetalGreymon and destroyed him in an explosive burst of energy. He then swooped down onto the hill and swept his swords forward as he flew. He cleaved through a HiAndromon on one side and a Tankmon on the other.

As the Order soldiers swarmed the hill and began unleashing their attacks, Examon flapped his wings and flew into the sky. "Pendragon's Glory," he spoke, firing a highly concentrated laser from his lance. The bright beam cut through the air and pierced into the missile launcher mounted on a BlackMetalGarurumon's shoulder. The metal melted and the missiles detonated in a flurry of sparks and shrapnel, sending the cyborg wolf skidding across the ground. The force of the blast was enough knock the Digimon unconscious.

Meanwhile, Mugendramon turned his attention towards the attacking Aerial Strike Forces. He angled the two Mugen Cannons on his back towards them. "Targets acquired… Mugen Cannon," he spoke. Energy poured into the shoulder-mounted cannons before flooding out in a pair of massive beams. The pillar of energy swooped towards the Order Digimon and annihilated three Order Digimon who weren't able to escape them.

Sleipmon winced and turned towards the Mugendramon. He knew that a Digimon who was that destructive had to be taken down quickly. Sleipmon raised his crossbow arm and aimed the Muspellsheimr at him while simultaneously blocking a flurry of bullets directed at him. "Bifröst!" he called out, unleashing a bolt of light from his crossbow.

The arrow cut through the large, metal tube that connected Mugendramon's cannon to his backpack, causing sparks and energy to come shooting out. Sleipmon was about to aim for the other one as well, but Mugendramon turned around and blocked his shot using his full metal body.

Mugendramon stared at Sleipmon. "You…" he growled, annoyed at having his cannon circuit cut. He charged Sleipmon and tried to grab Sleipmon with the large, metal vice that made up his right hand.

Sleipmon blocked the claw with his shield. The claw began to try to crush the shield, but it was unable to even bend the sturdy red digizoid. Mugendramon changed tactics, retracting his right arm and then stepping back so that he could aim his larger left claw at Sleipmon.

"Booster Claw!"

The claw shot out of Mugendramon's hand and slammed into Sleipmon's shield. The immense force of the attack nearly broke Sleipmon's guard, and he was sent skidding back across the grass, his hooves staggering to keep himself from falling. Sleipmon's arm ached and he was forced to lower his shield as he caught himself.

He looked up and saw Mugendramon aiming his right shoulder cannon down at him. Sleipmon's eyes widened – he was going to fire at this close of a range?

"Mugen Cann—"

A beam sliced through the air from above and seared through the wire connecting Mugendramon's other cannon to his backpack. The light inside the cannon faded before it could be launched at Sleipmon.

"What?" Mugendramon demanded angrily, turning his head and looking into the sky where the shot had come from.

Sleipmon blinked and looked up as well. To his surprise, he saw Examon in the air, his lance aimed at Mugendramon.

Examon fired another shot at the giant cyborg Digimon. A shell burst from the lance and sailed down. The metal cylinder flew into the space between Mugendramon's collar and his long, metal neck. There was a flash of light from inside Mugendramon, causing him to hiss with pain. He arched his back and writhed as electricity surged through his body.

Mugendramon threw his right arm out and fired a beam from his palm back at Examon. The dragon Royal Knight quickly furled his wings in front of himself in order to block the laser blast. The beam impacted Examon's chrome digizoid wings, which shielded him from the powerful blast. Meanwhile, Mugendramon launched his Booster Claw at Sleipmon once again.

Sleipmon narrowed his eyes when he saw the massive Booster Claw ejecting towards him. This time, instead of dodging it, Sleipmon stood in place. Right as the giant claw was about to connect with him, the Royal Knight moved a meter to the right. The Booster Claw whizzed by him. One of the sharp claws cut along the armour of his flank, before embedding itself in the ground. Sleipmon used the opportunity; he grabbed hold of the Booster Claw and dug his hooves into the ground, making sure that Mugendramon would have trouble retracting the claw. The Royal Knight raised the Niflheimr shield and began pouring freezing energy onto Mugendramon. "Odin's Breath!" he shouted.

The Booster Claw began to become coated with ice, which proceeded to crawl up the long metal cord connecting the claw to Mugendramon's arm. The thick ice covered the claw and began to creep up Mugendramon's whole arm.

"What?!" Mugendramon demanded, attempting to retract the Booster Claw. The ice caused the cord to become too stiff and too thick to fit into the aperture. Realizing that this wasn't working, Mugendramon attempted to wrench his arm away.

Sleipmon held firm and continued until the ice began to cover Mugendramon's chest and neck. He then released the frozen set of claws and aimed his crossbow. "Bifröst!" he spoke, shooting a bolt from the Muspellsheimr. The holy arrow cut through the frozen cord connecting the Booster Arm to Mugendramon. The bolt shattered the ice and broke the brittle metal, completely severing the cord.

Mugendramon recoiled and released a low, mechanical growl, angry at his arm being rendered useless. He briefly looked around the hilltop to take stock of the situation. His supercomputer mind worked quickly. The D-Brigade flank seemed to be holding their own against the Aerial Strike Forces, but they were losing ground. This fact was cemented when the encircling Order flank led by Paildramon swooped in and broke through their lines.

The D-Brigade officer briefly turned his head and glanced over the battlefield from the vantage point. The D-Brigade center was advancing to meet the charge of the Royal Knights' Strike Forces and the Saversburg army. Attacks from both sides were lighting up the battlefield as the forces grew closer. In the far distance, on the northern flank, the D-Brigade was starting to fight with the Royal Knights' Defence Forces and the Republic of Node's forces.

The D-Brigade officer released a grunt. "Fall back, soldiers. This point has been overrun. We need to consolidate and strengthen the center's flank so that they are not outmanoeuvred," Mugendramon ordered. "Execute an organized, firing retreat."

For emphasis, Mugendramon fired a shot from the one functioning cannon on his right hand. The beam tore through the sky and consumed a Pteranomon from the Aerial Strike Forces. After the smoke cleared from his palm, Mugendramon began to back down the hill, towards the right side of the D-Brigade's center.

Sleipmon narrowed his eyes and aimed his crossbow at the giant D-Brigade officer. "Bifröst!" he shouted as another incandescent arrow let loose from the Muspellsheimr. The blast slammed into the Mugendramon, tearing through his elbow, burning through metal and severing wires. The right arm hung limply at Mugendramon's side as he backed down the hill.

"Just wait until I receive field repairs, Royal Knight," the Mugendramon warned Sleipmon with what amounted to a glare in his black, empty eyes.

Sleipmon ignored the threat and dashed towards him, firing bolts from the Muspellsheimr off to his left as he charged. The arrows pierced through a Megadramon's wings, sending him crashing to the ground. Once Sleipmon was close enough, he jumped into the air towards Mugendramon. "Tactic Smear!" he shouted, driving his hooves into Mugendramon's face with enough force to make the full metal titan lose his balance.

Mugendramon fell backwards and crashed to the ground with a mighty, resounding tremor that sent shockwaves through the ground. He slid down the face of the hill towards the battlefield. When he reached the bottom, he had an extreme amount of trouble getting up again.

"Sir!" Deckerdramon spoke, before being interrupted by Examon. One of Examon's beams pierced into the missile launchers on his back, melting the metal and causing it to explode. The Deckerdramon winced and began rolling into reverse, driving down the hill after Mugendramon.

Sleipmon landed on the hillside and circled around, dashing back to the top of the hill. He could see that the D-Brigade forces that were holding the hill were beginning to retreat down to the base of the hill, closer to the rest of the D-Brigade. He didn't impede their withdrawal, as it was their objective to capture the hill.

As Sleipmon galloped to the top, he saw Examon fire a beam from the Ambrosius at a Tankdramon who was firing at the Order soldiers as he retreated down the hill. The laser burned through one of the Tankdramon's machine guns, disabling it. Examon then fired a shell at the Tankdramon, which exploded on contact with the hull of the tank. The capsule released data particles onto the Tankdramon's body, which soon began to have an effect on him. Suddenly, he slumped forwards and his weapons stopped firing. The Tankdramon just rolled down the hill passively, the rest of his body unable to move.

Sleipmon couldn't help but be surprised by this. It wasn't the first time that Examon had done that during this battle. "Examon!" Sleipmon called out while rushing over to protect a wounded Order soldier from a missile, blocking the explosion with the red digizoid Niflheimr.

Examon fired a Pendragon's Glory beam into the retreating Deckerdramon's other shoulder cannon, disabling that one as well. As the beam dissipated from the Ambrosius' muzzle, he lowered his lance and looked down at Sleipmon. Now that most of the D-Brigade flank had retreated to the base of the hill, they could momentarily relax. "Sleipmon?" he asked, flapping his wings and flying down towards him.

"One second," Sleipmon told him, turning and looking around the hilltop. He saw OuRyuumon withdrawing his scimitars from a large cloud of data that used to be a RustTyrannomon. "OuRyuumon!"

OuRyuumon spun around to face Sleipmon, panting and wearing an adrenalized grin. "Yeah?!" he shouted back.

"We've captured the hill!" Sleipmon informed him. "We need to go on the defensive for now and take control of this position."

OuRyuumon looked around the area swiftly. The hilltop was completely under their control and the last of the D-Brigade flank was retreating down to the base of the hill. "Yeah, okay," he agreed, flying down and landing on the ground.

"Can you get the attention of one of our scouts? We need to tell Duftmon the situation," Sleipmon asked him. "We also need stretchers for the wounded."

"Yeah, I'll get somebody on that," OuRyuumon responded. He turned and started flying away. "Hey, Silphymon! I've got a job for you!"

As OuRyuumon flew off and started giving orders, Examon landed nearby and walked over to Sleipmon. Examon smiled at him. "I see you've got your confidence back," he observed.

Sleipmon blushed and smiled sheepishly. "I'm just doing my job, Examon," he responded dismissively. "We need to be leaders in situations like this."

Examon nodded. "Yeah, you're right. We didn't take that leadership training for nothing," he added with a small grin.

The centaur knight smiled at Examon. "…Examon, I…" He paused and thought about if he wanted to continue. After a moment's deliberation, he decided that he did. "…I noticed that you haven't been deleting any D-Brigade Digimon. You've been going for incapacitating shots…"

Examon rested the Ambrosius on his shoulder and rubbed the back of his horned head. "Well… Yes, I have…" he admitted sheepishly. "Should I not be?"

Sleipmon shook his head. "I don't mind at all; I'm just… surprised," he explained. "You never hesitated to take a certain kill before."

Examon glanced away from Sleipmon. "…I didn't want to upset you… I know you have a problem with it, and since we're working together here…" He trailed off, feeling abashed.

Initially, Sleipmon was shocked. After all of their disagreements about the issue, Sleipmon never expected Examon to take this step. He was surprised he did so for his sake. After a few moments, Sleipmon smiled warmly at Examon. "Examon… Thank you…" he responded appreciatively. "But… you don't have to do this for me. I don't want to dictate what other Royal Knights should and shouldn't do. It's… my own personal choice not to kill, and it would be selfish for me to make others act differently," he explained.

Despite his words, Sleipmon had misgivings about he was saying. He would prefer it if others didn't kill Digimon, and he felt a bit hypocritical for saying otherwise. However, what happened with UlforceVeedramon made him realise that taking that extra step was sometimes necessary, especially in a heated battle like this one. They had already lost several soldiers, and the D-Brigade clearly wasn't holding back. He didn't want to put Examon or any of his other comrades in danger.

Examon frowned at Sleipmon's words. "Are you sure, Sleipmon? You've always been so against it before."

Sleipmon sighed and looked around the battlefield. The hilltop was smoking and strewn with craters. From the vantage point, Sleipmon could see the center, where the majority of the fighting as. Explosions and beams ripped through both the D-Brigade and the Saversburg-Order army.

"…This is a battle," Sleipmon said with a heavy heart. "Just… use your best judgment, Examon."

Examon nodded. "Understood…" he replied, although he had doubts about how much Sleipmon meant it.

Sleipmon turned back to Examon with a small smile. "Let's get the Shield Guards and Aerial Guards and start fortifying this hill. Then we can support the attack on the center."

Examon nodded again and smiled. "Affirmative, Sleipmon."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the north of the battlefield, the Royal Knights' right flank has been facing constant resistance. Alphamon, Dukemon, RhodoKnightmon were leading the Shield Guards and the Aerial Guards on a flanking run to try and encircle the D-Brigade's center. With them was Gaioumon, who was leading the Republic of Node's military group. Along the way, they had been constantly harassed by D-Brigade infiltrators, who used camouflage, attacked them when they weren't looking, and then tried to escape. These attackers were mostly Commandramon, Sealsdramon, Tuwarmon, Chamelemon, and a few Darkdramon.

"Death Behind!" a Sealsdramon shouted, suddenly appearing out of nowhere at the edge of the charging flank. He plunged his combat dagger into a Fladramon's back, causing the armor Digimon to disperse into data particles. The Sealsdramon then began speeding away, skidding across the grassy plain using the motorized wheels on the soles of his boots.

Alphamon glanced over his shoulder, flying at the front of the flank and leading the charge towards the D-Brigade's left flank. He saw the data of one of their allies separating, as well as the D-Brigade commando making his swift escape. "Damn it. Another?" he grunted. "Keep on your guard, everyone! The D-Brigade specializes in covert assassinations."

Above Alphamon, Dukemon flew on top of Zero ARMS: Grani. They both looked around the battlefield carefully, eyeing the D-Brigade forces a couple hundred meters in front of them. The Aerial Guards followed behind him and Grani. It was a matter of minutes before they would be engaging them head on. Below Alphamon, RhodoKnightmon dashed across the field. Behind him were Captain Knightmon and the Shield Guards.

To their right was the Republic of Node's military battalion. Acting as their vanguard was the Greymon Five, the anti-Dramon shock team.

WarGreymon of the Greymon Five dashed along the ground, glaring fierily at the Sealsdramon who had deleted one of their soldiers. "I'll get the bastard!" he exclaimed, brandishing his Dramon Killer claws.

"Don't, WarGreymon!" KaiserGreymon, the leader of the Greymon Five, told him. "He might be trying to draw us out into a trap!"

"Yeah, genius. Use your brain for a change," ShineGreymon teased him with a grin.

"We need to be careful… There could be more," VictoryGreymon added, looking around with a frown as he held his Dramon Breaker in his hands.

"Sergeant KaiserGreymon is right," Gaioumon stated as he ran along with the troops under his command. "Stay in formation. You know what our role is. Stick to the plan."

"Yes, sir," WarGreymon grumbled, slowing down his sprint so that he ran beside VictoryGreymon and BlackWarGreymon.

RhodoKnightmon glanced over at Gaioumon and the Republic of Node's battalion. "Be prepared. Even when we engage them, those covert teams may try to attack us from behind," he pointed out.

Gaioumon nodded. "I know. I've already told our rear guard," he responded.

Alphamon looked ahead at the D-Brigade troops in front of them. He spotted Commander Raijinmon standing at the front of their flank, as if awaiting their arrival. The Aloof Hermit glanced over his shoulder. "It's time!" he ordered. "Shield Guards, Aerial Guards, speed up and prepare to defend and counter! Gaioumon, you know what to do!"

Gaioumon nodded and raised one of his Kikurin swords as he ran. "Break off," he spoke, loud enough for his subordinates to hear. "Greymon Five, break through their lines from the right. Everyone else, follow them and attack. Do not move too far away from the Royal Knights' forces or else you will be exposed."

Alphamon narrowed his eyes as he looked ahead of him. "They're preparing to fire. Shield Guards, protect the Republic soldiers as they flank!"

Dukemon grinned a bit and looked at Alphamon. "This is it, Alphamon," he stated.

Alphamon nodded. "Good luck, Dukemon. You too, RhodoKnightmon, Grani," he responded.

"Don't hold back, now," RhodoKnightmon spoke, dashing across the ground.

A hundred meters away, Raijinmon watched as the Royal Knights closed in. He took a soft breath before readying himself. He pointed forwards at the charging enemy. "Fire!" he shouted. His own shoulder batteries sparked and glowed with electric energy. "Elekugel!"

Four beams surged from the metal cylinders resting on his shoulders and above his head. The pillars of electricity surged through the air towards Alphamon, Dukemon, and the Aerial Guards behind them.

The Royal Knights watched as the brilliant beams shot towards them. "Grani," Dukemon spoke, urging the Zero ARMS to fly forwards. Grani did so, and Dukemon raised the Aegis in front of him. Two of the beams slammed into Dukemon's shield, sending electricity dancing along the shield and parting around it violently. The pressure was immense, and it took all of Grani and Dukemon's combined strength to hold steady against it.

Meanwhile, Alphamon stopped in the air, spreading his wings and raising a hand in front of himself. A glowing, magical circle appeared in front of his palm. He reached into the circle and pulled out a glowing sword of light, which shone radiantly as he grasped the hilt in his hands and poised it back. As he gripped the sword, his gold eyes burned crimson.

Alphamon held firm as one of the remaining two beams soared towards him. He plunged the Seiken Gradalpha forwards, right into the tip of the beam. The blade pierced deep into the beam, parting it down the middle and causing the strands of electricity to part around the sword. Several of the tendrils of energy burned across Alphamon's black and gold armour, but he was able to hold against the beam. He couldn't help but notice that the attack wasn't as powerful as it was the last time he fought Raijinmon.

Meanwhile, the fourth beam slammed into the Aerial Guard's ranks. A red AtlurKabuterimon flew forwards and spun around so that the attack hit his thick, dome-like carapace. He managed to spare his comrades from getting hit, but the beam was still powerful enough to drain his energy and cause him to revert back to a Mochimon. A Gigadramon from the Aerial Guards caught him before he could fall to the ground.

As Raijinmon's initial salvo died down, several D-Brigade soldiers began bombarding their enemies as well. The most notable of these was a SaintGalgomon, who was one of Raijinmon's junior officers.

"Burst Shot!" the SaintGalgomon spoke, raising his arms and opening the missile ports on his shoulders. A ferocious barrage of missiles came pouring out of his body. The missiles began descending on and tearing through the Order's defence forces and the Republic's military. Explosions burst through the ranks, forcing many Digimon to raise their shields to protect themselves.

"Digitalize of Soul!" Alphamon shouted. He raised his left hand and began firing several strong, bright green lasers from his palm. The beams swept through four missiles and caused them to explode before they could cause further damage. Alphamon glanced over his shoulder. "Hold firm! Spread out but maintain a rigid formation!" he ordered the Shield Guards and Aerial Guards. "Shield Guards, block those attacks! Aerial Guards, return fire! Rhodo, Dukemon, follow me!"

With those commands, Alphamon swooped down and began skimming through the air towards Raijinmon. The barrage of Aerial Guards' attacks shot over his head and exploded into the D-Brigade's dispersed ranks.

Raijinmon locked eyes with Alphamon and raised his two Blitz Arms in front of him. "Blitz Arm!" he shouted, unleashing a barrage of electric bursts towards Alphamon.

The black Royal Knight flew deftly through the air to avoid many of the bursts, but several slammed into his armoured body. Pushed back by the powerful blasts but undeterred, Alphamon pushed forward and closed in on Raijinmon. He brought the Seiken Gradalpha over his head and then slashed it down powerfully.

Raijinmon caught the sword in the palm of his left Blitz Arm, using the energy it emitted as a buffer. He then drove his right Blitz Arm into Alphamon's face, throwing the Royal Knight back. Alphamon winced and retaliated by firing a Digitalize of Soul blast from his hand, but Raijinmon dodged the powerful laser, which proceeded to blast straight through the Mechanorimon behind him.

The Thunderclap Commander sneered and lunged into the air, flying above Alphamon. He angled his body down so that the four batteries pointed at Alphamon. "Elekugel!" he shouted, pouring a salvo of beams down on Alphamon.

Alphamon saw the danger coming from above and immediately flew in reverse to avoid the blast. The four pillars of energy slammed into the ground in front of him and exploded in a massive detonation of power and lightning. Alphamon grunted as the force from the impact blasted into his body, knocking him back. Alphamon collected himself and shot vertically into the air, soaring upwards. He flew forwards again, shooting towards Raijinmon.

"Digitalize of Soul!"

"Blitz Arm!"

Both the black knight and the Thunderclap Commander unleashed concentrated energy from their hands towards each other. Alphamon's emerald beam slammed into the condensed blast of electrical energy that Raijinmon had fired. They collided with a might crack and sent a mixture of energy shooting out in every direction.

Alphamon continued shooting towards Raijinmon, and once in striking distance, he swiped the Seiken Gradalpha down on the D-Brigade commander.

Raijinmon crossed his arms over his head and grunted as he struggled to block the mighty blow. Despite his struggle, there was a pleased look in Raijinmon's eyes. "Alphamon… It is such an honour to fight with you in a battle of this scale. I couldn't have asked for a better scenario…" he explained to his opponent.

At this, Alphamon's gold eyes turned a passionate red and narrowed tightly. He pulled back from Raijinmon suddenly. "This isn't a game, Raijinmon…" he scolded him, slashing the Seiken Gradalpha down diagonally. "Lives are being lost in this battle!"

Raijinmon winced with pain as the tip of the beam sword sliced down his armoured body. A glowing, orange streak of molten metal appeared down his chest armour from the successful hit. Although he felt great pain, Raijinmon's professional demeanour didn't falter. The only change was that his look of subdued pleasure morphed into a deadly serious expression.

"…I know that, Alphamon. I know that better than anybody else at the moment…" he responded ominously.

Alphamon frowned at Raijinmon's heavily spoken words in spite of the slash he landed on Raijinmon's chest. "What?" he asked curiously.

Raijinmon locked eyes with Alphamon before raising his hand and firing at Alphamon repeatedly at point blank range. The explosions blasted between their bodies, throwing them both back several meters. Alphamon glowered and flew back through the air, his armoured chest dented and smoking from the impact. Likewise, Raijinmon flew back in the air. Lightning flashed in the thick, grey clouds above him. He continued staring at Alphamon, his gold body illuminated by the cloudburst.

"It isn't a game, and yet, I must continue to perform my part for awhile longer... In the meantime, blood and data will continue to be spilled. Your soldiers, and my soldiers. That is the nature of war. Our sides have to do our best to destroy the other for the time being. It is sad, but it is necessary…" Raijinmon explained with a heavy heart, raising a metal hand to the deep gash on his chest.

"What are you talking about, Raijinmon?" Alphamon demanded, glaring back at him. "If you have doubts, then stop this!"

Raijinmon shook his head. "It is still too soon," he responded. "…Besides, I relish the idea of fighting you one-on-one. What better way to prove my skills than by fighting against one of the greatest warriors of the Digital World?"

Raijinmon pulled his Blitz Arm away from his chest and aimed it towards Alphamon. "Allow me this one courtesy, Sir Alphamon, the Aloof Hermit," he politely beseeched him. "Whatever happens during this battle today, this will likely be the last chance that I will ever get to fight you. At the very least, I would like to enjoy this duel with you."

Alphamon narrowed his eyes at Raijinmon, trying to understand what he was thinking. After a moment, he gripped the Seiken Gradalpha tightly. "So be it," he answered, surging towards Raijinmon.

"Blitz Arm!"

"Digitalize of Soul!"

* * *

Chaosdramon stood near the back of the D-Brigade, overseeing the battle. His two, shoulder mounted cannon were pointed forwards, their muzzles smoking.

No Digimon stood near him, all of the D-Brigade soldiers were either on the front lines of the battle, or spaced apart at the back to lay down bombardment. He stood alone in the field - the grass around him was burnt and decayed. There were cracks throughout the ground around him, thin but deep fissures that made it look like the ground was fractured.

His crimson eyes scanned the battlefield, inspecting the situation from the southern hill to the northern flank. He took it upon himself to direct the tactics in Suijinmon's absence. He didn't trust anybody else.

"Your Majesty!" a HiAndromon spoke, running over and saluting Emperor Chaosdramon. "Our position on the hill has been overrun. Mugendramon's Formation I has been forced to retreat to Position Sigma."

"I can see that," Chaosdramon snarled irritably, casting an angry glare towards the officer.

"Of course, Emperor. What are your orders?" HiAndromon asked him.

Chaosdramon could see that the Royal Knights had captured the strategic hill. They now had the high ground from which they could launch attacks on their flank. In the center, the Royal Knights and the Saversburg army closed in on the D-Brigade, led by Fujinmon. Both sides were firing attacks and about to crash into each other. The aerial troops of both sides were trading fire and strafing the enemy ground troops. The D-Brigade's left flank was battling the force led by Alphamon and Gaioumon. Raijinmon had to hold strong against them to make sure that they weren't outmanoeuvred. In between the center and the flanks were empty lanes in the field in which the fast attack troops and the aerial troops were trying to wreak havoc on the centers.

His mind worked like a supercomputer, swiftly coming up with possible solutions to the problem. He looked at HiAndromon firmly. "Tell everybody to attack. We won't win by holding our positions; they will outflank us. We need to push forward and crush them underfoot," he explained. "Get on the transceiver and tell Raijinmon, Fujinmon, and Darkdramon what their new objectives are."

"Yes, Your Majesty," HiAndromon replied.

Chaosdramon turned his head and looked at the nearby Mugendramon. "Mugendramon! We will also begin a mass bombardment of the enemy. Obliterate the entire field."

Just as HiAndromon was turning around to relay the message, he suddenly stopped. "Heavy bombardment, Emperor?" he asked sceptically. "When they are so close to our own troops?"

Chaosdramon shot HiAndromon a glare. "Yes… Is that a problem?" he asked forebodingly.

"No, Your Majesty. I just worry about collateral damage," he meekly explained.

"The solution is simple: aim accurately. There should be no collateral damage. The bombardment troops are well trained by Suijinmon for precision strikes, I assume. They should be trained enough to be able to hit a pin point on this field," Chaosdramon spoke firmly.

"Yes, you're right, Emperor," HiAndromon spoke, swiftly saluting and walking off to relay Chaosdramon's orders.

Chaosdramon turned his head and looked over at the nearby Mugendramon. "Formation K, prepare for mass bombardment. Mugendramon, relay the coordinates. Cover the entire battlefield."

"Yes, Emperor," Mugendramon replied, scanning the battlefield and angling his own Mugen Cannons.

The crimson cyborg narrowed his blood red eyes and aimed his massive shoulder cannons precisely. Once he was sure of their angle, he began to gather energy inside of them. However the energy didn't just pour into his cannons from the giant, metal backpack. Dark energy began to rise up from the ground and go into the vents of Chaosdramon's storage backpack. The dark data seeped out of the cracks in the ground around Chaosdramon.

He released a calm breath as he built up dark power inside his cannons. The energy flowed into them from the tubes connecting the cannons to his back. The cannonry began to fill with raging, chaotic energy.

Chaosdramon continued drawing more of the black aura from the ground to fill his energy needs. The more dark energy that he siphoned from the ground, the larger and longer the cracks in the terrain around him got.

A hollow, mechanical grunt escaped his mouth as he stopped pouring energy into his cannons. He was ready to fire.

Chaosdramon turned his head and looked over at the Mugendramon. "Fire on my command," he ordered him.

"Affirmative," Mugendramon obeyed before relaying the command to the rest of Formation K.

The Emperor of the Metal Empire glared across the battlefield. He could see Omegamon tearing into the D-Brigade. He released a hiss of steam and readjusted his cannons by less than a millimeter. The tempestuous swell of blackish-violet energy could seen within the chrome digizoid barrels.

"_Foolish Royal Knights… You will interfere for the last time. I will personally see to that,_" Chaosdramon thought to himself. He extended his right hand and closed his metal pincer-like claws.

"Hyper Mugen Cannon."

The dark beams pulsed from his high calibre shoulder cannons and tore through the sky. While steam spewed out of the cannons' vents, the cracks around Chaosdramon's feet grew larger and darker.

* * *

"Garuru Cannon!" Omegamon's double voice echoed through the air.

Omegamon rushed forwards and angled his right arm as he ran. A bright, azure blast fired from the Garuru Cannon and tore through the D-Brigade's ranks in front of him. Along with Dynasmon, Gankoomon, and Craniamon, he was at the vanguard of the attack. The rest of the ground Strike Forces were right behind them, along with the Saversburg army. They were now fighting with the D-Brigade head-on.

The D-Brigade was maintaining a rigid formation despite the severity of the Royal Knights' attacks. The holes were quickly sealed up and they maintained a constant base of fire.

Omegamon grunted as a Tankmon's shell exploded against the Brave Shield Omega on his shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Hinukamui slamming into the D-Brigade's ranks, deleting soldiers and sending others flying. On his opposite side, he saw Wyvern crash into the D-Brigade lines as well, having a similarly destructive effect.

However, the D-Brigade would not be taken lightly. They responded with a barrage of attacks, shells, and other explosives that tore into the advancing army. The well-aimed shots exploded on contact and deleted Saversburg and Order Digimon alike.

Omegamon narrowed his eyes and focused solely on the battle before him. Just as he was about to rush forward, his LRAC activated and momentarily drew his attention.

"Omegamon, do you read me?" Tactimon spoke from further back in the center's lines.

"Yes, but please make it quick," Omegamon urged him. "I don't have much time."

"Understood. Duftmon says that the D-Brigade's flanks are receding. He wants for you and the Strike Forces to advance into the D-Brigade's lines in a wedge formation. Split them down the middle if you can," Tactimon spoke. "We will support your attack. Blastmon is on his way now."

As if on cue, a boisterous yell resounded behind Omegamon. "KENRAN CRYSTAL VOLCAAAAAANO!" the deep voice bellowed.

Blastmon sailed straight past Omegamon - fast enough to cause the knight's cape to bluster - and slammed into the D-Brigade in a full body tackle. The sturdy crystals on his head crushed the Tankdramon that he impacted, and he continued through the data straight into a DarkVolumon. Upon landing, Blastmon proceeded to pick up a Mechanorimon, shake the Commandramon pilot out of the cockpit, and swing the robot Digimon into the nearby D-Brigade soldiers like a mace. He released the Mechanorimon and sent it flying into the Megadramon flying overhead.

Blastmon turned around and waved at Omegamon with a flashy smile. "Don't worry, Mega-Mega, I'm here to help!" he reassured the Royal Knight.

Omegamon blinked momentarily but brushed the nickname aside and focused. He glanced around the immediate area. He saw Craniamon locking blades with Fujinmon. He also saw Dynasmon and Gankoomon in the thick of the D-Brigade's lines, pummeling their way deeper and deeper. "Strike Forces, advance in a wedge formation! Break through their lines!" he ordered.

"Yes, Sir!" Leftenant Grademon complied, dashing forwards with his swords in hand. "Attack, Strike Forces!"

Omegamon rushed forwards towards the D-Brigade, ignoring the bullets deflecting off of his white armour. "Grey Sword!" he shouted, swiping the Grey Sword horizontally.

A fiery arc swept out from the blade and cut into the D-Brigade's lines, crushing Digimon under its blazing power. Missiles, shells, and beams fired back at him through the smoke, exploding against his armour and burning through parts of his cape. Omegamon grunted and tore into the smoke. He thrust his left arm forwards and embedded his Grey Sword into a MetalTyrannomon's chest.

When the cyborg dinosaur broke into data particles, Omegamon shot upwards into the sky. He slashed the Grey Sword straight through a Waspmon and then spun around to aim the Garuru Cannon down. He began unleashing three blasts of energy into the D-Brigade forces below.

"Omegamon!" a voice shouted out from the Royal Knight's side.

Omegamon turned and saw Fujinmon shooting through the sky towards him, having broken away from Craniamon. Omegamon raised the Grey Sword just in time to block the long, burning, energy blade of Fujinmon's Critical Arm.

"Cease fire at once!" Fujinmon demanded, narrowing his red eyes and staring into Omegamon's blue ones. "I need those soldiers!"

"What?" Omegamon asked, although he raised his Garuru Cannon and pointed it at Fujinmon's chest.

He fired at nearly point blank range, but Fujinmon evaded him through a mixture of agility and air manipulation. Fujinmon swerved and spun around and slashed his Critical Arms down on Omegamon, striking the white knight's armoured shoulders.

Omegamon winced at the intense blades burning against him. He raised his arms up the middle and used his Grey Sword and Garuru Cannon to bash Fujinmon's arms outwards. He then drove his foot into the Hurricane Commander's chest, pushing him away.

Fujinmon sneered in pain and recoiled through the air. In a seamless transition, the slender, green commander spun around and began whipping up concentrated pockets of wind around him. "Marut Cyclone!" he shouted, unleashing the blasts of wind towards Omegamon.

Omegamon tried to raise his arms to brace himself, but the highly condensed wind slammed into him, buffeting his armour hard enough to form a slim crack in the chrome digizoid. Omegamon released a sharp grunt as he was thrown back.

The Hurricane Commander watched as Omegamon caught himself. "Enough, Omegamon," he spoke. "You are not my true enemy."

As Omegamon collected himself, he frowned at Fujinmon's curious words. "What…? Then who is?" Omegamon asked, training his Garuru Cannon onto Fujinmon.

Fujinmon smiled lightly and held his Critical Arms out disarmingly. "I have a proposition for you…" he offered enigmatically.

However, before Omegamon could ask what this proposition was, a deep voice rumbled in the distance.

"Hyper Mugen Cannon," Chaosdramon spoke, his deep voice echoing across the D-Brigade's lines.

Omegamon's eyes widened when he saw Chaosdramon unleash a torrent of dark energy from his cannons, straight towards him and his allies. As soon as Chaosdramon fired, several other beams and missiles began launching from the rear of the D-Brigade's lines. "Tch," he grunted in a mixture of anger and worry. Omegamon looked over his shoulder. "Incoming!" he warned.

Fujinmon looked over his shoulder and watched incredulously as Chaosdramon fired. "What?!" he demanded, quickly flying out of the way.

As the beams swept towards them, Omegamon shot through the sky, getting in the path of one of the two beams. He angled the left side of his body forwards and elongated the Brave Shield Omega on his shoulder. He hoped that he could block this attack like he did before.

One of the beams slammed into the large, orange shield, while the other passed by him. The beam swept through an unsuspecting D-Brigade RizeGreymon before vaporizing several Saversburg aerial troops. The beam then descended and exploded into the ranks of the Saversburg army and the Strike Forces. A devastating explosion detonated in the field, sending a dark mushroom cloud blossoming into the air, and leaving a smoking crater in its wake.

Omegamon released a snarl of effort as he tried to hold against the second beam. Tendrils of dark power parted around the Brave Shield Omega, licking at his body. The black and violet void parted around his white body like a funnel. The sensation of unease and familiarity began to tie knots in Omegamon's stomach. He wondered why he felt this way while blocking this attack once again. He began to feel sick to his stomach, and a sense of fear and trepidation began to grow inside of him. He wasn't sure why that was; he never felt his courage weaken in a fight. The Royal Knight didn't know where this sense of foreboding came from.

The sheer power of the Hyper Mugen Cannon was immense, even for him. It took all of Omegamon's focus just to keep himself from getting swept up in the attack. Unfortunately, these deep feelings within him caused him to lose his concentration. Omegamon's stance buckled and the beam consumed him.

Omegamon unleashed a yell of pain as his body was consumed in the folds of the destructive energy. As he was tossed through the air, Omegamon's eyes shut tightly. Through the pain, nostalgia washed over him. Omegamon remembered a particular event…

He had been captured by DarkKnightmon, and DarkKnightmon was holding him over a dark rift. It was that feeling. The feeling of being consumed by darkness. The feeling of the Dark Area. It sent chills down his pain-wracked form.

The Royal Knight was thrown into the empty crater where the first beam had landed. A smaller explosion erupted within it, crushing Omegamon into the ground. The blast tore up the earth and grass, with a concussion hard enough to throw flying Digimon out of the air.

Omegamon winced with pain as the energy dissipated. He found himself lying on the ground, his body aching. Despite taking the devastating attack, Omegamon already began to move. He couldn't allow himself to stay down for long; the others needed him. His body smoked and there were cracks in his armour. Despite this, Omegamon began to push himself up on his elbows, refusing to submit.

He was about to sit up fully when something caught his eye to his left, in the depth of the crater. Omegamon turned his head and froze.

Two meters away from him was a long fissure in the ground at the bottom of the crater. A wispy, black, cloud of data drifted out of the deep crack.

It was a dark rift.

Omegamon's eyes widened and his chest tightened with fear. The memory of being engulfed by dark data and turning into Omegamon Zwart swept into his mind again. He sat up abruptly and shot up to his feet. He quickly backed away from the dark rift.

"This is… But… how? It can't be…" Omegamon whispered, staring down at the crack in the ground with wide eyes.

Acting quickly, Omegamon brought the LRAC on his forearm up to his face. "Duftmon!" he spoke urgently into it. "Do you read me?!"

"Omegamon? Yes, I read you. What is it?" Duftmon asked.

"It's… There is a dark rift in the middle of the battlefield," Omegamon explained, obviously flustered.

A weighty silence ensued. After several moments of quiet, Duftmon responded. "…What?" he demanded.

"A dark rift… At the bottom of this crater," Omegamon told him, frowning deeply. "I think it's…"

"Hyper Mugen Cannon!" Chaosdramon spoke unleashing another salvo. This time, the beams slammed into the southern hill, tearing the hillside to pieces and blasting Examon, Sleipmon, and the Aerial Strike Forces back from the mighty explosion.

The explosion rumbled through the battlefield. Omegamon watched with horror as the dark rift grew wider and thicker before him, causing more and more dark data to seep out.

Omegamon took a step away from it. "Duftmon… It's getting bigger…" His blue eyes hardened. "It's… Chaosdramon…" he explained.

"What? Chaosdramon?" Duftmon spoke, the irritation brought on by this unwelcome development clear in his voice. "What do you mean?"

"He's causing it… I'm sure of it…" Omegamon spoke, remembering the feeling of Chaosdramon's beams against him. "He's drawing power from the Dark Area for his attacks."

"It… cannot be," the tactician responded.

"There's no question about it, Duftmon…" Omegamon explained. He grimaced and flew up into the air. He turned and glared across the field at Chaosdramon, who turned the direction of his cannons back towards the center. "He must be stopped…"

* * *

Meanwhile, over on the northern flank, Alphamon, Dukemon, RhodoKnightmon, and their forces were in the thick of the fighting.

Alphamon was busy trading blows and beams with Raijinmon. RhodoKnightmon unleashed a might blast from his Pile Bunker, which pounded through the D-Brigade's lines in an explosion of dirt and torn metal. Gaioumon and the Greymon Five tore deep into the D-Brigade's ranks with the Republic of Node's military right behind them.

However, the D-Brigade was fighting back just as hard, unleashing well coordinated attacks and barrages into the Republic's troops as well as the Defence Forces. Explosions ripped through both sides.

Dukemon flew overhead, still standing atop Grani. He soared through the air at high speeds, bashing a Gigadramon away with his shield as he circled around. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see explosions erupting across the battlefield. He inwardly hoped that the others were alright.

His sight was set on a Darkdramon who he had been dueling against. Grani soared towards the Darkdramon, who was accelerating back towards him and Dukemon. The crimson Royal Knight levelled the Gram lance with the Darkdramon. The Darkdramon poised his Giga Stick Lance and aimed it with Dukemon.

They made a beeline for one another, fully intent on jousting with the other. As the two dragon men closed in, they thrust their lances towards the other. The Darkdramon's lance scraped across Dukemon's side and cut through the fabric between Dukemon's two belts. The Giga Stick Lance grazed his hip and drew a trickle of blood from his side. Meanwhile, Dukemon's Gram pierced through the Darkdramon's shoulder, cutting through wires and flesh. The Darkdramon howled with pain, and Dukemon quickly threw him off of his lance, allowing the wounded Digimon to fall to the ground.

Grani glanced up at Dukemon. "Are you alright, Dukemon?" the Zero ARMS asked his passenger.

"Just a scratch," Dukemon responded dismissively. "That was close though."

The Royal Knight looked around the northern flank. He set his eyes on RhodoKnightmon, who was flinging a Crossmon away with his flexible sashes. "Hey, Rhodo! How are you doing?!" Dukemon called out to him.

RhodoKnightmon glanced over his shoulder at Dukemon and performed a flexible back kick that sent an Andromon flying. "I am doing quite fine, Dukemon!" he chimed back. "Thank you for asking!"

Dukemon turned to Alphamon and watched him dodge torrent of electricity that Raijinmon fired at him from his batteries. Grani was about to fly forwards, but a green laser cut across his path, causing him to turn sharply. "Incoming!" Grani warned Dukemon, shooting downwards.

The Royal Knight rebalanced himself quickly to stay on Grani's back. He saw ten lasers shooting towards them, slicing through the air in an attempt to hit them. Grani narrowed his eyes and flew deftly, making sharp, erratic turns in order to fly around the burning beams. Although Dukemon was experienced at flying on Grani, these sudden, trick aerial manoeuvres made it hard for even him to remain balanced. Dukemon knelt down on Grani's back. He ducked just in time to avoid a beam that skimmed by his head and burned off a single strand of hair.

A bead of sweat dripped down his head and he turned to look at their attacker. It was the SaintGalgomon officer who had been bombarding them when they first started attacking. He was standing at the back of the flank in order to provide ranged support. He was firing the beams from his fingers, but finally, they began to die down and dissipate. Grani pulled up sharply and then circled around so that they could have a momentary reprieve.

"Dukemon," Grani spoke, glancing up at him.

"I'm fine. Nice flying, Grani," Dukemon responded with a breath. He looked over at the SaintGalgomon. "Looks like we've got the big guy!"

Grani nodded. "Let's go," he concurred, curving in the air and shooting towards the giant, cyborg, rabbit Digimon.

The SaintGalgomon raised his arms towards Dukemon and Grani. His various missile ports began to open as he aimed. "Burst Shot!" he shouted unleashing a flurry of small missiles from his wrists and shoulders.

Dukemon and Grani watched as the barrage of missiles streaked towards them. The Royal Knight readied himself as Grani flew up sharply. The missiles flew beneath them, some just barely missing hitting Grani's wings. A few of the missiles were homing, so they began to curve upwards and follow after Grani and Dukemon.

Dukemon looked over his shoulder and aimed the Gram lance behind him. Energy swirled around the shaft of the lance before gathering at the tip. "Royal Saber!" he shouted, firing a small beam into the air to detonate the missiles before they could hit them.

"Ready?" Grani asked, suddenly corkscrewing in the air to avoid five beams fired from the SaintGalgomon's finger cannons.

"Ready…" Dukemon answered, readying the Aegis shield. The markings on the shield began to light up as Grani closed in on the SaintGalgomon. After a few seconds, the Aegis brimmed with holy power. "…Final Elysion!"

A large, white beam pulsed from Dukemon's shield and slammed into the SaintGalgomon's armoured chest. The D-Brigade officer grunted with pain as the pillar of light parted around his chest and forced the giant Digimon off of his feet.

The SaintGalgomon crashed to the grassy ground with a massive quake.

Little did Dukemon know, he accidentally knocked him onto a dark rift that had recently opened up behind him.

Dukemon admired his handiwork as he stood on Grani, who circled around again. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall," Dukemon said with a grin.

Suddenly, the LRAC around Dukemon's wrist activated, and Duftmon's voice sounded out over the communicator.

"Royal Knights, do you read me?" Duftmon asked, linking in to everybody with an LRAC.

"Most of us are a little busy right now, Duftmon," Dukemon pointed out, speaking into the LRAC. "But if you talk, we should be able to hear you. What's up?"

"Omegamon has brought it to my attention that there are dark rifts appearing throughout the battlefield. Exercise extreme caution," the tactician explained. "If you spot any, tell a soldier to stand guard so that there are no accidental corruptions."

"What?!" Dukemon demanded, his eyes widening.

Alphamon slammed his fist into Raijinmon's face and sent him reeling backwards. Using the moment of reprieve, Alphamon flew into the air, away from Raijinmon, so that he could speak. "Dark rifts? But how?" he asked angrily.

"We hypothesize that Chaosdramon is the cause. He has tapped into the power of the Dark Area for his Hyper Mugen Cannon attacks," Duftmon explained.

"That idiot! Does he have any idea what he's doing?!" Dukemon shouted furiously. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see something, but he was too focused on Duftmon's words to give it any thought.

Grani, however, was not. The Zero ARMS' eyes widened as the SaintGalgomon began thrashing on the ground, trying and failing to get up. He seemed to be in pain. It was then that Grani could see tendrils of dark energy shooting up from beneath him, wrapping around his arms, legs, and waist. "…Dukemon…" Grani spoke gravely, stopping in the air.

"Hold on, Grani," Dukemon responded, turning to the LRAC. "How bad are the dark rifts? Is he doing this on purpose?!"

"We cannot confirm that at this point," Duftmon responded. "It is clear that he must be stopped."

Meanwhile, Grani watched as the dark tendrils began to consume more and more of the SaintGalgomon's giant, green body. Pretty soon, the dark data covered his entire form.

"Dukemon…!" Grani urged with more force in his otherwise calm voice.

"Not now, Grani, I'm trying to—"

"Dukemon!" Grani sharply said, grabbing the Royal Knight's attention.

"Wha-…" Dukemon turned his head and saw what Grani was referring to. He froze and watched as the dark data engulfed SaintGalgomon's body. "Oh… shit…"

A muffled howl escaped from the SaintGalgomon's covered mouth as he tried to resist the devouring, corrupting data.

However, he suddenly stopped resisting. The dark data faded around his large body. When it did, Dukemon was shocked to see that his armour was no longer green, but black. The BlackSaintGalgomon slowly stood to his feet with a new, baleful look in his eyes. All of his missile ports suddenly snapped open and the munitions locked into place.

Dukemon slowly raised the LRAC to his mouth, unable to pull his eyes away from the corrupted, walking arsenal. "Uh… Guys… I think we have a problem…"


	33. Chapter 23: Chaos

(Here it is. To celebrate the release of Digimon Adventure Tri: Part 3: Confession, have a BIG, fast-paced chapter of my fic. I hope you enjoy it. I'm in a very Digimon mood right now. I should really add a Tentomon or something. =P Anyways, enjoy!)

**Chapter 23: Chaos**

As the battle raged on, Suijinmon was stuck in the locked hanger outside of the Haganemame City. He lay in the dark, using only the slim rays of light that shone into the warehouse as a light source. Suijinmon grunted and struggled against the chains around his arms and legs, trying his best to wiggle out of them or break them. He had been trying all morning, but he wasn't having much luck.

The longer he took, the more desperate he became. Suijinmon knew that the battle was progressing without him. He wondered how the D-Brigade was doing. He wondered if Fujinmon had made his move yet. He wondered if he was too late. The thought of it caused fear to grip his insides. He hated that he had no control over what was going on in the battle. He had no control over what would happen to his friends or his soldiers. It only fueled his anger and worry.

His lack of progress in escaping caused him frustration, and this feeling was only compounded by his worries. He just wanted to get to the battlefield as quickly as possible.

However, the chains binding his Accel Arms and his legs held firm. They didn't seem like they were going to break no matter what he did. As his desperation grew, he began to imagine the worst. He began to picture Fujinmon and Raijinmon being crushed between the deadly might of the Royal Knights and Chaosdramon.

This ignited the anger that had been building up inside of him for the past few hours. It manifested in a shout of anger. Suijinmon slammed his tail against the floor and jerked his Accel Arms that were folded behind his back. He sharply and violently pulled against the chains. To his surprise, he heard the sound of a metallic crack.

Suijinmon suddenly stopped and panted. As he lay on the floor, he lifted his head and tried to look behind him. At first, he thought he damaged one of his arms from the sudden movement. However, his mechanical arms still seemed functional, even if he couldn't activate their powers. He was still able to move his fingers. This told him that he managed to break one of the chain links.

He was unable to break free. He had only succeeded in breaking one of the chain links in half.

Suijinmon released a calming sigh. "_Enough, Suijinmon…_ _Calm down. Becoming agitated and panicked won't solve your problem. Think about this logically…_" he told himself. The Waterfall Commander tried to remain calm and put his brain to use to think of a way out of his predicament. He closed his red eyes and concentrated.

After a few moments of thought, he decided to move his tail towards his back and start rubbing the tip along the chain links. He used the tail to explore the chains until he found the broken chain link. After a minute, the end of his tail pressed against the sharp edge of a broken chain link near the wrist of his left hand. "_Put pressure on the weak link. It is simple structural physics_, he thought to himself.

He wrapped the end of his tail around the chain and began to concentrate his immense strength on his left wrist, arching his arm as much as possible to try and bend that one broken link. He slowly put more and more strength into the bending action, grunting as he did so. The chain link began to bend down the middle as both of its ends were stretched down in response to the pressure coming from the other links attached to it.

Suijinmon grunted and used his tail to pull the metal further. "Just a little… more…!" With a growl, he put one final push into his arm.

Finally, the links slipped off of the fractured one and came shooting out as the tension was released from the bonds. Suijinmon exhaled when he felt the pressure around his arms begin to loosen. He began to get to work untying the chains from his forearms.

After a minute, Suijinmon freed his forearms and pulled them from behind his back. He then ripped off the chains around his upper body before reaching down to break the chains around his ankles.

Once free, Suijinmon slowly stood to his four feet. His legs were still wobbly from the sedative and from lying around, but he remained steady. He walked towards the hanger doors with determination.

As he walked, he examined his Accel Arms. It seemed as though Fujinmon had tampered with their wiring to keep him from using their shockwave abilities. Nevertheless, as he approached the door, he raised his arms and slammed them down. The swing hammered the door and shattered the lock on the other side. He pushed the doors open mightily and squinted as the light of the grey morning greeted his sensitive eyes.

Fujinmon didn't seem to leave any guards behind. Justimon must have gone with him. This was fortunate for the Waterfall Commander. Suijinmon walked out of the D-Brigade hanger and began to head towards Haganemame City, which was just down the road.

"_I'm free… Now I just have to get my Accel Arms fixed as swiftly as possible. Then I can head to the battle…_" he thought to himself, beginning to head down the road.

"_I just hope I'm not too late…_"

* * *

Back on the battlefield, the battle was still raging on.

Duftmon hovered in the air, his narrowed, green eyes scanning the battlefield and taking stock of the situation.

On the Royal Knights' left flank, Sleipmon and Examon began sniping D-Brigade soldiers from the hill that they had captured. The Aerial Strike Forces consolidated their position on the southern hill and they now traded fire with the D-Brigade's strengthened right flank. Meanwhile, in the center, Omegamon, Gankoomon, Dynasmon, and Craniamon led the Ground Strike Forces and the Saversburg army against the D-Brigade center. This was where the most intense fighting was focused. Over on the Royal Knights' right flank, Alphamon, Dukemon, and RhodoKnightmon led the Defence Forces and the Republic of Node's battalion. They contended with the D-Brigade's left flank, doing their best to outflank them.

However, things were no longer that simple. Thanks to Chaosdramon's heavy bombardment of the battlefield, dark rifts were beginning to open all over the place. The negative effects of which were already beginning to have an effect.

Duftmon stared over to the northern part of the battlefield with narrowed eyes. He watched as the SaintGalgomon D-Brigade officer rose to his feet, corrupted into a BlackSaintGalgomon by the dark data of the rifts.

The tactician's grip around the Shoumetsu no Tsurugi's hilt tightened. He did not need this kind of chaos adding a whole new dimension to what was already a difficult battle. He closed his eyes and released a scoff, remembering Alphamon's words to him.

"'_Variables', hmm…?_" he thought to himself. "_I guess it is my duty to deal with this chaotic situation regardless. I am the Royal Knights' strategist, after all…_"

"Duftmon," a familiar voice spoke with a serious tone.

Duftmon opened his eyes. He turned his blond head to see Magnamon and UlforceVeedramon hovering in front of him. He quickly noticed the looks of determination on their faces. "...Yes?" he asked them, although he already knew what they wanted to say.

"It's time that we've made our move," Magnamon explained, nodding over his shoulder towards the battlefield.

"Yeah. We can't wait in the wings any longer. Things are getting out of hand and the others need us," UlforceVeedramon agreed, frowning with resolve.

Duftmon looked at the two Royal Knights, thinking carefully. "Very well," he replied, nodding to himself. "Although I have a feeling that you weren't asking for permission…"

UlforceVeedramon glanced at Magnamon and smiled. "We weren't," he admitted.

Magnamon looked at Duftmon with passionate, crimson eyes. "Where do you want us?" he asked the Royal Knights' tactician.

"Magnamon, you reinforce the right flank. There will be trouble there, now that the BlackSaintGalgomon has been corrupted," Duftmon stated. The leopard tactician turned to UlforceVeedramon next and stared at him with a serious, profession gaze. "UlforceVeedramon, you take Grani's Reconnaissance Forces and begin supporting the center using hit-and-run tactics. We are taking casualties there. We need to make sure that we can break through their center line in order to get to Chaosdramon and his bombardment group."

"Roger that," UlforceVeedramon responded light-heartedly, casually flashing the V-sign.

Duftmon sighed and shook his head at his unprofessional demeanour. "Go. And hurry," he told them. "Time is of the essence. I may even be forced to join in at this rate."

"Keep in contact," Magnamon said to him urgently. The turbines in dragon man's shoulder armour spun rapidly and emitted a faint, golden energy. As Magnamon flew higher into the air, he nodded at Duftmon and UlforceVeedramon before turning around and shooting off towards Alphamon and the right flank.

UlforceVeedramon looked at Duftmon. "Watch our backs, Duftmon. We're counting on you," he said to him with a gaze of camaraderie.

"Of course. I will not fail," Duftmon answered back with cool professionalism.

UlforceVeedramon shot Duftmon a twinkling grin. The cobalt knight then turned towards the battlefield. When he did, the playful look in his bright, red eyes faded and became replaced with a hardened, serious glare. "Time to end this," UlforceVeedramon breathed, clenching his fists and activating the beam sabres from his V Bracelets.

All it took was a blink from Duftmon and the dragon knight had disappeared in a flash. An azure afterimage was left in the wake of his lightning fast flight. UlforceVeedramon flew off to collect the Recon Forces and lead them into the thick of the action.

Duftmon looked across the battlefield. He was tempted to follow UlforceVeedramon and Magnamon's examples and go to fight directly. However, he knew that he had a duty to oversee the flow of the battle from the rear and command the various parts accordingly. He had to keep his own emotions out of it. Duftmon was a little surprised that he felt so tempted to give into his impulses.

The Royal Knight released a calming breath and looked over to the right flank. He eyed the BlackSaintGalgomon and hoped that the corrupted Digimon wouldn't pose too much of a problem for them.

* * *

Meanwhile, Dukemon watched as the BlackSaintGalgomon in question rose to his feet and prepared to fire his ridiculous amount of ordnance. The black cyborg towered over most of the Digimon around the area. His eyes were dark and absent of any emotion except for empty anger.

BlackSaintGalgomon turned his vacant glare towards Dukemon.

Dukemon narrowed his gaze and gripped the Gram and Aegis a bit more tightly. He adjusted his footing on Grani's back in order to prepare for swift, evasive movements. "Be ready, Grani," Dukemon said to the crimson Zero ARMS.

"Affirmative," Zero ARMS: Grani responded cautiously, floating backwards.

BlackSaintGalgomon took a step towards them and raised his right arm, aiming his hand. The cannons on the tips of his fingers pointed at Dukemon.

"Easy there, big guy…" Dukemon urged him. "Try to think clearly. You've been taken over by dark data."

"Burst Shot," BlackSaintGalgomon spoke, not heeding his words. Five, green laser shot out of the fingers of his right hand, aiming erratically towards Dukemon and Grani.

Grani veered to the left as a laser skimmed by him. One laser cut through the ranks of the Shield Guards and the Republic's army. Another slammed into Dukemon's shield, burning across the face of the Aegis. Dukemon grimaced as he held against the powerful laser; he felt the metal of the Aegis heating up considerably. As the beam strained against his defence, he positioned the Gram around the shield and aimed it at the giant cyborg Digimon.

"Royal Sabre!" he yelled out, sending a beam surging from the Gram into the BlackSaintGalgomon's chest.

There was an explosion of light against the black metal, which sent the corrupted D-Brigade officer staggering back a couple steps. He stopped firing lasers from his hand and suddenly lowered his arm. BlackSaintGalgomon began to slowly turn when something caught his eye. He looked over at Raijinmon, who was trading beams with Alphamon in the sky.

"Commander…" BlackSaintGalgomon spoke, his voice strained and haggard, as it trying to fight the darkness corrupting him. "Must… follow Commander's orders… Must… commence… Plan Theta… Commander…!"

To Dukemon's surprise, BlackSaintGalgomon turned away from him completely. Instead, the giant Digimon turned his back to the Royal Knights' forces and pivoted towards the D-Brigade.

BlackSaintGalgomon's red eyes gazed into the distance, staring at Chaosdramon. The Metal Empire's ruler stood with his bombardments troops behind the D-Brigade's center. His cannons were cooling down after unleashing a dark beam through the Saversburg aerial troops.

Raijinmon fired a burst of beams at Alphamon, who dodged them with skill. Raijinmon took the opportunity to pull away from the black knight, putting some space between them. He used the moment to look towards Suijinmon's junior officer after having been addressed by him. To the Thunderclap Commander's shock, SaintGalgomon was not his usual green colour. Instead, he was pitch-black. He wondered if he performed some sort of mode change. Before he could think about it much longer, he was shocked to see BlackSaintGalgomon facing away from the enemy forces. Instead, he was looking straight at Emperor Chaosdramon.

It didn't look good. Fujinmon hadn't given the signal yet. He was sure of it.

"Junior Commander! SaintGalgomon! What are you doing?!" Raijinmon called out to him urgently.

Alphamon glanced at the BlackSaintGalgomon and then back at Raijinmon. "He's been corrupted, Raijinmon," Alphamon warned the golden commander. "That was a dark evolution!"

Raijinmon frowned at this. "What?" he asked, half-dismissively. He turned away from Alphamon. "SaintGalgomon! Keep attacking the Royal Knights! It's not time! What are you doing?!"

BlackSaintGalgomon remained still, as if Raijinmon's words were going in one ear and out the other. "…Following your orders, Sir," he replied. "Must… commence Plan Theta… Commander needs me to… kill. …Commencing… operation…" The giant arms platform began aiming his shoulder cannons towards the D-Brigade center. "Preparing bombardment."

Raijinmon's heart dropped at his words. He wasn't listening to him at all. It was too soon.

The golden Thunderclap Commander shot through the air towards him, with lightning snapping at his feet as he flew. "Junior Commander SaintGalgomon, stop it immediately!" Raijinmon ordered him. He bolted through the sky and came to a sudden stop in his line of sight. He halted directly in the air in front of BlackSaintGalgomon. "Stop it right now. That is a direct order! It's not time yet!"

"Raijinmon, don't!" Alphamon warned him, flying after him.

BlackSaintGalgomon gazed at Raijinmon, unfazed. "…Must commence Plan Theta for Commander Suijinmon…" he responded. His eyes hardened with subdued rage as he stared at Raijinmon. "Commander… is betraying the plan? …Commander is the enemy… Commencing Plan Theta."

"Giant Missile."

Raijinmon's calm eyes widened when the two massive shoulder missiles began hissing with steam as they launched from the ports on BlackSaintGalgomon's shoulders. The two missiles soared towards Raijinmon, threatening to blow him out of the sky if he didn't move.

"What…?" Raijinmon spoke, stunned that the officer would even consider firing at him.

"Look out!" Alphamon shouted. He performed a full body tackle right into Raijinmon, slamming him out of the way right as the missiles streamed towards him.

They flew to the side and the massive missiles continued shooting towards their intended target: Chaosdramon.

"It's too soon… Why did he fire at me?" Raijinmon asked, bewildered.

"He's been corrupted by the dark data seeping from those dark rifts," Alphamon explained, releasing Raijinmon and pointing at the grass where SaintGalgomon had fallen. "He isn't himself anymore. He's been consumed with hatred."

"Dark rifts…?" Raijinmon questioned, looking over at the black fissure in the grass. "There wasn't anything like that when he scouted this place prior to the battle."

"That's because Chaosdramon is creating them with every attack that he makes," Alphamon responded. He looked at Raijinmon questioningly. "You have no idea about this, do you?"

Raijinmon shook his head. "Why would Chaosdramon be doing that?" he wondered.

"I don't know. He may be consciously doing it, but it may also be happening unconsciously. I don't know. What I do know is that these dark rifts will cause problems not only for both of our armies, but the entire Digital World. It has to stop," Alphamon insisted.

"…It seems that our goals are one and the same, Alphamon," Raijinmon spoke, hovering in the air beside Alphamon as the battle raged around them.

Alphamon shot Raijinmon a suspicious look. "What is going on, Raijinmon? Tell me," he urged the Thunderclap Commander.

It was these words that brought Raijinmon back down to earth. He remembered the missiles that BlackSaintGalgomon had fired. He initiated Plan Theta too early: the plan to turn on Chaosdramon.

Raijinmon swung around and watched with wide eyes as the massive missiles soared over the D-Brigade's lines and descended towards Chaosdramon.

"There's no going back now…" Raijinmon murmured. He turned towards Alphamon with a beseeching gaze. "…I need your help, Alphamon."

* * *

"Hyper Mugen Cannon."

Chaosdramon fired a pair of crushing beams from his shoulder-mounted cannons. The glowing, dark energy roared like a tempestuous storm as it hurdled through the air towards the coalition army. The beams slammed into the ranks of the center, sweeping through the aerial Digimon and leaving smoke and data in their wake.

As the beams surged from his cannons, the dark fissures around Chaosdramon opened wider and elongated. Little did he know, there were foot-wide chasms opening up a dozen meters behind him. When the thick pillars of energy faded, his cannons breathed out smoke, steam, and plasma vapour.

Chaosdramon stood up straighter from his hunched firing position. He turned his head towards his Mugendramon subordinate to his left. "Mugendramon. Shift your fire over towards the left—" Chaosdramon trailed off as soon as he turned his head.

To his shock, he saw BlackSaintGalgomon in the distance. Two giant missiles steamed from his shoulder cannons and flew directly towards them. At first, he thought it was a mistake, but upon a few more milliseconds of processing, he determined that what he was seeing was exactly what it looked like.

"What…?" he whispered incredulously.

The missiles were nearly as large as Chaosdramon's head. They sailed through the air, streaking towards him at high speeds. The ordnance screeched and whistled ominously as they closed in on him. After a few seconds, they began to reach their mark.

One of the missiles veered to the right and descended onto the Mugendramon officer to Chaosdramon's left. The missile slammed into the Mugendramon's chest and exploded. The blast tore through his metal body and obliterated him in a massive explosion that sent heat and chunks of metal washing over Chaosdramon's form.

Chaosdramon narrowed his eyes as the second missile flew towards him on a collision course. The emperor quickly raised his right hand and opened up his vice-like fingers, aiming the cannon port on his palm. "Destroyed Hook!" he shouted, unleashing an organic missile from his hand.

The missile flew forwards and collided with the large missile that BlackSaintGalgomon fired. They both detonated in front of Chaosdramon, unleashing a swell of flames that engulfed the front of his body. Luckily for the cyborg, he wore the highly durable red digizoid plating over most of his body. This red digizoid was more than enough to protect him from the massive explosion.

When the flames faded, Chaosdramon's body smoked with residual embers and melting shrapnel. There was an enraged look in his cold, red eyes. He glared across the battlefield to BlackSaintGalgomon who had been so bold and treasonous as to shoot at him.

"That SaintGalgomon…" he murmured, anger welling in his hollow, mechanical voice. "He is Suijinmon's subordinate…"

He tightened the smoking vice of his right hand with immense pressure. "Suijinmon's subordinate attacked me…" he spoke in a whispered echo. "…They were against me all along… Suijinmon has not only abandoned me, but he turned his soldiers against me… He is a traitor… They are _all_ traitors. It's a conspiracy. They seek to turn against me…"

Chaosdramon turned towards the left flank where the BlackSaintGalgomon had fired at him from. He adjusted the trajectory of his cannons and began pouring dark energy into his backpack, straight from the Dark Area. He slowly angled his cannons towards BlackSaintGalgomon and the troops under Raijinmon's command. "Treason… Treason… TREASON!"

The Emperor snarled as his cannons filled with dark energy. He jerked his head to the side, looking past the crater where Mugendramon once stood, and glared at a RustTyrannomon. "RustTyrannomon! You are in command of the bombardment troops now! Take over for Mugendramon!" he shouted. After a moment, he reigned in his anger and took on his usual methodical, stoic demeanour. "…Your new objective is to exterminate that BlackSaintGalgomon and Suijinmon's supporters."

RustTyrannomon stared at Chaosdramon in stunned silence. "But… Emperor…!" he protested, unable to believe the order that he was hearing.

Chaosdramon turned his head to face him directly. His blood red eyes were vacant of all emotion. "Have you turned against me as well…?" he questioned in an eerie, soulless drone.

"No, Emperor! But—"

"Suijinmon is a traitor. His troops have turned against me. They are enemies of the Metal Empire," Chaosdramon explained methodically. "Fire. That is an order from your Emperor."

"Y… Yes, Your Majesty…" the RustTyrannomon reluctantly complied. He turned his head and nodded at the MetalGarurumon X-Antibody, Cannondramon, and Deckerdramon nearby.

"Fire at will… Hyper Mugen Cannon."

The dark rifts across the battlefield expanded as Chaosdramon sent dark energy pouring out of his cannons, straight towards the corrupted BlackSaintGalgomon and his own troops.

* * *

Fujinmon watched incredulously as BlackSaintGalgomon's missiles streamed through the air towards Chaosdramon. The green Hurricane Commander hovered in the air and looked on with an irate expression as the missile barrage exploded ineffectually around Chaosdramon. He knew that it didn't do any real damage to him. The foolish act infuriated him.

He wasn't ready to turn on Chaosdramon this early in the battlefield, but now his hand was forced.

About twenty meters away, Darkdramon, Suijinmon's sub-commander, plunged his Gigastick Lance through a Garudamon and then flew back. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the aftermath of the explosions around "Commander Fujinmon!" he called out, flying over to the emerald cyborg Digimon.

Fujinmon grunted and unleashed a blast of wind through the ranks of the Strike Forces, blowing several of the attacking Digimon back in one fell swoop. He briefly looked at Darkdramon. "It's begun," he told him.

"I didn't see you give the signal," Darkdramon responded, stopping beside Fujinmon.

"I didn't. Your subordinate jumped the gun," Fujinmon spoke, nodding over to BlackSaintGalgomon, who had been leading a bunch of Suijinmon's bombardment troops to aid Raijinmon's flank before he was corrupted.

Darkdramon looked over and stared with disbelief. "What?! What happened to him? He's black!" he exclaimed. He gritted his teeth and looked at Fujinmon. "What do we do?"

"There is nothing else we _can_ do; we have to turn against Chaosdramon now," Fujinmon replied. "I wanted to get the Royal Knights on our side first, but we'll just have to do that at the same time."

"Do you think we can under the circ—"

Darkdramon trailed off when Chaosdramon fired his Hyper Mugen Cannon attack. Both he and Fujinmon turned and watched as the two beams streamed across the battlefield towards the northern edge of the plain. They were stunned when they saw what happened next.

Chaosdramon's two beam attacks swept towards BlackSaintGalgomon. The corrupted cyborg unleashed a storm of missiles from the various ports on his body in response. However, as the beams closed in, they enveloped most of the missiles and detonated them within their folds. The BlackSaintGalgomon brought his arms up to brace himself, but the two beams slammed into him and caused his armour to crumple under their immense pressure. The energy swallowed BlackSaintGalgomon completely. A massive explosion followed with him at the epicenter, and he was obliterated. The explosion then swept out and engulfed friend and foe alike in a devastating blast.

"What…? The Emperor killed him… Just like that," Darkdramon spoke, his jaw hanging open with incredulous shock. "He hit D-Brigade soldiers too. Without even thinking about it. I don't believe it…"

Fujinmon's stunned and horrified expression soon morphed into a soft smirk. This was just the excuse that he needed.

* * *

Over on the north of the battlefield, Alphamon looked at Raijinmon questioningly. "You need my help…?" he asked, unable to help but feel a little suspicious. "Explain yourself, Raijinmon."

Raijinmon lowered his Blitz Arms and nodded. "It's Chaosdramon…" he spoke. "There is a plan in place…" He stared at Alphamon meaningfully. "Fujinmon and I are going to turn on him in this battle."

Alphamon's eyes widened with disbelief. "What?" he demanded.

Just as Raijinmon was about to say more, there was a deep, roaring sound nearby that was growing louder. Both he and Alphamon turned to see Chaosdramon firing two beams towards the BlackSaintGalgomon and anybody else who was in the way.

"Alphamon, look out!" a voice called out.

Magnamon shot through the sky and veered towards him. Right when the beams impacted and enveloped the BlackSaintGalgomon, Magnamon tackled Alphamon through the air to get him out of the blast radius.

Alphamon acted on instinct and reached out to grab Raijinmon's wrist, pulling him along with them. The beams annihilated the BlackSaintGalgomon and the resulting explosion was powerful enough to sweep through the ranks of both sides. Dozens of Digimon were obliterated instantly within the dark explosion of Chaosdramon's energy attack.

Raijinmon watched on, stunned, as several of his own soldiers were killed in the explosion.

Magnamon flew them away from the blast, but they were still struck by the shockwave. They were far away enough to be out of any danger, but it was still strong enough to slam into their backs and send them soaring faster in the air. After a few moments, Magnamon caught himself and spun them around. He increased the output of the turbine engines underneath his shoulder armour, effectively slowing them to a stop.

Once they halted in the air, Magnamon flew back a meter and looked between Alphamon and Raijinmon curiously. "Alphamon… What's going on?" he asked his friend with a confused, inquisitive expression.

"Alphamon!" Dukemon shouted, flying over while atop Grani. He flew down beside the three and glanced briefly at Raijinmon. "It was Chaosdramon who fired those beams."

Alphamon looked at Raijinmon, who was staring at the smoking crater where the BlackSaintGalgomon and several other D-Brigade Digimon had stood. "…You were telling me something, weren't you?" he spoke, looking at Raijinmon meaningfully.

Raijinmon snapped back to attention. He released a calming breath and nodded. His gaze hardened and he turned back towards Alphamon. "Yes, he did… It is unforgiveable…" he spoke with a new found determination in his voice. "It is time to get rid of him. Before he does any more damage."

Magnamon's blinked in shock. "Get rid of him?" he questioned, his bewilderment clear in his voice.

Dukemon's eyes widened. "You don't seriously mean… You want to overthrow Chaosdramon?" he asked incredulously.

Raijinmon nodded affirmatively. "Yes… That is what Fujinmon and I have planned. And we require your help, Royal Knights…"

* * *

Meanwhile, the Royal Knights in the center were making a heavy push forward.

"Tekken Seisai!" Gankoomon shouted. He dashed forwards and lashed out with a punch strong enough to lift a Tankdramon off of his treads. When the armoured Digimon was sent crashing into the soldiers behind him, Gankoomon looked around for his next target.

Craniamon jumped through the air and landed beside Gankoomon. He spun around and slashed the Claiohm Solais through a Boltmon. Within the spreading cloud of data, the violet Royal Knight raised the Avalon shield and blocked a missile that came streaming towards himself and Gankoomon. The munition exploded, but the Avalon was sturdy enough to withstand the concussive blast.

Craniamon turned towards Gankoomon with a smirk. He panted with exertion, and there was a look of both adrenaline and satisfaction in his red eyes. "You're welcome," he stated smugly.

"I didn't need you to do that, for the record," Gankoomon insisted, grinning at his comrade.

"What were you going to do? Punch it?" Craniamon flatly asked. He was about to turn, but the explosion on the northern edge of the battlefield caught his attention. Craniamon narrowed his eyes at the image of mass destruction. "Damn… That Chaosdramon just roasted a lot of his own troops…" he explained with a cold edge to his voice.

Gankoomon growled and spun around to see the smoky cloud that erupted in the blast's aftermath. They were both greeted by a blast of wind from the explosion. "Unbelievable…! Who the hell is this guy?!" Gankoomon demanded, clenching his fists as his jacket rippled from the gust of air. He turned his head and looked into the distance, glaring through his visor at the giant, crimson, cyborg dragon.

"He needs to be stopped," Craniamon spoke, gripping his spear tightly.

"You are exactly right, Craniamon," a voice spoke from nearby.

Craniamon and Gankoomon whirled around to see Fujinmon gently floating on the breeze towards them. They both narrowed their eyes and took on fighting stances.

"Fujinmon!" a voice called out from behind them.

Omegamon soared forwards alongside Dynasmon. Both Omegamon and Dynasmon stopped beside Craniamon and Gankoomon, flying in place in front of Fujinmon. Their defensive guards remained up, not willing to trust Fujinmon as he approached.

Fujinmon nodded calmly and politely. "Good, Omegamon, Dynasmon. I've been meaning to speak with you all," he explained.

"Do you have a screw loose?" Dynasmon demanded, glaring at the Hurricane Commander suspiciously. "What game are you playing?!"

The slender, green commander shook his head. "I have a proposition for you all. For your whole Order and your allies…" Fujinmon explained.

"What is this proposition, Fujinmon?" Omegamon asked him, remembering that he said something similar to him earlier.

"Quite bluntly… Chaosdramon is a mad tyrant who needs to be stopped," Fujinmon explained. "This is the one time that he is vulnerable. Raijinmon, other top D-Brigade officers who are loyal to us, and myself plan to defeat Chaosdramon in this battle. We wish to join forces with your armies and turn our focus away from each other and towards Chaosdramon."

"What?! Is this a joke?!" Gankoomon demanded. "You expect us to believe that after you've been killing our troops for the past hours?!"

"It is the truth," Fujinmon assured them, his demeanour completely calm and collected. "We had to play along with the battle or else Chaosdramon would become suspicious. Furthermore, not all of the D-Brigade soldiers are privy to this information – only the trusted ones who are loyal to the Storm Commanders. There are divided loyalties among the D-Brigade, so we couldn't risk an information leak. Raijinmon and I are putting ourselves in immense danger right now, so we have had to be careful. We have no reason to lie to you about this."

Craniamon wasn't convinced. "And where's that Suijinmon guy?" he asked suspiciously.

"He is sitting out of the battle. The loyal Digimon that he is, what we are doing goes against his conscience," Fujinmon explained, bending the truth. "However, he agrees that we are doing the right thing. Surely you just witnessed Chaosdramon destroying D-Brigade soldiers… He is a menace to the Metal Empire and to the Digital World. The only reason that we followed him was out of fear."

"Can we really believe that?" Dynasmon asked. "Maybe you're just an opportunist who'll be worse than Chaosdramon once he's overthrown."

Fujinmon closed his eyes and shook his head. "…Not at all, Royal Knights," he answered. "We are reformists… We hate what Chaosdramon has done to the Metal Empire. We hate the oppression, the fear… I have had to play along as his loyal commander for all of these years since the Rust Purge. However, I have _always_ been loyal to JumboGamemon, a Digimon who ruled with his heart instead of just cold pragmatism and security. The day has come to bring light into the Metal Empire once again. …However, we can't do it alone. We need your help. We can't fight both the Royal Knights and Chaosdramon at the same time."

Omegamon frowned and looked at the three Royal Knights around him. "What do you think?" he asked them.

Gankoomon leered at Fujinmon carefully, as if reading into his soul. "…I believe him. He's speaking with his heart. He means what he says," Gankoomon stated.

"You think so, huh?" Dynasmon asked, glancing at Gankoomon. "Well…" He turned back to Fujinmon. "If you and the Digimon like you really are a subversive group in the Metal Empire, then it's our duty to help you."

Craniamon grunted and folded his arms. "…I guess our interests are the same…" he pointed out. "Chaosdramon is damaging the barrier to the Dark Area. We need to stop him, and it'll be easier if the D-Brigade helps."

Omegamon nodded. "I agree…" he spoke. He looked at Fujinmon directly. "We are trusting you, Fujinmon. Do not betray that trust."

Fujinmon smiled and nodded. "I won't… Thank you," he responded gratefully.

"If you pull a fast one on us, you'll have us to answer to," Craniamon made sure to warn him.

Omegamon raised his arm, bringing the LRAC on his forearm up to his face. "I will have to contact Alphamon and the others," he explained. "We cannot act unless we agree, but if what you are saying is true…"

Fujinmon nodded. "Raijinmon should be telling the same thing to your friends," he stated. He flew back in the air. "I have to go sort out the troops. I will try to get them to stop attacking your forces, but there will be chaos. It is unavoidable. Please bear with us."

"I understand…" Omegamon complied.

Dynasmon looked at Gankoomon. "Let's get ready to tell our troops," he stated. He turned and looked at Omegamon. "Make sure that Tactimon and Gaioumon know too."

Omegamon nodded and prepared to contact Alphamon's LRAC. "Alphamon, do you read me? It's Omegamon. There is something you need to know…" he spoke.

* * *

A minute passed. Alphamon listened to what Omegamon was saying, nodding and replying into the long range communicator above the black and gold ring on his wrist.

"Omegamon, yes, I understand. Raijinmon has told us the same thing," Alphamon explained to the white Royal Knight. "Yes, you have permission; we have come to the same conclusion. I will tell Duftmon, Gaioumon, and the others."

Dukemon, Magnamon, and RhodoKnightmon watched as the Aloof Hermit agreed to the plan.

"It is a risky move, trusting them," RhodoKnightmon observed, eyeing him with folded arms.

"I don't think they're trying to lull us into a false sense of security," Dukemon responded. "This could be our best chance to take down Chaosdramon once and for all."

Magnamon nodded and gazed around the battlefield. "We need to finish this battle fast. Just look at the dark rifts…" he pointed out, observing the dozens of slender cracks that were emerging in the grass.

"I suppose…" RhodoKnightmon agreed, floating in place. He turned his head and looked over at Raijinmon, who was quickly talking with his sub-commanders in preparation for the move.

Raijinmon spoke with a MagnaGarurumon and a MailBirdramon. "You saw what Chaosdramon did to our soldiers," he spoke firmly. "It's time to stop him before he does it again. I'll address the soldiers personally. It's your job to enforce my orders."

"Yes, Sir," his direct subordinates agreed.

Raijinmon turned and gave Alphamon and the Royal Knights a nod. He flew up in the air and sent lightning shooting out of his form, attracting attention to himself.

"Listen up, loyal soldiers of the D-Brigade!" Raijinmon boomed like thunder, his voice gathering the attention of the D-Brigade soldiers, dishevelled and confused after the Chaosdramon's attack on them.

He floated high in the air and folded his Blitz Arms behind his back. He was the picture of authority, and his deep, firm voice resonated in the hearts of the D-Brigade. He gazed down at the expectant eyes looking up at him.

"The Emperor's attack on us just now was no accident…"

* * *

As Raijinmon began to rouse the troops, Fujinmon began to do the same. He soared through the air and stopped over the lines of the D-Brigade center. The ground troops and aerial troops were launching attacks into the Order-Saversburg coalition's lines. Fujinmon elongated the beam blades of his Critical Arms and waved over to his two sub-commanders, Justimon and WarGreymon X-Antibody.

The cyborg and the dragon warrior flew over with swift obedience and stopped beside Fujinmon. "Commander," they both greeted.

Fujinmon nodded at them. "It's time. It's time to turn the D-Brigade against Chaosdramon," he explained to them, the severity of the situation reflected in his narrow, red eyes. "WarGreymon, go and tell Darkdramon to work on Suijinmon's troops. Justimon, we'll focus on our troops."

The WarGreymon X-Antibody saluted and shot off, knowing that time was of the essence.

Fujinmon took a deep breath and turned around, looking across the ranks of the D-Brigade. "…Formations A, B, C, F, and G! Cease fire at once! Stop attacking!" he shouted out.

The patter of bullets, the screech of missiles and the deep resonance of cannon blasts began to fade. The attacks began to become more intermittent, but there were many looks of confusion across the D-Brigade Digimon.

"Commander?" a Tankdramon called out questioningly. "What are your orders?"

As the D-Brigade attacks stalled, the blasts from the Royal Knights' side began to lessen as well, as Dynasmon and Gankoomon explained the situation to Generals Tactimon and Blastmon, and Leftenant Grademon of the Strike Forces.

The lull in the attacks at the center drew Chaosdramon's attention. He turned his red eyes away from the northern flank and towards the center. He was confused and suspicious when he saw Fujinmon floating in the air, addressing the troops. "What is going on there…?" he whispered distrustfully.

"Your orders are to stop attacking the Royal Knights and their allies! They are not our enemy! Our _true_ enemy is none other than the bloodstained tyrant, Chaosdramon!" Fujinmon announced, sweeping his Critical Arm outwards dramatically.

Despite the din of battle still happening on the flanks, a stunned silence swept across the middle of the battlefield.

"S-…Sir?!" a confused soldier asked in disbelief.

"Emperor Chaosdramon?!" another chimed in for confirmation.

Fujinmon spun around and pointed his beam sword towards the northern flank, where BlackSaintGalgomon and many other D-Brigade soldiers had been destroyed. "Chaosdramon has attacked us! He has destroyed your comrades for no reason other than his own suspicions! You have just witnessed his brutality for yourselves!" Fujinmon announced passionately. He looked down across the different Formations. "I witnessed with my own eyes his arbitrary tyranny! He arrested Commander Suijinmon for treason, and he intends to execute him!"

Gasps and stunned murmurs began to echo across the D-Brigade's ranks.

Following up on this, Fujinmon turned towards Suijinmon's stunned troops. "Yes, that's right! Commander Suijinmon – my closest and most loyal friend – has been arrested last night without charge. Chaosdramon states that Suijinmon was plotting against him, but Suijinmon is too loyal and kind-hearted to ever do something so devious! Isn't that right?!"

"Yeah, the Commander would never do that!" one of Suijinmon's soldiers shouted, his rage overcoming his professionalism.

"What is Chaosdramon thinking?! How dare he do that to Commander Suijinmon!" another spoke up, emboldened by the first.

Fujinmon smirked and nodded. "All of you know as well as I do know that Suijinmon wouldn't do that, and yet he is being treated like a common criminal! This shows the extent of Chaosdramon's unhinged paranoia and arbitrary tyranny! If he can do that to Suijinmon – your caring and faithful commander – who could he do it to next?! The truth of the matter is that he _wanted_ Suijinmon out of the way in order to control all of you! I, for one, am not about to let Suijinmon suffer such a dishonorable and unwarranted fate! Are _you_?!"

"No, we have to do something!" one of Fujinmon's loyal soldiers in the D-Brigade – a Cyberdramon - spoke up to help whip Suijinmon's troops into a frenzy of indignation. "Chaosdramon has to be stopped!"

"Yeah, we need to rescue Suijinmon! He's a better commander than Chaosdramon could ever be! We can't stand by and let him rust away in a cell or worse!" one of Suijinmon's soldiers spoke up in agreement.

"Yes, I agree! We are with you, Commander Fujinmon!" another yelled in support.

However, not all of the D-Brigade soldiers were convinced. There were many Chaosdramon loyalists, and there were even more D-Brigade soldiers who were conflicted on what to do. They were being torn between their commanders and their emperor. Normally, the D-Brigade acted in unison. It was easy to be loyal to the empire, as they just had to do what their emperor and commanders told them to do. But now, they were being forced to make a choice – a choice of loyalty and morality. Most D-Brigade soldiers weren't used to this. Somebody usually chose for them – an officer, a commander, somebody of higher rank. However, now their loyalty was being tested. Their own personal free will was being tested. They had to decide if they were more loyal to their commanders or to their emperor.

"B-But, he's our emperor!" one Digimon spoke up.

"All of this talk is crazy! We can't betray Emperor Chaosdramon!" another soldier protested.

Fujinmon pivoted in the air and outstretched his arm towards the rear of the D-Brigade's lines, directly at Chaosdramon. "He has already attacked us! _He_[i/] has betrayed _us_! He has oppressed us for decades! It is finally time to stand up and tell him 'no'! No longer will our courage give way to fear! The time has come to remove Chaosdramon's iron fist! Let us remove these shackles! No longer will we be restrained, marginalized, or threatened into blind obedience! This is our time! The time of tyranny is over!"

Chaosdramon narrowed his eyes at Fujinmon. His suspicions and paranoia were going into overdrive now. "Fujinmon… What are you thinking…?" he murmured, once again beginning to draw power from the Dark Area. "You treacherous cog…"

As Fujinmon passionately spoke – something previously unheard of from the calm and disciplined commander 0 there was an array of cheers from the ranks of the D-Brigade. They clamoured in support of Fujinmon, and, particularly, Suijinmon. The echoing of the soldiers supporting him – of the soldiers standing up for themselves – brought a surge of warmth to Fujinmon's heart.

"The Commander is right! The Emperor has to go!"

"He won't get away with deleting our comrades!"

However, amidst the cheers, there was also still a lot of uneasy silence. There was even several boos and those expressing vocal protest among the D-Brigade.

"Turning against Chaosdramon is treason!" one Chaosdramon loyalist shouted ardently.

"How can we expect to defeat Chaosdramon?!" another sceptical and fearful soldier called out. "He'll kill us!"

"Raijinmon and the formations under his command are with us as well. I have also spoken with the Royal Knights and they have agreed to aid us in taking down Chaosdramon," Fujinmon explained. "We will join forces and take down Chaosdramon once and for all!"

"The Royal Knights?! We've been fighting them all this time!" a Sealsdramon protested.

"The Royal Knights? So it was Fujinmon who is betraying the Metal Empire!" a Tankmon loyal to Chaodramon declared suspiciously. "Somebody has to tell Chaosdramon!"

"Don't you dare!" a Gigadramon spoke, aiming his arm cannon down at him threateningly. "Fujinmon isn't the monster here! It's Chaosdramon!"

Darkdramon flew forwards in the air, making his presence known. "We are doing this for the good of Suijinmon and the Metal Empire. All junior officers are expected to respect the chain of command and follow my orders! Those who refuse will be dismissed on the spot!" Suijinmon's sub-commander stated firmly.

Many D-Brigade soldiers who were on the fence felt themselves instinctively drifting back towards the familiar. They would follow the military chain of command under their Commanders and superior officers, even if it meant turning against their emperor. They had chain of command beaten into them since joining the D-Brigade, so it was easy to just revert to following it rather than having to make a difficult morality choice on their own.

"We're with you, Commander!"

"We have to save the Commander!"

"The Emperor has to be removed if the D-Brigade is to survive!"

Fujinmon smiled and nodded at these calls of support. "Thank you…" he answered gratefully. He glanced towards the north and saw that Raijinmon was addressing his soldiers as well. It seemed to be going similar to how he was going. Despite most of the soldiers agreeing, there were still many hold-outs. It would be difficult, but they needed to make their move now, no matter the consequences. Those who wouldn't support them would be swept aside. It was necessary in order to achieve their goals.

Fujinmon extended his sword towards Chaosdramon. "Attack! Advance in a scattered formation! Do not attack our new allies! The Royal Knights are vital to our effort!" the Hurricane Commander ordered.

Chaosdramon's eyes widened with rage as he saw Fujinmon lock eyes with him. He watched as many of the D-Brigade soldiers turned around, away from the enemy and towards him and his cadre. "I knew it… The Storm Commanders were in on the conspiracy together… They plan to betray me…"

"We won't let you betray the Emperor!" one D-Brigade Tankdramon shouted from within the D-Brigade's ranks. He aimed his cannons towards Fujinmon and aimed his chain guns at his fellow soldiers. "Striver Cannon!" he shouted, firing two shells towards Fujinmon.

Other D-Brigade soldiers who were firmly loyal to Chaosdramon followed suit and began opening fire and unleashing attacks on their fellow soldiers.

Fujinmon saw this and narrowed his eyes. "Disable those who oppose us! Attack Chaosdramon! Marut Cyclone!" he shouted, sweeping the shells away in a gust of wind and hurling them back in Chaosdramon's direction.

Chaosdramon angled his shoulder-mounted cannons towards Fujinmon and the rebellious soldiers. The cannons brimmed with dark, otherworldly power. "Hyper Mugen Cannon!" he growled

Fujinmon flew up into the sky as he saw the two beams launch from Chaosdramon's cannons. They hurdled towards the soldiers on the ground. He rarely ever saw Chaosdramon in action, but he could tell the sheer destructive capabilities of the emperor. He knew that getting hit by those beams was a quick passage to deletion. The Hurricane Commander flew up and out of their path, and quickly looked down at his troops.

"Aerial Formations, pitch: vertical, yaw: ninety degrees outwards! Ground formations, get into column formation C! Hurry!" Fujinmon ordered, hoping to minimize the damage of the incoming beams.

Despite his orders and the disciplined manoeuvres of the D-Brigade, not all of the Digimon were able to get out of the way of the beams. The dual pillars of dark energy ripped across the ground and swept through the D-Brigade's ranks. Fifteen D-Brigade soldiers were annihilated in an instant. The beams proceeded to slam into the twenty meter gap between the D-Brigade and the Order-Saversburg army, creating a massive explosion between them.

Fujinmon sneered and looked down at the damage. There were two, smoking trenches across the field. Too many of his soldiers had been deleted by the attack. He needed every one possible in order to defeat Chaosdramon. "See, everyone?!" he called out to the soldiers. "He has no qualms about killing us, and we didn't even attack him once! Now, aerial formations, suppress Chaosdramon by laying down a heavy bombardment! Ground formations, advance!"

For emphasis, Fujinmon began shooting through the air, leading the charge towards Chaosdramon.

Chaosdramon glared at Fujinmon as he speeded towards him. "Fujinmon… I always knew you were a traitor… When I overthrew JumboGamemon, I could have killed you… You were nothing… I made you something. I kept you close to co-opt JumboGamemon's supporters. I saw your worth…" he growled, raising his right arm towards the Hurricane Commander. "But I was mistaken. You are nothing but a treacherous fool… Now, perish… Destroyed Hook."

Fujinmon skimmed through the sky towards Chaosdramon. He swerved to the side as the giant cyborg unleashed a massive, organic missile towards him. The ordnance brushed by his lithe, metal body and exploded in the air behind the commander. Meanwhile, missiles from his own soldiers streaked over Fujinmon's head as they descended on Chaosdramon.

Explosions erupted around Chaosdramon, sending dirt blasting upwards and buffeting his sturdy, metal body with fire, energy, shrapnel, and pressure. However, the red digizoid served him well, protecting his body from the explosions. He swept his left claw out, sweeping the flames of the explosions away in one broad stroke.

Through the flames, his crimson eyes glared at Fujinmon. "Fujinmon… You insect…" he spoke as he aimed his claw at the Hurricane Commander.

Fujinmon narrowed his eyes as he cut through the sky towards his foe, a strong gale following him as he flew. "Chaosdramon…!"

* * *

"Spread out!" Raijinmon ordered as he unleashed an arc of electricity from his hands. The bolts of lightning pierced through the air, detonating a storm of missiles that rained down on the combined forces of Raijinmon's and a large division of Suijinmon's soldiers. The missiles that he was able to hit exploded in a chain of mid-air explosions, but many still flew down and bombarded the landscape.

RhodoKnightmon flew beside Alphamon, Magnamon, and Dukemon, watching as the D-Brigade troops of the left flank turned around and began to advance towards Chaosdramon and the soldiers still loyal to him.

The rose Royal Knight looked at Alphamon questioningly. "Are you sure about this, Alphamon?" he asked him. "We were just fighting them a few minutes ago, and now we are fighting alongside them? This is highly unconventional. Can we trust them?"

"I'm sure, RhodoKnightmon," Alphamon replied. "We have the same objectives. In war, 'yesterday's enemy is today's ally'. I believe that we need to keep an open mind and react accordingly from there."

"Very well. I trust you," RhodoKnightmon responded. He looked across the battlefield to the center. "It appears that Omegamon and the others have already begun their new attack anyways."

As they spoke, Magnamon was talking to Duftmon over the LRAC on his wrist. "I see, so that's the situation at the center," he said in response to Duftmon.

"Yes. If Dukemon is with you, have him and Grani head over to the center to help Omegamon and Fujinmon break through to Mugendramon," Duftmon responded. "I need you all to meet up with Raijinmon and Gaioumon in order to coordinate the right flank."

"Got it," Magnamon spoke. "Dukemon? Alphamon?"

"Yeah, I heard him," Dukemon answered. He looked down at Grani, whose back he continued to stand on. "Are you ready, Grani?"

"Whenever you are," Grani replied.

Alphamon nodded at the crimson Royal Knight. "Good luck, Dukemon."

"You too, guys," Dukemon answered, nodding. "Let's finish this and finally put a stop to Chaosdramon."

Dukemon and Grani broke off from the Royal Knights and began heading south, towards the center of the battlefield.

As they flew away, Alphamon, Magnamon, and RhodoKnightmon flew through the air and ducked under a powerful beam that soared overhead and slammed into the river in a steamy, watery explosion. They evaded the various attacks thrown towards the northern flank from Chaosdramon and his soldiers.

"He's attacking them so readily," Magnamon spoke with a frown as they flew across the Defence Force's lines, over to where the Republic of Node's army was positioned. "Chaosdramon is ruthless…"

"Not only that, but now he's a threat to the security of the whole Digital World," Alphamon agreed, spreading his golden wings and making a beeline to where he saw Raijinmon and Gaioumon. "He has to be stopped before it's too late." The Aloof Hermit raised his wrist to his face and spoke into the audio communicator. "Duftmon, I need you to send a messenger into Saversburg. Tell Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode what's going on out here."

"Roger that," Duftmon answered.

The three Royal Knights landed on a patch of burnt grass near the riverbank. Raijinmon and Gaioumon were talking, quickly going over their tactics.

Raijinmon looked over when the three Royal Knights approached. "Good, Alphamon," he spoke.

"What's the situation?" Alphamon asked them.

"We are planning our attack on Chaosdramon's rear lines," Gaioumon explained.

Raijinmon nodded. "I was able to speak with Fujinmon over the hidden frequency on our transceiver. All of the D-Brigade soldiers here on the northern flank will obey me, probably thanks to the fact that Chaosdramon has been hammering us for the past ten minutes. About seventy percent of the remaining D-Brigade troops located in the center are loyal to us. They are advancing on Chaosdramon with the support of Omegamon and his forces. However, the remaining thirty percent are either loyal to Chaosdramon or are in a state of panic. Also loyal to Chaosdramon are the troops gathered near the hill on the southern flank, and Chaosdramon's rear guard – his bodyguards and his bombardment troops. They are among the strongest, so we still have our work cut out for us," Raijinmon explained.

Gaioumon nodded. "We would like the Defence Forces to provide cover for our flank, as you have been doing before," he explained. "Now, just consider the D-Brigade soldiers with us as allies."

"My troops are highly disciplined," Raijinmon added. "They will follow any command, and they shouldn't have qualms about working beside you."

"Very well," Alphamon agreed. "How does that sound to you, Duftmon?"

"Acceptable," was the tactician's response. "Do not heavily concentrate your forces – spread out. I will tell Sleipmon, Examon, and the Aerial Strike Forces to keep pressure on Chaosdramon's formations to the south."

"Understood, Sir Duftmon," Raijinmon answered, loud enough for Alphamon's LRAC to pick it up. "And do not worry; I will help to ensure Alphamon's safety for you as well."

"…Very well…?" Duftmon replied, arching an eyebrow curiously.

Alphamon exchanged confused looks with Magnamon and RhodoKnightmon. "Thank you, but that isn't necessary, Raijinmon."

Raijinmon looked at Alphamon and nodded. "Of course," he spoke before turning away. "Now, if you will excuse me, I must go lead my soldiers. I will have them flag the dark rifts in order to avoid further corruptions."

"Thank you. We will lead the attack," Alphamon told him.

"I look forward to it," Raijinmon replied. He jumped into the air and began flying through the sky to the head of his army.

Alphamon nodded at Magnamon and RhodoKnightmon, and the three flew off to link of with the Defence Forces to tell them the plan.

* * *

Meanwhile, Dukemon flew south from atop Grani. He made his way from the northern flank towards the center, where the heaviest fighting was going on. He could see Chaosdramon and his supporters launching attacks at the coalition forces. Beams streaked through the air, and missiles and shells seemed to fly towards anything that moved.

This included Dukemon and Grani. The pair dipped suddenly in the sky as a ZekeGreymon released a high-powered Hyper Launcher laser towards them. The bright, burning beam cut overhead, just narrowly missing them.

Dukemon narrowed his eyes and tried to keep balanced on Grani. He looked over to watch out for more attacks headed their way. "It's madness," he said to Grani. "A coup in the middle of a battle… Dark rifts everywhere… It's chaotic."

"All the more reason why we have to stay sharp," Grani advised as they made it to the center of the battlefield.

"Yeah…" Dukemon muttered. His golden eyes gazed across the chaotic battle and observed Chaosdramon. He watched as Chaosdramon poured two beams out of his cannons, which washed over the D-Brigade lines and annihilated every Digimon that they enveloped. Dukemon grimaced and clenched the Gram and Aegis. "We have to stop him, Grani…"

Grani nodded and glanced over as well. He was about to reply, but his eyes widened. "Dukemon, look out!" he shouted.

Dukemon blinked and looked above them. He could see a dozen missiles raining down on them from the sky. "Damn!" Dukemon shouted, raising the Aegis over his head.

Grani began accelerating and swerving to the side erratically in a hasty attempt to evade them. Three missiles whizzed by his body, narrowly missing them. However, the fourth and fifth missiles didn't miss. They slammed down on Dukemon's shield and exploded violently.

Dukemon began to fell backwards, losing his balance from the blast in conjunction with Grani's aerial manoeuvres. As he waved his arms out to try and regain balance, a sixth missile came sailing down and exploded against Dukemon's armoured chest. The Royal Knight let out a winded grunt as the explosion blew him off of Grani's back.

"Dukemon!" Grani shouted, feeling Dukemon get thrown off of his back by the blast. He began to nosedive in an attempt to circle around and catch Dukemon, but he wasn't sure if he could make a sharp enough turn.

Dukemon dropped like a brick towards the ground. Still shaken by the blast and the sudden plummet, he was unable to right himself in the air in time. He could see the Strike Forces and Saversburg's army advancing below him. He hoped he didn't fall on them, but he didn't think there was anything he could do to prevent it. He tried to pitch his body forwards to try and catch himself, but he couldn't manage to keep himself afloat. It was hard for him to fly when he was in a sudden freefall. The ground became ever closer as he plummeted. Dukemon shut his eyes and prepared for what he knew would be a painful landing.

"Oof!" Dukemon grunted, feeling himself finally make contact with something solid. To his surprise, he had impacted faster than he thought, and it wasn't nearly as painful as he expected, although he still felt twinges of numb pain in his back and legs.

It then dawned on Dukemon that he was actually being suspended in the air. He opened his eyes to see what he had hit.

To his surprise, he found Omegamon looking down at him, holding Dukemon in his outstretched arms. Dukemon blinked and looked around; it seemed like Omegamon has caught him in mid-air. His Grey Arm supported Dukemon's back and his Garuru Arm supported the knight's knees, and they floated several dozen feet above the ground.

Dukemon put his lance-bearing arm over Omegamon's shoulder to keep himself steady. He grinned up at him with a relieved smile. "Hey, nice catch, Omegamon. You're a lot softer than the ground," Dukemon said with a relieved, teasing tone. "Thanks for the save."

Omegamon blushed and looked away sheepishly, kind of wishing that he had caught Dukemon in a less embarrassing way. "Y-You're welcome, Dukemon…" he mumbled in response, his dual voice belying sheepishness.

Grani circled around and flew over to them. "Dukemon… Thank goodness," he said, sighing with relief.

"I'm fine, Grani," Dukemon said to him, waving at him with the Aegis shield. "This is my stop anyways."

"What?" Grani asked. "Are you sure?"

Dukemon nodded. "Yeah, I'll fight on the land," he told the Zero ARMS. He nodded over towards the south, where he could see UlforceVeedramon flying through the sky with the Order's scouts. "You should go lead your scouts."

"Very well," Grani agreed. "Be careful. Look after him, Omegamon."

Omegamon's cheeks turned a deeper shade but he nodded. "I will, Grani," he responded with resolve.

"Hey, hey! I don't need looking after!" Dukemon protested. After a moment, he then realised his current situation and looked up at Omegamon with an awkward grin. "…Hey, do you mind putting me down, Omegamon? This is kind of embarrassing."

"O-Of course," Omegamon stammered, quickly flying down to the ground with Dukemon still in his arms.

Grani chuckled and then zoomed off towards the south to meet up with UlforceVeedramon and his scouts, who were linking up with Examon, Sleipmon, and the Aerial Strike Forces.

Once they were on the ground, Dukemon jumped down from Omegamon's arms and adjusted the Gram and Aegis over his arms. He looked across the battlefield towards Chaosdramon and then stared at Omegamon with a look of determination in his golden eyes. "Shall we, Omegamon?" he asked him.

Omegamon nodded and ejected the Grey Sword and the Garuru Cannon from his arms. The two Royal Knights dashed forwards side-by-side, shooting across the ground towards their enemy. They flew over the ranks of the Strike Forces, who pushed forwards along the flank of Fujinmon's forces.

They could see Craniamon, Dynasmon, and Gankoomon near the front of the fighting. Omegamon's insides stiffened as he flew forwards; he could see multiple dark rifts surrounding Chaosdramon. However, he steeled his resolve and pressed forward, aiming his cannon arm towards the crimson tyrant.

He narrowed his sky blue eyes and took careful aim at Chaosdramon. The cannon's bore glowed with blue energy. "…Garuru Cannon!"

* * *

Chaosdramon watched as Omegamon's attack soared towards him. He quickly raised up his massive, left arm and blocked the frozen blast with the outer, red digizoid plating. Frost and ice traced the surface of the metal, but the blast was unable to break through the durable metal.

The emperor's eyes narrowed with frozen hatred. He pointed his left arm towards Omegamon, who flew to the front of the army. "Royal Knights…" he began murmuring. He launched his ejectable claws towards Omegamon, intending to skewer the Royal Knight through.

Omegamon came to a skidding stop when he saw the giant set of claws shooting towards him. He enlarged the Brave Shield Omega on his shoulder just in time to block the powerful impact. The claws screeched against the shield and hit him with enough brute force to send Omegamon flying off of his feet.

Omegamon flipped backwards in the air and caught himself, skidding along the ground and ignoring the immediate bruising in his shoulder. He poised the Grey Sword and dashed forwards to attack Chaosdramon again.

Chaosdramon retracted his claws back into his arm and then slashed them down on Omegamon with a mighty swipe, forcing Omegamon to raise his blade to block the attack.

Seeing an opportunity, Fujinmon shot towards Chaosdramon from the right, hoping to stab him while he was focused on Omegamon. "Critical Arm!"

While contending with Omegamon, Chaosdramon outstretched his right arm towards Fujinmon. His opportunism didn't go unnoticed. "Fujinmon…" he growled. He fired an organic missile from his right hand, which soared towards Fujinmon and homed in on him.

Fujinmon sneered when he saw the giant missile shooting towards him, following his movement. "Marut Cyclone!" he shouted, crossing his dual beam swords in front of his body before swiping them outwards. A super-condensed blade of wind swept forward and slammed into the missile right as it closed in on him. The explosive detonated in front of Fujinmon, blasting him back through the air.

Chaosdramon then pulled his claws away from Omegamon and spun around, slamming his muscular tail into the white knight.

Omegamon was thrown through the air from the heavy blow, but he flew upwards and quickly corrected himself.

Chaosdramon turned to face the advancing D-Brigade, Saversburg, and Order soldiers. He gazed across the opposition to his authority, the D-Brigade forces who had betrayed him. His rage bubbled beneath his cold, calculating exterior.

The dark fissures in the field around him suddenly began to break open, causing torrents of dark energy to come pouring out. The earth quaked as the ground was split, and the rifts grew as wide as several meters. They vented out dark data and black Digitron, all of which began to waft into Chaosdramon's backpack. His calm façade fractured and he aimed his shoulder mounted cannons and his right hand.

Omegamon's blue eyes widened as he saw the dark rifts fracture and grow dangerously. He watched as the black clouds of data began to drift towards Chaosdramon. "No…!"

"You… All of you… Royal Knights… Fujinmon… Traitors…" he spoke, his mechanical voice brimming with fury. Suddenly, he unleashed a savage roar. "DISAPPEAR! HYPER MUGEN CANNON!"

Chaosdramon began unloading his cannons indiscriminately into the Digimon advancing on him. Beams streaked across the grass, swallowing Digimon up and crushing them into data. Explosions erupted into the sky like a hellish display of fireworks. He then fired again and again. Two more beams slammed into the D-Brigade's soldiers, and he launched a missile into the aerial ranks of the Saversburg army, creating an explosion that corrupted the surrounding Digimon with a crippling virus. They fell to the ground and writhed in indescribable agony.

"Burn! Burn! Burn! Burn!" Chaosdramon shouted. He fired beams from his cannons into a crowd of Digimon and then fired the pair of cannons again. He took in dark data from the rifts around him at an excessive rate. This constant energy supply left him with an inexhaustible power source. It also completely eliminated the cool-down period between his blasts, allowing him to fire his Hyper Mugen Cannons again after only ten seconds.

"BURN! Hyper Mugen Cannon!" Chaosdramon roared.

His cannons unleashed blast after blast across the battlefield. Nowhere was spared. He blasted from the northern flank, to the field in front of him, to the southern hill. Explosions erupted all across the battlefield, annihilating Digimon indiscriminately.

Chaosdramon's rage, paranoia, and power were fuelled by the dark data that he absorbed into his body. As the emperor slipped further towards madness, the battlefield burned.

* * *

The image of Chaosdramon firing beams haphazardly and continuously could be clearly seen. He launched dark blasts into the united armies. Opponents could only try to shield themselves from the blasts, or try to evade them.

The more that Chaosdramon fired his Hyper Mugen Cannon, the more energy that he needed from the Dark Area. It was an addictive source of power. As he drew more and more power from the Dark Area, the greater the dark rifts grew. The larger the rifts became, the weaker the barrier between the Digital World and the Dark Area. Chaosdramon unwittingly made this happen as he focused single-mindedly on destroying all those who opposed him.

All of these images of destruction flashed before a crimson eye.

Far removed from the battlefield, a single Digimon silently observed its progress.

The room was dark. There were no candles lit, and there were no windows for light to pour through from the outside. The only flicker of light inside the black interior was the glowing, red eye.

Suddenly, the sound of knocking interrupted the Digimon's concentration. The Digimon looked up towards the door of the small, wooden hut.

"Enter," a deep, male voice spoke.

The front door of the hut creaked open and the bright, midday light flooded in from the outside. In the doorway was the short silhouette of a cloaked humanoid Digimon, immediately recognizable by the wizard hat on his head.

Wizardmon wiped his boots on the entrance rug and walked into the dark, unlit hut. "Excuse me…" he spoke politely. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"It is no problem at all," the deep voice calmly answered with a hint of warmth to the low, male voice.

Suddenly, the Digimon waved his hand in the air and summoned an orb of light. The wisp of luminescence illuminated the interior of the small, humble hut. The inside of the dwelling could be seen, revealing a basic interior with minimal furniture. Along the walls were bookcases loaded with books, scrolls, and journals.

Sitting at a table, facing the front door was a Digimon whose form was half-revealed by the light that he created. It shone across the white, angelic, left side of his body, while his skeletal, demonic, right side was faintly obscured by his own shadow.

Bagramon raised his head from his deep thought. He gazed across the hut to Wizardmon, who bowed his head politely.

"How did the meeting with Black Pincer Company go?" Bagramon asked him curiously, turning his head so that his remaining eye could gaze at Wizardmon. In his hollow, right eye socket was a crimson ruby that glowed ominously. It seemed to glisten and sparkle as images of the distant battle raced across its flawless surface.

"It didn't, I'm afraid…" Wizardmon sheepishly admitted. "The Royal Knights noticed me, so I couldn't speak to them. However, I told them that I would meet them in Shroud in a couple days."

Bagramon closed his left eye thoughtfully. "GrandisKuwagamon has been captured. Time will tell if Blitzmon and Bolgmon will continue on without him," he explained in a sage-like voice. "I would prefer to continue to use them as agents for the coming days… but if not, then I suppose they have done their job well enough," he explained matter-of-factly. Bagramon turned his head and stared into the floating aureole that lit up his hut. "They have successfully precipitated a war between the Metal Empire and the Royal Knights. I am impressed with their results despite being such a small mercenary group. …It proves that even the smallest bug has the ability to shift the course of the entire Digital World, if given the right circumstances…"

Wizardmon nodded quietly, mulling on the sage's words. "…The battle that you wanted is going on right now, isn't it?" the magician asked, looking over at Bagramon. "How is it progressing?"

"As I hoped," Bagramon responded with a small smile. His red eye gleamed; the ruby contained his all-seeing Invisible Snake Eyes, which he used to watch the battle from his hut. He continued to observe Chaosdramon blasting away, drawing continuous power from the Dark Area as he fired. "Just as I thought, Emperor Chaosdramon can't help himself… He is playing his role well. All I needed him to do was step onto the battlefield against a powerful foe and then let loose his powers. His strongest attack uses energy directly from the Dark Area, and now that he has gotten a taste for it, he will continue to use it until he is destroyed."

Bagramon slowly stood to his feet and clenched his giant, wooden fist. "At this rate, the barrier to the Dark Area will be damaged enough for us to make our move," he explained. "This is the critical moment… Once the barrier has large enough gaps to fit their data size, we will need to act quickly, Wizardmon. That is where I will need your expertise of the dark rifts most of all."

Wizardmon frowned and nodded. "I understand…"

Bagramon walked around the table and approached the open door, staring out of the hut and into the sunlight. "…After decades of hiding in the shadows and all the years of preparation, the time has finally come…"

He smiled and tilted his head up, gazing towards the cloudy sky.

"When the Seven Great Demon Lords are free, I will finally be able to act..."

Bagramon closed his eye and turned around. He stepped away from the grey light of the sky and walked back into the darkness of his hut.

"The Digital World will finally know true justice…"


	34. Chapter 24: Dance of the Machine God

(Author's Notes: Here's the climactic Chapter 24. Read, review, enjoy!)

**Chapter 24: Dance of the Machine God**

Chaosdramon continued to fire indiscriminately into his opponents. He launched two beams through the sky, obliterating a Gigadramon, an AeroVeedramon, and a Birdramon to data. The cyborg dragon then fired a missile from his right hand. The missile flew into the sky and exploded against a Waspmon who had been shooting him.

SaviorHackmon watched from a distance as he ran across the southern side of the battlefield towards the captured hill. He watched with angry, gold eyes as Chaosdramon devastated the coalition soldiers. He could vaguely make out the silhouettes of Omegamon, Dukemon, Dynasmon, Craniamon, and Gankoomon contending with him and his allies and bodyguards. He knew that Chaosdramon was immensely powerful. It wouldn't be easy to take him down.

It was hard for SaviorHackmon to watch. As Chaosdramon released brutal attacks that swallowed entire Digimon, SaviorHackmon was forced to avert his eyes. He tried to suppress his feelings of helplessness. His friends and comrades were fighting for their lives against a brutal dictator who was annihilating anything in his path. All he was doing was delivering messages between the various forces of the battlefield. In order to become a Royal Knight, he felt as though he had to help fight in the war.

However, the bipedal dragon man forced himself to focus. He had an important job to do. His current job was vital as well, and he couldn't afford to be selfish. Despite telling himself this, SaviorHackmon still felt conflicted. He hated not being able to help his friends.

But SaviorHackmon pressed on. He was ordered by Leftenant Holsmon to deliver a message from Duftmon to OuRyuumon. He knew that communication and adaptation was key on the battlefield.

It wouldn't be that easy, though. As SaviorHackmon dashed across the southern part of the battlefield, he could see the battle raging on some distance ahead of him. The D-Brigade flank at the base of the hill was still loyal to Chaosdramon. They were currently fighting both OuRyuumon's Aerial Strike Forces, who were trying to push down from the hill, and UlforceVeedramon and the Scouts, who were flying ahead of SaviorHackmon. They were firing attacks at the D-Brigade in a hit-and-run fashion, using their speed and aerial manoeuvrability to avoid the attacks launched at them.

SaviorHackmon could briefly see Imperialdramon Dragon Mode's large body in the sky. He watched as Peri fired a laser from the cannon on his back towards a black MetalGreymon. The blue dinosaur dodged the vortex of positrons, and promptly fired two missiles from his chest back at SaviorHackmon. Peri flapped his wings strongly and dodged the missiles, which soared past him and exploded into the air some distance away.

SaviorHackmon winced and continued running, his bladed feet dashing across the grass. He hoped that his friend would be alright.

As he neared the combat area, he prepared the crimson blades on his wrist and tail, just in case. He double-checked the buff around his arm, which helped to identify him as a friendly combatant. All of the coalition troops had some sort of identifier in order to avoid friendly fire.

He ran beneath the scouts, who were flying overhead. SaviorHackmon's heart raced, and adrenaline flowed through his body. A stray missile landed nearby and exploded. He was thrown off balance slightly but he quickly caught himself and continued running. His metal body was strong enough to withstand the blast. However, it brought home the fact that he was in the middle of a battle. His senses became extra alert and he focused solely on his immediate goal.

SaviorHackmon dashed over the field towards the hill ahead of him. He could see OuRyuumon flying over the hillside, launching energy blasts from his swords into the D-Brigade Digimon below. SaviorHackmon made it to the base of the hill and began to dash up the hillside.

"Captain!" an AeroVeedramon called out to OuRyuumon. "If some of the D-Brigade is on our side, how do we know who to attack?!"

"Simple! Attack the ones who're attacking you!" OuRyuumon called back.

SaviorHackmon ran up the hillside. It was at this point that he began to be targeted by the D-Brigade. A shell impacted the face of the hill and an explosion erupted dangerously close to him. As SaviorHackmon grunted and carried on running, a Tankmon took aim at him and began unleashing a string of bullets from his arms. "Machinegun Arm!" he yelled, his voice drowned out by the rapid muzzle fire.

The dragon man sneered as the bullets began striking the ground around him, kicking up dirt and ricocheting off his metal body. Acting quickly, he jumped into the air and turned his head towards the Tankmon. "Meteor Flame!" he countered, unleashing a string of rapid-fire bursts of flames back at the Tankmon. The blasts impacted the ground in front of the Tankmon before hitting the Digimon himself, blasting him off of his treads.

"Captain OuRyuumon-sama!" SaviorHackmon called out, jumping into the air and flying up towards the gold dragon in question.

OuRyuumon launched a sickle-shaped blast of energy through a CannonBeemon, which resulted in a massive explosion. As the captain of the Strike Forces flew back to avoid the blast, he saw SaviorHackmon approaching. "SaviorHackmon?" he asked.

SaviorHackmon winced at the sight and heat of the explosion, but he flew up to OuRyuumon and saluted. "Sir," he spoke. "I have a message from Duftmon-shishou."

"Yeah? What does the kitty want?" OuRyuumon asked, wiping some sweat from his forehead.

"Sir Duftmon-shishou wants the Aerial Strike Forces to meet up with the scouts and launch a joint attack on this flank," SaviorHackmon explained. "He wants you to break the flank in order to help support the attack in the center. UlforceVeedramon and the scouts are on the way to meet up with you."

OuRyuumon looked past SaviorHackmon, spotting UlforceVeedramon and the scouts fighting their way over to them. "Yeah, I can see that. Got it," the Strike Forces captain responded. "Anything else?"

SaviorHackmon frowned. "Is… there anything I can do to help, Sir?" he asked, wanting to be of use somehow.

"Nah. We've got enough medical teams moving the wounded already. Go back to Duftmon and see if he has any more jobs for you," OuRyuumon told him.

"Sir…" SaviorHackmon complied, although he couldn't help but feel uneasy about just leaving. Nevertheless, he saluted and obeyed.

As the dragon man turned around, he saw Sleipmon and Examon at the top of the hill, firing precise ranged attacks into the ranks of the enemy D-Brigade, disabling and wounding the aggressive Digimon. They seemed so determined and confident – something that SaviorHackmon didn't feel that he was at the moment. He wondered if that's what was separating him from the Royal Knights.

He began speeding away, heading back towards the rear of the battlefield where Duftmon and the bombardment troops were.

SaviorHackmon skimmed through the sky, his crimson cape rippling behind him. He focused on flying back towards Duftmon, but uncertainty began to cloud his thoughts. He couldn't help but look around the crowded battlefield for Peri.

Around him, he saw destruction; pandemonium. Beams and missiles and attacks soared through the air and slammed into Digimon. Swords impacted armour, bullets perforated wings, and claws dragged against flesh. The battle was chaotic. The field was ripped asunder by explosions, and beams and missiles streaked overhead. It was all so intense. SaviorHackmon had been in fights before, but never in something of this scale. It was overwhelming.

SaviorHackmon tried to focus. His heart beat rapidly and his body was trembling with adrenaline. If he wanted to be a Royal Knight, he needed to get used to this. The din of battle… the constant danger to himself and others… the chaos around him… the killing…

A chill crept down his form. Despite this, he frowned and clenched his fists, trying to steel his soul. "_Am I too weak for this?_" he asked himself, grimacing. "…_Is my spirit too weak? Am I lacking in power? In ability?_"

A bomb landed nearby and exploded. The deafening explosion and the resulting shockwave pulled SaviorHackmon out of his thoughts. He dug his bladed feet into the grass and skidded along the ground, stretching his arms and tail out in order to keep himself standing. He winced and spun around. "_Damn it, SaviorHackmon! Focus, you idiot! You'll get killed if you start feeling sorry for yourself in the middle of a battle! Then you'll never become a Royal Knight!_"

As the smoke from the explosion cleared, SaviorHackmon was able to see into the embattled sky again. He watched as the Aerial Strike Forces and the Scouts linked up and began raining attacks down on the D-Brigade. UlforceVeedramon was visible leading the attack, cutting down a Mugendramon as he passed before spinning around and unleashing a beam from his chest into the enemy.

SaviorHackmon watched with bated breath as the D-Brigade returned fire, launching lasers and ordnance into the sky. The attacks swept through the tumultuous airspace. The Order forces did their best to maintain an orderly formation, but they were forced to evade when beams and missiles came barrelling towards them.

It was in that moment that SaviorHackmon saw Imperialdramon Dragon Mode. He watched as Peri pitched his body forward and angled the giant cannon on his back. "Positron Cannon!" Peri's deep voice echoed as he launched a beam from the dorsal cannon. The spiralling beam strafed the ground before enveloping a LoaderLiomon.

Imperialdramon flew upwards and then observed the damage that he had caused. He panted heavily and remained fixated on the spot that he had fired at, staring at the smoking crater where the enemy LoaderLiomon had been. He gritted his jagged teeth, becoming distracted by his thoughts. Peri didn't notice that a MetalGarurumon X-Antibody had sent a series of missiles streaking through the air towards him.

As the sound of whistling grew louder, Peri turned his head at the last second to see the salvo of missiles descending on him. "Crap!" he snarled with panic, trying to flap his wings to escape. The missiles were too close. The slammed into his armoured side and exploded.

SaviorHackmon's gold eyes widened as the explosion enveloped Imperialdramon and knocked him out of the sky. He watched, stunned, as his friend plummeted out of the icy explosion and fell to the ground with a crash.

"…IMPERIALDRAMON!"

No later than the yell left his lips did SaviorHackmon act. He began dashing across the field towards Peri. In that moment, he completely forgot about his intentions to return to Duftmon. He was focused solely on getting to his friend.

SaviorHackmon sprinted across the field, ignoring the explosions erupting around him. He growled and veered to the side to avoid a beam that tore across the ground where he had been running. Undeterred, SaviorHackmon ran towards the large, wounded dragon Digimon that lay on the ground.

A D-Brigade Crossmon flapped his wings and began speeding towards Imperialdramon, attempting to take advantage of the scout's injuries. The metal gryphon skimmed across the ground, planning to ram the dragon with his metal beak and talons.

Seeing this, SaviorHackmon growled and lunged high into the air. He extended his leg and aimed his bladed foot as he descended towards the Crossmon. "Rage Streit!" he shouted, unleashing a dive kick that connected with the Crossmon's collar, hard enough to send the eagle skidding across the ground. The Crossmon shook his head and flapped his wings, instead, deciding to fly back and consolidate the loyalist's lines.

SaviorHackmon landed and began running again. He finally made it over to Peri, who was lying on his side, wincing and groaning with pain. SaviorHackmon came to a skidding stop beside Imperialdramon. He rushed over to his side and kneeled down, looking at large dragon with wide, worried eyes. "Peri! Peri! Are you alright?!" he asked, panicked.

Imperialdramon's face was tight with pain. He looked up at SaviorHackmon. "SaviorHackmon…?" he asked, his hoarse voice indicating pain. "Urgh… I'm fine… It's just my wing…"

SaviorHackmon looked at Peri's large, red wing. He could see several small holes in the wing from which blood trickled out of. Much of the leathery fabric was also numb and frozen with the ice from the MetalGarurumon X-Antibody's missiles. "You can't fly like this…" SaviorHackmon spoke, releasing a relieved breath that he had been holding. He was glad that the damage wasn't worse. "We need to get you back to the rear."

"N-No, I can still fight," Peri insisted. "I can't let everyone down."

"You won't be," a calm voice spoke.

Both Peri and SaviorHackmon turned their heads to see Zero ARMS: Grani floating nearby. "C-Captain Grani, sir!" Imperialdramon spoke. He tried to salute with his forearm, but pain wracked his form." Rrgh…"

"Go with SaviorHackmon, Imperialdramon. That is an order," Grani stated. "You are no good to us if you cannot fly. You can best help us by getting to the rear lines where you can get patched up. Alright?"

Imperialdramon winced but nodded. "Yes, Sir," he replied.

Grani nodded. With no time to waste, the Recon Captain shot off to meet up with the rest of the scouts.

"Come on," SaviorHackmon spoke, lifting Peri to his feet with a grown of strained effort. "Can you walk?"

"Should be able to…" Imperialdramon murmured, standing on uneasy footing.

SaviorHackmon helped keep Peri steady and aided him as they began walking east to the rear of their lines. As he walked, he looked around the battlefield in order to make sure that they weren't attacked from behind. He couldn't help but observe the carnage around him.

As his gold eyes gazed across the battlefield, he began to take in the violence and brutality of battle. He looked into the distance and watched Chaosdramon stab his claws through a GrappLeomon that tried to attack him. The cyborg dragon then fired two beams from his shoulder cannons that obliterated three Digimon in an instant.

SaviorHackmon grimaced and looked away, but he soon found himself watching as a Cyberdramon tore his claws through a Megadramon. Explosions erupted across the battlefield, sometimes indiscriminately. Fire and positrons and lasers tore up the plain, sending dirt flying into the air. Digimon lay wounded on the ground, clutching their injuries. Every so often, SaviorHackmon could see a Digimon's body disintegrate into data.

SaviorHackmon turned forwards bitterly and shut his eyes, deciding that he had seen enough. He quietly helped Imperialdramon walk towards the rear of the battlefield.

"…Is this really alright, Peri?" SaviorHackmon asked him.

Imperialdramon turned his head slightly and glanced at his friend. "Huh…? Is what alright…?" he inquired despite his pain.

SaviorHackmon looked down as he walked. "…War…" he responded. He glanced over his shoulder, eyeing the chaos behind him. He winced at what he saw. Fire, blood, and parting data. "So many Digimon are dying right now… Do we really have to kill each other?"

Peri grimaced and glanced off to the side. "…It's war, SaviorHackmon…" he explained guiltily.

"Does that make it alright?" SaviorHackmon countered, glaring at the ground with every step. "Can we really justify all this death and destruction by just saying it's war…?"

"What else can we do?" Peri asked him in response. "Let the Metal Empire take over Saversburg and turn all of these Digimon into their subjects?"

SaviorHackmon winced and shook his head. "I… I know you're right about that, but…" He tightly clenched the fist that wasn't holding onto Imperialdramon. "It's just…" He paused and shut his eyes. "I… never thought about what a battle would really be like… I thought it would be good combat experience. Whenever I pictured a battle in my mind, I always thought it would just be the Royal Knights coming in to save the day. They would swoop in and defeat the bad guys… but… I guess it's not that simple…"

SaviorHackmon opened his eyes and looked down sadly. "I never thought it would be like this…" he admitted bitterly. "I was naïve, I guess… War is a lot more brutal than I ever expected…"

Imperialdramon looked at SaviorHackmon carefully. "The Royal Knights have to do stuff like this… It isn't always clean or glorious…" he explained, his voice heavy. "Knowing this… do you still want to be a Royal Knight?"

SaviorHackmon sighed and didn't respond immediately. "…GrandisKuwagamon told me that my heart is too big… Am I too weak to become a Royal Knight? Is my spirit too soft? Do I not have the determination…?" he wondered aloud.

Peri smiled at his friend. "…If anybody has the determination to do the right thing, it's you…" he assured him. "Besides, I'm sure most of the Royal Knights have the same ideals that you do. They want to protect Digimon and prevent them from getting hurt, just like you do. Sometimes, standing up for those beliefs means doing things like this."

"I know…" SaviorHackmon said with a sigh. "I _do_ still want to be a Royal Knight…" The dragon man looked up at the sky wistfully. "I just… wish there was another way. …I hate this…" He closed his eyes and just listened to the sound of the battle. The explosions, the yells, and the cacophony could still be heard, even if he closed his eyes to it.

"…I hate war."

Imperialdramon gazed at SaviorHackmon, hearing the pain and sincerity in his words. He sighed and nodded. "…So do I."

"How can all of this suffering be a good thing?" SaviorHackmon asked, more to himself than to Peri. "I need to do something to stop it…"

"To stop it…?" Imperialdramon asked him sceptically. "What can you do? Don't be reckless, SaviorHackmon…"

"I won't," SaviorHackmon assured him. Despite his words, a frown of determination formed on his face. "I just need to do something to help… I can't let all of these Digimon suffer… I'll find a way to help…"

Peri frowned reluctantly as they began to reach the rear lines of the battlefield. The sizeable dragon watched as physicians quickly made their way over to them. "…Be careful, SaviorHackmon."

SaviorHackmon gently released Imperialdramon and smiled at him. "I will, Peri…" he insisted.

The dragon man turned around and faced the battlefield. His crimson cape fluttered in the breeze. SaviorHackmon took a deep breath to help calm himself.

"_I… I have to do something to stop this… If I can just help a little… If I can somehow make a difference for the better…_"

SaviorHackmon hardened his eyes and took off in a sprint. He dashed towards the fray, fully intent on making good on those words.

"_I have to help…_"

* * *

"Hyper Mugen Cannon!"

Chaosdramon unleashed blasts of energy from his shoulder cannons towards the rebelling D-Brigade soldiers.

Seeing this, Craniamon lunged in front of the two beams and raised his shield in order to protect them. "God Bless!" he spoke forcefully. The Avalon shield pulsed with energy and released a thick, transparent barrier in front of himself, right as the beams descended on him and the Digimon behind him. The blasts slammed into the barrier and deflected off, ripping deep into the ground in front of the Royal Knight.

When the energy faded, Craniamon dropped the shield and glanced over his shoulder at the D-Brigade Digimon that he just saved. "Never thought I'd be doing that…" he muttered to himself. Craniamon quickly turned and looked over at Leftenant Grade of the Ground Strike Forces, who was pushing forward alongside the allied D-Brigade. "Grademon! Move over to the north and attack there! Help cover Alphamon and the others as they approach!"

"Yes, Sir!" Grademon complied. He looked over his shoulder and pointed his sword. "This way, everyone!" he announced. Leading the charge, he dashed across the ground, straight towards a MetalTyrannomon who was unleashing beam blasts from his palms.

Craniamon looked forward, trying to spot the rest of the Royal Knights. He saw Gankoomon slugging a Darkdramon bodyguard in the face and subsequently dodging a counter-stab from his lance. Dynasmon was busy fighting a ZekeGreymon, dodging the beams that the giant, gold digizoid clad dinosaur fired at him. He responded by unleashing blasts from his hands towards the ZekeGreymon, but had trouble getting through the Digimon's armour.

Meanwhile, he saw Dukemon and Omegamon both fighting with Chaosdramon. Dukemon tried to lunge forward and stab Chaosdramon in the stomach with his Gram lance, but Chaosdramon lashed out with the vice-like claws of his right hand. Dukemon brought up the Aegis to block the blow and was sent flying back. As that happened, Omegamon unleashed beam blasts from his Garuru Cannon while performing a sideways aerial flip. After the first barrage flew towards Chaosdramon, he hovered in the air upside down and then pumped another volley out of the cannon.

The blasts flew towards Chaosdramon and pummeled his thick, metal body. Explosions erupted against the colossus' side, and smoke wafted around his form. Omegamon narrowed his eyes and grunted. He seemed only barely damaged from the attacks.

"Dukemon! Cover me!" Omegamon called out.

"Got it!" Dukemon responded, raising his lance towards Chaosdramon. "Royal Saber!"

Power gathered at the tip of the Gram before a ray of holy energy poured out and burned into Chaosdramon's side, prompting the emperor to turn towards Dukemon.

Omegamon used the opportunity to speed forwards and close in on Chaosdramon. He swerved in front of Chaosdramon's face and coiled his left arm back. He then thrust forwards, aiming to stab his Grey Sword right into the end of Chaosdramon's snout. As soon as the tip of the blade struck the red digizoid, it stopped cold and slid along the face of the metal, unable to pierce through the sturdy alloy. Omegamon sneered and recoiled, instead aiming his Garuru Cannon. He unleashed two, point-blank blasts from his cannon into Chaosdramon's mouth, which tore a garbled roar of anger and pain from the reptilian cyborg Digimon.

Chaosdramon reached up and grabbed Omegamon's arm with his claws. With a powerful heave, Chaosdramon threw Omegamon towards Dukemon, sending the white knight crashing into him.

Dukemon grunted as they fell to the ground. The crimson knight quickly helped Omegamon stand back up. "Are you okay?" he asked Omegamon.

"I'll be fine, thanks," Omegamon responded. "But…" The white Royal Knight frowned. Even his most concentrated attacks were having trouble getting through Chaosdramon's red digizoid armour. Against such a durable metal, even chrome digizoid weapons were at a disadvantage.

Craniamon began to run over to help, but a HiAndromon stepped in his way and began to activate the turbines on his shoulders. The Royal Knight watched as the HiAndromon prepared to fire a beam at him. "So that's how it's gonna be, huh?" he asked, flipping the Claiohm Solais in his hand and taking a battle stance. "Fine."

Craniamon looked into the sky. "Fujinmon! Help Omegamon and Dukemon!" he told the Hurricane Commander.

Fujinmon nodded. "Right!" he responded. He turned in the air and looked at his own D-Brigade soldiers. "Formations A and B, direct your focus south and deteriorate that flank! Formation C, lay down a suppressive barrage but check your fire!"

When Fujinmon was finished issuing orders, the Hurricane Commander turned and started soaring down towards Chaosdramon. "Emperor…!"

Chaosdramon swept his arm out and bashed Fujinmon back, right as Fujinmon plunged his Critical Arms into his claws. The metal became superheated, but Chaosdramon ignored it and fired a missile towards Fujinmon. The Hurricane Commander agilely flew to the side and unleashed a super-compressed blast of wind into the missile detonating it.

"Your Majesty!" ZekeGreymon shouted as he got pushed backwards along the ground by Dynasmon. "What are… your orders!?"

"Exterminate everybody!" Chaosdramon shouted in response, firing two beam blasts into Formation C of Fujinmon's D-Brigade.

"B-But Emperor, Raijinmon and Alphamon's northern flank is closing in on us!" ZekeGreymon protested, grunting as he fired a linear plasma shot from his cannon towards Dynasmon. "We won't be able to hold them off like this!"

"I said to exterminate everybody!" Chaosdramon yelled, his logical mind becoming increasingly mindless as the battle deteriorated and he began using more and more of the Dark Area's power. "Level the entire battlefield! Fire all ordnance until there's nothing left! Destroy the traitors and our enemies all at the same time!"

"S-Sir!" ZekeGreymon shouted obediently despite his uncertainty. "Plasma Railgun!"

Chaosdramon snarled mechanically and angled his smoking cannons forwards. "All opposition will be exterminated…" The cracks around him swelled as dark vapour aggregated into his metal backpack. The dark energy swirled inside his cannons as they prepared to fire once again.

* * *

Suijinmon ran along the grassy plain as the battle raged on. He moved as fast as his large, crimson body could carry him. He tried to get to the battlefield as quickly as possible. The Waterfall Commander just hoped that he wasn't too late.

Once he had crossed the Champion River that separated the Mamemon Kingdom from Saversburg's territory, it wasn't hard to find the battle. All he had to do was follow the flashes of light in the sky, the smoke, and the sounds of explosions in the distance.

Suijinmon grunted as he ran towards a large hill. It was all that was left that stood between him and the battlefield. He knew the battle was going on at the other side, judging from the volume of the combat and the rumble of explosions in the ground beneath him.

He finally reached the base of the hill and began slogging up the incline. He carried the weight of his heavy, metal body with purpose and resolve. The hill prevented him from seeing what was happening on the battlefield, so he needed to get to the hill's crest in order to take stock of the situation. As Suijinmon approached the hilltop, he began to feel a sense of unease and worry inside of him. He hoped that Fujinmon and Raijinmon were alright.

The Waterfall Commander reached the top of the hill and panted. As he caught his breath, he used the opportunity to look across the battlefield. He was stunned at what he saw.

The formations were not what they should have been at all. The majority of the D-Brigade were not facing off against the allied coalition of the Royal Knights, Saversburg, and the Republic of Node. Instead, they were standing side by side with them against Chaosdramon and the rest of the D-Brigade. These tactical formations were not what they should be. Suijinmon knew that there was no way that their formations could go into such disarray without a good reason. It didn't take him long to understand what was going on. There was only one logical explanation.

It was as he feared. Fujinmon must have switched sides during the battle, along with his troops. Suijinmon grimaced and dug his metal fingers into the grass of the hill. He looked around the battlefield swiftly, trying to take stock of the whole situation.

To the south, he saw the D-Brigade's southern flank surrounded on each side by the Order's army and Formations A and B of the D-Brigade respectively. To the north, he could see Raijinmon's flank attacking the D-Brigade's rear lines along with Alphamon, Magnamon, RhodoKnightmon, the Order's Defence Forces, and the Republic of Node's military. In the center, he could see his direct subordinate, Darkdramon, leading Suijinmon's troops in an attack on Chaosdramon.

There was no longer any doubt in his mind: a civil war within the D-Brigade was taking place. Suijinmon shut his eyes. The dirt and grass within the palms of his Accel Arms was crushed into data. He cursed himself for not getting here sooner. A feeling of dread, loss, and helplessness washed over him. He had been unable to stop Fujinmon and Raijinmon from turning on Chaosdramon. Now, he was caught in the middle. Did he have to choose a side? Did he have to choose between his friends and his Emperor? Could he just sit on the sidelines and watch as they destroyed each other? His own, loyal soldiers were attacking the Emperor. Suijinmon didn't know what to do, and it manifested in frustration.

Suijinmon opened his furious, red eyes and stared down from the hill at Chaosdramon. He saw that the emperor was fighting hard against the Royal Knights and the D-Brigade. He noticed that he saw surrounded by deep, swelling, black fissures.

Before he could think about it further, Suijinmon saw Fujinmon soaring through the air, circling around Chaosdramon from behind. Fujinmon unleashed two blasts of wind that sailed down and slammed into Chaosdramon's red-digizoid covered back. Seeing Fujinmon, the Digimon who had caused this, caused Suijinmon's bubbling anger, sorrow, and frustration to amplify. The green Hurricane Commander became the object of Suijinmon's woes.

"FUJINMOOOOOON!" Suijinmon bellowed, grabbing a large clump of grass and soil from the hill. He swung his Accel Arm forward and hurled the giant mound of dirt towards him.

Hearing the bellow and sensing a presence behind him, Fujinmon swung around to see the cluster of earth flying towards him. He swept his Critical Arm out and cut through the mass. It spared him the impact but sprayed dirt across his body. Fujinmon summoned a small gust of wind to blow the dirt off of him. The Hurricane Commander flew forwards to see who had attacked him. He was stunned to see Suijinmon on top of the hill, glaring at him deeply.

"S-Suijinmon…" Fujinmon whispered.

At first, he was stunned to see him. But soon, a sense of dread washed over him. Suijinmon could ruin everything if he wanted. He could tell his troops that Fujinmon had been lying about Chaosdramon arresting him. He could turn them against him. In the worst case scenario, he might have to fight against Suijinmon. However, the situation was still salvageable. He just needed to earn back Suijinmon's trust and show him what is going on.

Fujinmon swooped downwards, withdrawing the beam blades of his Critical Arms as a show of good faith. He landed on the crest of the hill and turned towards Suijinmon. "Suijinmon… You escaped…" he remarked.

Suijinmon sneered and lashed out with his Accel Arm. He grabbed hold of Fujinmon's collar and upper body, and lifted him off of the ground. "Yes, I did," Suijinmon told him bitterly, glaring at Fujinmon at eye level.

Fujinmon winced at the tight grab, but didn't resist. "I'm sorry about that, but it was for the best," he insisted, his legs dangling in the air as Suijinmon held him up.

"You fool! Can you really say that this is for the best?!" Suijinmon demanded, looking out across the battlefield. He turned his Accel Arm and made Fujinmon look out at the chaos and carnage, showing him the battlefield as the D-Brigade fought each other. "I warned you not to do this… but no… you know best, don't you? Fujinmon always knows best…"

Fujinmon took in a breath and looked at Suijinmon calmly. "Yes, this was my plan… but we didn't make the first move…" Fujinmon explained. He extended one of his metal arms out and pointed down at Chaosdramon. "You see those black fissures down there? A single soldier was apparently corrupted by the data coming from it. He turned around and attacked Chaosdramon, and that was all that it took for Chaosdramon to start decimating Raijinmon's flank. He turned on us in an instant. You see? That was how this all started."

Suijinmon looked at Fujinmon sceptically. "What?" he asked him firmly. "What do you take me for…? How many times have you lied for your ambitions? How many times have you lied to your friends? I trusted you, Fujinmon…"

Fujinmon sighed. He realised that it would be hard to make Suijinmon trust him again, even if what he was saying was technically true. "I'm telling the truth… I admit that I fueled the fires in order to make the soldiers more pliable to turning on Chaosdramon… but even if I didn't, Chaosdramon would still be obliterating them." Fujinmon pointed at Chaosdramon as he prepared to fire another pair of beams from his shoulders. "Look, Suijinmon. Look at what he's doing to his own D-Brigade! Those are _your_ soldiers there!"

Suijinmon turned to look at Chaosdramon and the soldiers facing him. He definitely recognised his soldiers. He could identify each one. Every single one. They were launching attacks at Chaosdramon from both the ground and the air.

"Hyper Mugen Cannon," Chaosdramon spoke. Two beams tore from his shoulder cannons and swept across Suijinmon's soldiers, enveloping the ground and leaving nothing in their wake.

Suijinmon's eyes widened when he saw a dozen of his soldiers be deleted in an instant. He dropped Fujinmon to the ground in utter shock. The Waterfall Commander slowly turned on the hill, facing Chaosdramon fully. His limbs tensed up and he dug his metal claws deep into the ground, gripping hard enough to cause the earth to tremble.

He continued to watch Chaosdramon fighting against his troops. Suijinmon was stunned when he saw Chaosdramon fire a missile into the ranks of his Formation C. His crimson eyes narrowed tightly with emotion as he watched an explosion tear through a Tankdramon and a Z'dGarurumon.

Suijinmon's junior officer, a MetalGarurumon X-Antibody, sneered and unleashed a barrage of missiles from his body towards Chaosdramon. "Concentrate your fire, everyone! This is for Commander Suijinmon!" he shouted "Grace Cross Freezer!"

The missiles, blasts, and lasers pounded against Chaosdramon's metal body, sending explosions ripping against his thick, red digizoid armour. Smoke wafted around his giant body, and the metal began to bend under the immense pressure.

Chaosdramon growled and aimed his cannons through the cloud of smoke. "Perish, you traitors."

Suijinmon watched as two beams pierced through the smoke and engulfed his junior officer. MetalGarurumon X-Antibody's chrome digizoid armour melted under Chaosdramon's power, and he was reduced to data. The resulting explosion swallowed up both D-Brigade and coalition soldiers.

Fujinmon winced at the sight and turned to Suijinmon. Although Suijinmon looked calm, his body was tense and the fingers of his Accel Arms trembled as they dug into the earth. He could tell that rage and sorrow were brimming just below the surface.

"…Suijinmon… Your soldiers are fighting for you…" Fujinmon explained sadly. "Chaosdramon said that he wanted you arrested for treason, so your soldiers stood up for you. And now look what Chaosdramon is doing. Look at the lengths that your soldiers are going to for you. They are even fighting alongside our enemy. The loyalty they hold to you transcends even the deeply ingrained sense of loyalty that they have to the emperor."

Suijinmon bowed his head and his thoughts began to fuse with his emotions.

"Nobody…" he murmured.

Suijinmon looked up with a furious look in his blood red eyes. The Waterfall Commander glared daggers at Chaosdramon. It was a look that he never would have dared to make before.

"NOBODY DOES THAT TO MY SOLDIERS!" he roared.

Suijinmon began tearing down the face of the hill. He ran like a charging rhinoceros, his heavy footsteps digging into the soil of the hill as he made his way to the bottom. Once he reached the bottom of the mound, he skidded to a stop and began to adjust the trajectory of his four cannons. The four Mugen Cannons mounted on Suijinmon's shoulders aimed directly at Chaosdramon.

"CHAOSDRAMON!" Suijinmon's deep voice bellowed across the battlefield. "STOP IT IMMEDIATELY!"

Darkdramon stopped in the air and was stunned to see Suijinmon on the battlefield. "Commander!"

Omegamon and Dukemon looked over at the new arrival. "It's Suijinmon," Omegamon observed.

Dukemon frowned. "Is he with us too?" he wondered

Chaosdramon heard the booming voice behind him. He backhanded Darkdramon away and turned his saurian head to look over his shoulder. Upon seeing Suijinmon there, pointing his cannons at him, the emperor's eyes narrowed. "Suijinmon… So, the traitor finally shows his face…"

"I have never betrayed you, Your Majesty…" Suijinmon responded, glaring at him with a furious gaze. "Not once…"

"No, you are too much of a coward, so you ordered your subordinates to do it for you," Chaosdramon responded with a derisive sneer.

After a moment, Suijinmon growled. "…Those are my loyal subordinates that you are killing, Emperor…" he warned him. "If you do not surrender now…"

"Silence, you mindless follower! Fujinmon put an idea in your head and you don't have enough of a backbone to decline an order," Chaosdramon interrupted bitingly. "All who oppose me shall be eliminated from existence. You and your soldiers included."

Suijinmon balled the hands of his Accel Arms into fists. He took a deep, calming breath before straightening his body with resolve. "…Soldiers! Chaosdramon is an enemy of the Metal Empire! Help me defeat him!" Suijinmon called out to his soldiers.

"Yes, Commander!" Darkdramon called out, beginning a chorus from Suijinmon's loyal soldiers.

Fujinmon released the bated breath that he had been holding. He smiled with relief and soared down the hill. "With all of the Storm Commanders and the majority of the D-Brigade against you, what legitimacy do you have?" Fujinmon asked Chaosdramon.

"My strength is my legitimacy!" Chaosdramon snarled, turning around to try to face them.

Suijinmon angled his Mugen Cannons at Chaosdramon. "Your strength is hollow, Your Majesty," he told him. "Mugen Cannon!"

Four beams ripped from Suijinmon's cannons towards Chaosdramon. The cyborg dinosaur turned around and raised his arms in front of himself. The thick, pillars of energy slammed into his body and tore against his thick defences, exacerbating the cracks in the metal. Chaosdramon growled and dug his metal feet into the ground in order to stop himself from being pushed back.

Craniamon stabbed his Claiohm Solais through the torso of the HiAndromon that he was duelling. He then spun around and threw the skewered android into the beams. He grunted and watched as Chaosdramon withstood the attack. "How is he still living after that?" he asked himself as the beam began to fade.

Chaosdramon's body smoked from the beam blasts. He was damaged, but still in one piece. The emperor raised his claws towards Suijinmon. "Destroyed Hook!"

Fujinmon sneered. "Suijinmon, get to your soldiers. You're no good over there. And watch out for those dark rifts," he advised him, flying through the sky and forming gusts of wind around his Critical Arms. "Marut Cyclone!"

A blade of wind cut through the missile as the bomb flew towards Suijinmon. The missile exploded over the ground and tore up the earth above a rift, further widening the fissure. "Affirmative," Suijinmon responded, running in a semi-circle around Chaosdramon in order to bypass the dark rifts that scattered the grass behind him.

Chaosdramon grunted and turned forwards. His throughput ran at maximum speeds in order keep track of all of his surroundings. Due to the high amount of enemies attacking him, he needed to be constantly thinking and reacting. When Dukemon jumped up and tried to stab Chaosdramon from behind, he lashed his tail out and slammed it into Dukemon's gut.

Dukemon choked out a grunt and slid across the grass. As he skidded, he jerked back into a backwards somersault to get himself back on his feet. "Ngh! …Damn… All that bulk isn't just for show," Dukemon muttered. He looked into the air for assistance. "Dynasmon! We could use your muscle over here!

Dynasmon grunted and swerved through the air. A beam, fired from the ZekeGreymon that he was facing, streaked by him, nearly singing his wing. "I'm a little busy, Dukemon!" he shouted, flapping his wings and swooping down when the ZekeGreymon started spewing flames at him.

"Leave it to me!" Gankoomon shouted passionately, dashing forwards and levelling a punch to Chaosdramon's snout hard enough to send him recoiling a pace. Gankoomon then landed on the ground and clenched his fists. "Jishin! Kaminari! Kaji! Oyaji!" he shouted, summoning Hinukamui around his body.

Hinukamui roared and swept out from Gankoomon's form. He levelled a punch towards Chaosdramon, who caught the aura fist in his claw. Hinukamui then lashed out with his other arm, swiping his claws across Chaosdramon's face. Chaosdramon growled and fired a missile from his right claws, causing it to detonate within Hinukamui's body. The detonation extinguished the energy dragon enough to make him return back to Gankoomon's body.

Meanwhile, the nearby ZekeGreymon aimed his cannon arm at Dynasmon. "Plasma Railgun!" he spoke, launching a linear beam from his cannon towards the wyvern knight.

Dynasmon twisted his body in the air as the beam cut through the air towards him. The bright, golden beam grazed his shoulder armour. The chrome digizoid was strong enough to resist the beam, but a stray strand of the plasma burned across his bicep, cutting into his pale, violet scales.

The Royal Knight hissed with pain and adrenaline surged through his body. His red eyes narrowed with primal combat instinct and his body began to be surrounded by a bright, blue aura.

"Breath of Wyvern!" Dynasmon roared as Wyvern surged out of his body. The giant, aura drake roared as it tore towards the ZekeGreymon.

The giant, golden dinosaur tried firing blast after blast from his cannon towards the raging beast, but the shots just shot through his body. Wyvern descended upon the ZekeGreymon and crushed him under his immense, draconic pressure.

"Emperor!" the ZekeGreymon shouted as his gold digizoid armour fractured under the overwhelming force and he was reduced to a massive cloud of data.

As the blue explosion erupted in front of him, Dynasmon's muscles slackened and he panted heavily. A single Breath of Wyvern attack required a cooldown time in which Dynasmon needed to recover his energy. That attack was a particularly powerful one, as he poured an excessive amount of energy into that attack, so he was momentarily drained. This left him vulnerable.

He turned his head and his eyes widened. Chaosdramon took advantage of the opportunity to attack him. The giant dinosaur reached out with his right hand and grabbed Dynasmon within his crushing claws. Dynasmon winced and resisted against Chaosdramon, trying to break free from his grip. However, despite having the strongest physical strength of the Royal Knights, Dynasmon was lacking the energy required to free himself.

Chaosdramon squeezed tightly and held Dynasmon up into the air. "You are the first of a dozen Royal Knights that I will kill today," Chaosdramon said to him, beginning to turn his shoulder cannons towards Dynasmon.

"Dynasmon!" Dukemon yelled. He rushed forwards and stabbed the Gram lance into the thick scales of Chaosdramon's upper leg.

"Marut Cyclone!" Fujinmon called out, unleashing concentrated blasts of wind into the arm holding Dynasmon.

"Garuru Cannon!" Omegamon also shouted, swiftly launching blasts from his cannon into Chaosdramon's side.

Chaosdramon appeared to be unaffected, or at least unperturbed, by these attacks. Rather than being unharmed, dark energy flooded through his body, numbing his pain. He was monomaniacally focused on destruction. He lowered his head and levelled a deep glare at Dynasmon with his red eyes. Even as blood dripped out of his mouth, he aimed his cannons at the Royal Knight in his grasp and prepared to fire.

Dynasmon's eyes widened as he stared down the barrels of Chaosdramon's double Hyper Mugen Cannons, watching as the dark energy swirled within the thick metal. He struggled desperately to push himself out of Chaosdramon's tight claws. He managed to open Chaosdramon's grip by several inches, but it wasn't enough for him to escape. He sneered and shut his eyes as the cannons prepared to fire at him, leaving him no opportunity to escape. "Dukemon… help!"

"Hahah! I'm here to save the day!" a deep voice bellowed excitedly. "Omega Burst!"

Dynasmon opened his eyes with confusion, recognizing the familiar, accented voice.

Suddenly, a giant fireball exploded against Chaosdramon and engulfed his entire body, turning him into an inferno. Then, a giant, red body smashed into Chaosdramon's in a full-body tackle. Chaosdramon snarled and released Dynasmon. He was knocked off of his feet and crashed to the ground, firing his two cannons randomly into the air as he teetered over.

The Royal Knights looked up and saw a giant dragon flapping in the air above them. He was clad in red plate armour and swept his large, fiery wings out. Over his head, he wore a white helmet and a pair of blue goggles.

AncientGreymon turned and flashed a broad grin at Dynasmon. "You'll have to do better than that, Dynasmon!" he playfully rebuked the Royal Knight.

Dynasmon laughed and folded his arms, breathing a sigh of relief as he began to feel his draconic energy return to his body. "AncientGreymon!" he greeted with a wide smirk. "You just can't help yourself, can you? Always have to make a big, flashy entrance!"

"What can I say? I have a flare for the dramatic!" AncientGreymon announced with a grin. "Anyways, the Warrior Ten are finally here. You don't have to worry!"

A humanoid wolf Digimon clad in white armour rolled his eyes and jumped down from a giant beetle Digimon, who was flying overhead. AncientGarurumon landed nearby with his two, giant, golden swords in his hands. He turned and looked at the black rifts across the battlefield with a bitter grimace.

AncientGreymon looked over. "AncientGarurumon, you deal with the small fry. AncientBeatmon, you cover us from the air!" he spoke.

"You got it, Grey!" AncientBeatmon called back, summoning bolts of lightning from the clouds that struck a Mugendramon and began shooting through his metal body and frying his circuits.

Dynasmon looked across the battlefield. He could see the rest of the Warrior Ten on their way as well. He could see the big, woolly form of AncientMegatheriummon supporting Raijinmon and Alphamon's flank. With him was the rocky body of AncientVolcamon, the mystical, mirror-shaped figure of AncientWisemon, and the wooden, cannon-laden form of AncientTroiamon. They had joined in with the northern flank and were helping them breach through Chaosdramon's lines.

Meanwhile, AncientMermaimon sent pillars of water shooting out of the nearby river and onto enemy D-Brigade Digimon, crushing them into the dirt. The black, feline body of AncientSphinxmon soared through the air alongside AncientIrismon. Her humanoid body flew over to AncientGreymon along with AncientSphinxmon.

AncientSphinxmon looked down around Chaosdramon. His eyes narrowed when he saw all of the dark rifts. "The Dark Area's barrier…" he spoke.

"This is bad," AncientIrismon agreed, calmly holding her rapier.

The grin disappeared from AncientGreymon's face. "Yeah… I'm supposed to tap into the Dragon's Veins, but this is going to be even harder than we thought now," he mused, remembering the job he had to do with Imperialdramon Paladin Mode.

"We've got more pressing issues right now," Dynasmon reminded them, nodding over at Chaosdramon, who stood to his feet.

"We need to begin to focus on the Dark Area," Duftmon's voice rung out over Dynasmon's LRAC. "The tide of battle has shifted against Chaosdramon. Finish up with him quickly so that we can focus on the more pressing issue. Also, I am coming to the front lines, Duftmon out."

Chaosdramon growled and pointed his Hyper Mugen Cannons at the Royal Knights and the Warrior Ten. "Do not disregard me… This battle isn't over until you are all crushed under my feet!" he warned them. His eyes flashed and he continued to absorb dark energy from the Dark Area.

AncientGarurumon snarled when he saw this. "He's the one causing this?"

Omegamon narrowed his eyes and flew into the air, looking at Chaosdramon. "You have done enough damage, Chaosdramon. Surrender peacefully. You should be able to tell that this battle is over…" Omegamon explained to him. He pointed his Grey Sword to the north.

The northern flank was breaking through Chaosdramon's lines. Alphamon flew through the sky and fired an emerald beam from his hand that tore through an UltimateBrachimon's head. The saurian dinosaur collapsed to the ground with a quake-like tremor before his body burst into a haze of data. Nearby, Raijinmon caused a bolt of lightning to rip from the clouds and send a paralysing shock through the body of a BlackSaintGalgomon. He then angled the batteries on his back towards the massive bombardment Digimon and unleashed four torrents of electrons clear through his body.

RhodoKnightmon jumped out of the crowd and drove his Pile Bunker into a lunging BlackMetalGarurumon's chest, which tore through him and detonated the munitions within. The rose knight jumped back to evade the explosion and landed gracefully on the grass. Meanwhile, Magnamon unleashed a barrage of missiles from his armour. The missiles steamed through the air and soared towards Chaosdramon. The giant cyborg Digimon lashed his left arm out and bashed the missiles in mid-air. They exploded on contact with his arm and ripped chunks of the fractured metal off of his wrist, revealing circuits and scales underneath.

Chaosdramon gritted his teeth. His northern defences were falling and he was going to be outflanked from the left. He then watched as Omegamon pointed to the south. He quickly glanced towards the southern hill to take stock of the situation.

The Aerial Strike Forces and the D-Brigade rebels were pushing Chaosdramon's D-Brigade loyalists back towards Chaosdramon's position. Sleipmon and Examon fired from the hillside into the D-Brigade while slowly moving forwards. Sleipmon took precise aim at the Digimons' non-vital parts. He incapacitated Digimon by shooting their legs, hands, and weapons, while also occasionally freezing them from the neck down. Examon, meanwhile, became more liberal with his sniping. He infected many Digimon with incapacitating viruses or special shells, but he also unleashed deadly shots. He fired a beam from the Ambrosius that bore through a MetalSeadramon's snout cannon.

As this happened, UlforceVeedramon cut through the sky and spun around, swiping his Ulforce Sabre down the chest of a Crossmon. Sparks poured from the metallic eagle and he plummeted to the ground. UlforceVeedramon then puffed his chest out and sent a V-shaped beam surging from his chest. The golden ray burned across the ground and enveloped several D-Brigade Digimon. As smoke wafted up from his chest, UlforceVeedramon looked down and saw that the Chaosdramon-loyal D-Brigade Digimon were being pushed back towards Chaosdramon and his remaining soldiers.

UlforceVeedramon looked over at Sleipmon and Examon. "Come on, guys! We're pushing them back! Let's move up and keep the pressure on them!" he called out to them.

"Blockade!" a deep, firm voice called out. A brown blur cut along a Tankmon, a Mechanorimon, and an Andromon, causing them to burst into data. Duftmon: Leopard Mode skidded to a stop and turned around, looking up at UlforceVeedramon, Sleipmon and Examon. "Yes, move up and encircle Chaosdramon in a pincer. Outflank him completely," Duftmon commanded.

"Okay," Sleipmon stated, jumping off of the hill and extending his gold wings so that he soared into the sky.

"Affirmative," Examon agreed, flapping his Caledfwlch wings and shooting into the D-Brigade as he ascended.

Duftmon: Leopard Mode nodded and flew into the air as well. "Move up, OuRyuumon. Work together with those D-Brigade formations. You should all be capable of tactical interoperability," he ordered.

"Yeah, okay," OuRyuumon dismissively said as his body glowed with a golden aura and he launched himself into a Cannondramon right as the cyborg unleashed a barrage of a cannons from his back.

Chaosdramon snarled as the Cannondramon buckled and was crushed into the ground. The southern flank was collapsing as well. He could feel the enemy surrounding him, fueling his paranoia and desperation.

Omegamon leered at Chaosdramon. "This battle is over, Chaosdramon. Surrender peacefully while you still can. End the meaningless loss of life," he beseeched him, "or face the consequences."

Alphamon stabbed his Seiken Gradalpha through the chest of a black MetalGreymon and then kicked him off. He flapped his wings and flew over to Omegamon's side, standing in solidarity with his friend's suggestion. "Yes, Chaosdramon. Give up."

Raijinmon stalked over, aiming his Blitz Arms at Chaosdramon threateningly. "Do as they say. You will be treated fairly…"

"Give up? Treat me fairly?" Chaosdramon asked with dull incredulity. "Do you have any idea who you are talking to?" He pointed his claws to Fujinmon and Suijinmon. "You expect me to watch as everything that I built is destroyed by a bunch of a _worthless usurpers_?"

Chaosdramon took a threatening step forwards, stomping his foot down on top of a wounded Sealsdramon. As the Digimon burst into data under his foot, Chaosdramon began to angle his cannons to fire again. "Meaningless loss of life? This loss of life will have meaning when all of you are utterly destroyed! If you think you have the power to kill me, do it! As it stands now, none of you can raise a hand to me and my perfect order! Anybody who stands in the way of progress shall be eliminated! The Metal Empire is a shining beacon of technology, security and order within a chaotic, worthless Digital World! You think that you can have peace with democracy and cooperation?! You are only artificing your own destruction by trying to stand in my way!" Chaosdramon ranted.

Dukemon stared up at him incredulously. "He's completely lost it!" he exclaimed. "He's gone off the deep end."

Alphamon nodded and aimed his palm at Chaosdramon. "That makes him more dangerous than ever. He won't listen to reason."

Omegamon winced and gazed at the dark data that continued to funnel into Chaosdramon's internal engines. "It's the dark data… It's bringing out the worst in him. He must be thoroughly corrupted by now…" he bitterly explained.

"He was corrupt and ruthless long before today," Fujinmon stated, floating in the air.

"He must be stopped," Suijinmon agreed.

"Once and for all," Raijinmon added, walking up beside his two comrades.

Chaosdramon angled his cannons down at them. "Then try it! I will be the last one standing! I will not be thwarted by a bunch of a scrapmetal Commanders whom I allowed to live! Hyper Mugen Cannon!" he shouted.

The cannons spewed out a torrent of dark energy towards the three Storm Commanders and the nearby Royal Knights.

"Scatter!" Suijinmon shouted, aiming his own cannons towards Chaosdramon. "Mugen Cannon!"

Suijinmon fired his four Mugen Cannons so that his four beams slammed into Chaosdramon's two. What Suijinmon had in quantity, Chaosdramon had in quality. The two beams howled and collided against each other. The white stands of energy fused and split against the dark power that contended with it. Tendrils of power branched out in a dangerous burst of energy.

"Suijinmon!" Raijinmon called out. The gold plated commander ran over and raised his Blitz Arms towards the sky. "Bark Storm!"

The dark grey clouds overhead ignited with electricity. Lightning bolts came piercing down and struck Chaosdramon's body repeatedly, causing his red body to tense up and writhe. The beams fired from his cannons died down and fizzled out.

However, even as electricity danced along the metal of his body, Chaosdramon ran forwards and raised his right arm over his head. He swung it down onto Raijinmon and crushed him into the ground. Then, when Raijinmon was under his palm, he fired a missile into him at point blank range. Smoke and flames erupted underneath Chaosdramon's claws, engulfing Raijinmon within.

"No!" Suijinmon shouted with worry. He sneered furiously and dashed towards Chaosdramon, preparing to attack him with his Accel Arms.

Chaosdramon looked at him and then raised his left arm towards Suijinmon. He ejected his claws towards the red Digimon. They stabbed into the Waterfall Commander's chest and shoulder, digging into his body and splitting one of his cannons down the middle. Suijinmon's legs buckled and his body went numb.

"Suijinmon! Raijinmon!" Fujinmon shouted angrily. He ripped through the air and swooped down on Chaosdramon. "Damn you! Critical Arm!"

He plunged his laser blades into Chaosdramon's neck. Blood and oil came spilling out, but Chaosdramon was unfazed. The emperor slapped Fujinmon out of the sky with his thick, muscular tail and sent him slamming into the ground.

Chaosdramon then raised his foot and drove it down on top of Fujinmon. He stomped down on Fujinmon repeatedly, putting all of his weight into his foot. Fujinmon cried out with pain as he was pressed into the ground again and again.

Alphamon watched as Chaosdramon pummelled his subordinates. His eyes flashed red with intensity, and he gripped the Seiken Gradalpha tightly. "Royal Knights, take him down!" he commanded, pointing forward at Chaosdramon. He opened up his extended hand and particles of green energy began to be sucked into the gem of his palm. "Digitalize of Soul!"

The beam discharged out of his hand and tore through Chaosdramon's elbow. Chaosdramon hissed with pain and pulled his right arm back, releasing Raijinmon's smoking, fractured body from under his claws.

"We'll cover you!" AncientGreymon announced, flying into the air and spewing flames into a nearby Mugendramon.

A phosphorescent arrow pierced through the Mugendramon's shoulder cannon, causing it to explode. Gaioumon lowered the bow that he created by combining his Kikurin swords together. "I have your back, AncientGreymon," he stated calmly, eyeing the large dragon Digimon above him.

AncientGreymon looked down at Gaioumon with a fiery glare that revealed a long-seated history. "Tch," he scoffed, turning his head away. "Not bloody likely." Without another word to him, he swooped down and tackled the Mugendramon into the ground.

"Garuru Cannon!" Omegamon called out, releasing four rapid fire blasts of energy onto Chaosdramon's body. The concentrated energy blasts exploded against him, tearing fragments of red digizoid off of his body. After the intense, continuous pummelling, the red digizoid was finally beginning to show signs of wear and tear. The sturdy metal was bent and warped in some places, and hairline fractures were beginning to form in Chaosdramon's body.

"Final Elysion!" Dukemon shouted fierily. He aimed the glowing face of the Aegis shield at the left side of Chaosdramon's form. A giant column of energy surged from the shield and slammed into Chaosdramon.

Chaosdramon growled as the burning, holy power raged against his durable body. The energy tore against him, sending fractures up his left arm. It superheated the metal covering him and burned the exposed parts of his scales. He snarled with pain as he drove his feet into the ground, still crushing Fujinmon beneath him. He stubbornly held against the crushing energy that railed against him.

When the beam faded, Chaosdramon's body was left smoking and weakened. He was forced to withdraw his claws from Suijinmon's body. Suijinmon grunted with pain and lurched forwards onto his Accel Arms.

"You honestly think that you can stand against me?" Chaosdramon's gravelly, mechanical voice hissed. Steam ejected from his crimson backpack and he aimed his massive artillery cannons at the Royal Knights. "Hyper Mugen Cannon!"

The howitzers breathed out destructive energy that gushed towards the Royal Knights, threatening to consume them.

"Leave it to me!" Craniamon shouted, dashing out in front of the beams. He skidded to a stop and planted his boots firmly against the burnt ground. He pulled the Avalon shield up, which pulsed with holy energy. "God Bless!"

The dark, crushing emissions slammed into Craniamon's shield, but they were unable get past him. The beams impacted the impenetrable barrier and funneled outwards. Craniamon counted the seconds in his head as the dual beams raged against his shield, causing the omnidirectional barrier to flicker. After the third second, the beams began to die down, and he was able to block the residual energy with the Avalon.

Once the attack faded, Craniamon suddenly rushed forwards. He lunged into the air, rearing the Claiohm Solais over his head. In one swift, fluid action, He slashed the Claiohm Solais down Chaosdramon's face. The then spun the spear around in one fluid motion, and thrust the tip right into Chaosdramon's eye. Chaosdramon howled with pain and recoiled on reflex. He clutched his face and backed up, removing his foot from Fujinmon's body. Craniamon then stabbed the thick head of the spear into one of the fractures in Chaosdramon's red digizoid armour, wrenching it open more.

"Chaos Crusher!" Chaosdramon lashed out with his claws ripping up the ground in front of him. Craniamon raised his shield to protect himself and was thrown back violently by the attack, but remained largely unharmed.

"An opening!" Dynasmon stated, raising his claws up. "Dragon's Roar!"

Gankoomon ran forwards and unleashed Hinukamui from his body. "Let's let him have it! Jishin! Kaminari! Kaji! Oyaji!" he shouted, causing the golden dragon to surge forwards.

The beams that Dynasmon fired flanked Hinukamui as they closed in on Chaosdramon. The two attacks slammed into Chaosdramon's armoured chest and exploded in a devastating blast. The detonation engulfed the front of Chaosdramon's body and tore open the fractures in his armour.

Chaosdramon snarled and recoiled another step. He continued harnessing the power of the Dark Area, further exacerbating the rifts around him. He raised his right arm to fire a missile from his claws at the Royal Knights. "Destroyed Hook!" he hissed, launching the missile.

"Bifröst!"

As the missile exited Chaosdramon's palm, an arrow pierced through the organic explosive's side. The missile detonated directly in front of Chaosdramon, catching him in the resulting explosion.

Sleipmon galloped over and came to a stop. He raised his shield in front of himself and narrowed his eyes. "Odin's Breath!" he called out, unleashing a concentrated blizzard from his shield. The frozen energy swept across Chaosdramon's body, and ice began to crawl up Chaosdramon's feet and legs, holding him in place.

As Chaosdramon was occupied, Examon soared over Sleipmon and charged towards Chaosdramon. He coiled the Ambrosius back before thrusting it forwards powerfully. "Avalon's Gate!" he shouted, stabbing his lance into Chaosdramon's side before ejecting a shell into him. The shell exploded against Chaosdramon's scales and unleashed viral data into his body. The virus affected his arms and began to corrupt their functions.

Chaosdramon punched Examon away with his claws and pointed his hand cannon at him. "Damn you. Destroyed Hook!" he shouted, expecting to fire a missile at Examon. Much to his surprise, the missile didn't fire. "What…?!"

Using the opportunity, RhodoKnightmon dashed across the grass and vaulted towards Chaosdramon. He poised his fist back as he lunged at Chaosdramon's face. "Urgent Fear!" he spoke as he drove his Pile Bunker forward.

The golden Pile Bunker slammed into the side of Chaosdramon's snout before exploding with compressed power. The concentrated force tore chunks of metal off of his red digizoid helmet, revealing the flesh underneath.

"Eroberung!" Duftmon: Leopard Mode spoke, pouncing over and swiping his tail outwards when he gracefully landed.

As Chaosdramon recoiled several steps in response to the immense force, he unwittingly backed up into a series of energy mines that Duftmon has released from his tail. The strategically placed mines erupted around Chaosdramon, catching his body in a series of explosions.

"Hey, save some for us!" UlforceVeedramon stated, flying over and stopping in the air. He turned and looked over at Magnamon. "Shall we, Magna-chan?"

"Don't call me that in the middle of a battle!" Magnamon complained, although allowing the missile ports on his gold digizoid armour to snap open. "Let's do it. Plasma Shoot!"

"Shining V Force!" UlforceVeedramon shouted, sending a golden beam shooting from his chest.

The beam slammed into Chaosdramon's chest, burning through the red digizoid. Magnamon's golden missiles sailed down and converged into the same part of Chaosdramon's body. All eight missiles detonated at once and tore apart what was left of the red digizoid armour.

Chaosdramon lurched forwards. Pieces of his Metal Body fell to the ground and blood seeped out of his mouth and eye. Smoke drifted up from his beaten and ravaged body. He stood on uneasy footing. The Royal Knights began to relax.

However, he lifted his head and gave the Royal Knights a baleful glare. He began taking in enormous amounts of dark data from the ground for one final, defiant attempt at victory. "I will not… be defeated…" he breathed, his cold, hollow voice sounding haggard. "You all… will kneel before me…" He angled his cannons down at the Royal Knights. "Hyper Mugen Cannon!"

Beams tore out of his shoulder cannons and strafed across the ground, trying to eat up as much area as possible. They washed across the twelve Royal Knights and crushed them into the devastated ground. A massive explosion erupted and plumed into the sky.

Alphamon grimaced with pain as the beam slammed against their bodies. Once the enormous, crushing pressure faded, he slowly pushed himself up on his elbows. "How can he still be standing…?" he asked, panting from the devastating assault.

Omegamon winced and pushed himself onto his hands and knees. "He's using the dark data to push himself beyond his limits…" he spoke.

Dukemon planted his lance into the ground to help steady himself as he stood to his feet. "Do we have to keep attacking him piece by piece until he's finally deleted?" he asked, sneering at Chaosdramon.

"Leave it to us," a voice spoke.

As the Royal Knights rose, they turned towards the voice.

It was Raijinmon, who pulled his cracked and battered golden body to his feet. He dusted himself up and turned to look at Suijinmon. "I think that we should be the ones who finish this…" he stated. "Suijinmon? Fujinmon?"

Suijinmon released a deep, stirring murmur. Despite the oil seeping out of his red, metal body, he dipped into his reserves of energy and stood upright. "Yes… Raijinmon…" he agreed.

Fujinmon grimaced and slowly flew up. Chunks of green armour fell from his fractured body as he floated unevenly in the air. Nevertheless, there was a look of determination in his eyes. The Hurricane Commander turned and looked at Suijinmon guiltily. "Suijinmon… I apologise for what I did…" he said to him sincerely. He looked into his eyes. "Are you with us?"

Suijinmon turned and looked at Fujinmon with a loyal, resolute gaze. "Always…"

Raijinmon smiled and walked forwards, carrying himself with dignity despite his damaged and fractured form. "It is time for the Storm Commanders to take center stage… Behold, Royal Knights. And trust us in the same way that we trust each other," Raijinmon stated, looking over his shoulder at Alphamon.

Raijinmon clasped his Blitz Arms behind his back and straightened his posture. His golden body began to glow with a bright, refulgent light. "Raijinmon…"

Fujinmon floated forwards calmly. He pulled his legs together, bowed his head, and extended his Critical Arms outwards. His slender body became engulfed in a radiance that lit up the dark clouds. "Fujinmon…"

Suijinmon took a few steps forwards and planted his massive Accel Arms firmly against the ground. He closed his eyes with thought as his giant body gleamed with the resplendence of evolution. "Suijinmon…"

"Jogress Shinka!"

The three bodies of the Storm Commanders combined into one as their hearts merged. Their size grew exponentially as they fused and evolved.

"…Raidenmon!"

A massive machine Digimon emerged from the light, painted in green camouflage. It was a colossal tank with two giant feet with treads on its soles. They connected to a bulky body that was made up of thick, durable metal. On the front of the body was metal covering from which a calm, red eye that stared out from a dark slit. Above what was effectively Raidenmon's 'head' was a dangerous looking cannon. Connected to his metal body were two large arms. The right arm consisted solely of a giant railgun, while the left arm was made up of a bulky set of steel claws. It was clear that the Digimon was heavily armed. Resting on top of his body were two, giant batteries that read 'VD' on their golden cathodes. Finally, he had a long, green tail which had a double-barrelled cannon mounted on its tip.

Raidenmon rolled forwards, his size was great enough to rival that of Chaosdramon. He locked eyes with the crimson emperor, and electricity began to spark across the batteries mounted on his back.

"Your reign of terror is over, Your Majesty…" Raidenmon calmly spoke to him, the Storm Commanders' three voices echoing deeply at once.

Chaosdramon glared at Raidenmon with cold contempt and derision. "I will take you with me, traitors," he retorted. He pointed his two cannons at Raidenmon and prepared to fire.

Alphamon grunted and raised his hand forwards. "Dynasmon! Gankoomon! Let's help them!" he commanded. He summoned a massive, glowing circle full of digicode and mystical glyphs in front of him. The magical circle burned resplendently as Alphamon's red eyes flashed. "Digitalize of Soul!"

A giant, glowing, draconic beast suddenly tore from the summoning portal and soared towards Chaosdramon.

"You got it, Alphamon!" Dynasmon agreed, beginning to pour draconic energy from his body. Wyvern's flamed danced along his body before suddenly rushing outwards. "Breath of Wyvern!"

"Let's teach this guy a lesson, Hinu!" Gankoomon shouted energetically. At his words, Hinukamui swelled up from Gankoomon's jacket and roared. "Jishin! Kaminari! Kaji! Oyaji!"

The three energy dragons flew forwards, side-by-side, and descended upon Chaosdramon's massive body. They slammed into him and began restraining the metal tyrant. Wyvern grabbed hold of Chaosdramon's left arm, while Hinukamui locked his arms around Chaosdramon's right arm. Meanwhile, Alphamon's giant dragon summon yanked Chaosdramon's Hyper Mugen Cannons back so that they pointed towards the sky, while his other arm locked around Chaosdramon's neck to hold him in place.

"Thank you," Raidenmon told the Royal Knights as he prepared to attack. "…Farewell, Emperor. Discharge Bomb!"

Electricity began surging out of Raidenmon's batteries, snapping and hissing actively as it took shape. The electrical energy aggregated in a massive beam of white, crackling power. The torrent of electricity swept towards Chaosdramon, who struggled violently against the dragons holding him.

"No…! My empire…!" Chaosdramon shouted, his blood-hued eye widening as the energy closed in on him.

The beam of concentrated electricity engulfed Chaosdramon. He released a roar of pain and fired two, final beams from his Hyper Mugen Cannons. They streaked harmlessly into the air before the Chaosdramon's cannons and backpack exploded. As the explosions tore through Chaosdramon's back, there was a large backflow of dark energy that caused the dark rifts to intensify for a moment. The torrent of electric power ripped through what was left of Chaosdramon's armour and swallowed him completely. The beam caused his body to melt and fracture before finally being obliterated in the folds of energy. Chaosdramon's body was atomized into trillions of fragments of data.

Raidenmon watched and lowered his arms as Chaosdramon's body dispersed into a massive haze of dispersing data.

"The king is dead…" Raidenmon spoke solemnly. "Long live the Metal Empire."

"Long live the Metal Empire!" the D-Brigade shouted.

The Royal Knights slackened and looked around. They felt that they were able to finally relax.

Now that Chaosdramon was dead, the remaining D-Brigade loyalists who had still been holding out proceeded to surrender. They had no reason to resist further, and they reluctantly accepted the outcome of the battle.

It was a long, hard-fought battle on both sides. The grassy plain had been devastated by attacks. There were craters, burnt trenches, and smoldering grass all over. Countless Digimon had been deleted, and even more were wounded. Even though the battle was over, they were nowhere near done working.

Raidenmon suddenly glowed and split into his three, composite parts. Raijinmon, Fujinmon, and Suijinmon emerged, exhausted and heavily wounded.

Alphamon walked forwards and extinguished his sword. He placed his hands on Raijinmon to help him stand. "Raijinmon, are you alright?" he asked him.

"I'm fine, thank you…" Raijinmon assured him. "I will be, now…"

Dukemon walked over to the three Storm Commanders, eyeing them sceptically. "I need to know that we didn't just create a new problem by helping you get rid of Chaosdramon. Can we trust you?" he asked them.

Fujinmon nodded. "I assure you that you can… We all chafed under Chaosdramon's oppressive rule. We didn't have the strength to act against him, so we had to let him have his way," Fujinmon explained. "Things will be different now… The Metal Empire that started this war is not the Metal Empire that I want."

Suijinmon grimaced and bowed his head. "I was blindly loyal to the wrong Digimon… I guess it took Fujinmon and Raijinmon's courage to open my eyes to the way that Chaosdramon really was…" he spoke in a bitter, remorseful voice.

Dynasmon grinned and walked over to him. "Anybody can make that mistake, just as long as you don't let it happen again in the future," he explained knowingly.

Alphamon nodded. "We're trusting you three to fill the vacuum that will be left by Chaosdramon's death," he said to the Storm Commanders. "I hope you will lead the Metal Empire down a better path. We will be watching."

Raijinmon nodded in response. "We will, Alphamon. As a show of good faith, we can draw up a peace treaty that assures status quo ante bellum. We will restore autonomy to the Dual Chess Monarchy, the Mamemon Kingdom, and the Free City of Saversburg, and we will withdraw our soldiers back to our own territory," he assured him. He offered his Blitz Arm to Alphamon. "You can depend on us, Alphamon."

Alphamon smiled a bit and took Raijinmon's hand, shaking it firmly. "I hope so."

"Alphamon…" Omegamon spoke. His voice was troubled.

Alphamon and the Royal Knights turned to look at him. Omegamon stared across the grassy plains. Despite the fact that Chaosdramon had been deleted, the dark rifts remained the same.

The deep, black fissures were still present throughout the battlefield. They continued to emit dark data into the air.

"The dark rifts…" Alphamon spoke, frowning deeply. "They're still here…"

Duftmon: Leopard Mode shifted back into his regular Duftmon form. He walked up beside Alphamon and stared at one of the large dark rifts in front of them. "I suppose this proves that Chaosdramon was passively tapping into the Dark Area. If he was doing so actively, the rifts would have closed when he was deleted. This is a worse scenario in actuality… What Chaosdramon did was exacerbate the weaknesses in the Dark Area. Unlike with Dorbickmon, the holes didn't close after he finished using them. Now the situation is even direr than it was before…"

Omegamon winced. "No…" he whispered.

"Looks like we have a lot of work to do," a firm, serious voice spoke from behind them.

The Royal Knights turned around and saw Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode soar towards them. The white armoured, dragon man flapped his broad, silver wings and gently touched down, clutching his Omega Blade in his hands.

"Imperialdramon…" Alphamon spoke.

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode walked over to them and rested the massive blade against his shoulder. "Sorry, I'm late everyone…" he apologised. "When we heard about the dark rifts, the meeting took an unexpected turn."

Imperialdramon looked around at all the wounded and the multitude of dark rifts. "…It looks like we still have a lot of work to do," he stated, his tone serious. However, despite the magnitude of the situation, he managed a small, light-hearted grin.

"Well, Royal Knights… Let's get to work."


	35. Chapter 25: Hard Reset

(Author's Notes: Here's Chapter 25. After this will be the Interlude (AKA the end of Part I). There might be a slight pause between Part I and Part II because I want to get a good head start on writing the current and next few chapters. It won't be anything crazy, but the update after the Interlude might be a bit slower coming. All depends on how much I can write.

Anyways, enjoy Chapter 25 and let me know what you think.)

**Chapter 25: Hard Reset**

The aftermath of the battle was a sort of organised chaos. Digimon were moving around every which way, scurrying around like bugs. From the outside, the grassy battlefield looked hectic and messy. However, there was a sort of internal logic to the chaos. Most of the Digimon moved around with clear orders and objectives in mind. After such a sweeping, disordered battle, there was a lot that needed to be done in the aftermath.

The Royal Knights' Order worked together not only with the Saversburg and Republic militaries, but also with the D-Brigade. This is where the logistics sections of the Order's Reconnaissance Forces and the D-Brigade came into full use. Divisions of soldiers needed to be moved around the grassy plain, wounded soldiers needed to be carefully moved and treated, medical supplies had to be transported and distributed, and the loyalist D-Brigade soldiers who had been taken prisoner needed to be rounded up and moved. While doing all this, they needed to avoid and flag the various dark rifts that had emerged.

The various forces worked together well. The D-Brigade was nothing if not disciplined and professional. Even following the unrest that saw them turn against their emperor and their fellow soldiers, they were still able to follow orders dutifully and methodically. They acted as a cohesive unit, going to help across the battlefield wherever they were needed.

However, their numbers had been greatly reduced by the battle. All participants – the Order, Saversburg, the Republic of Node, and the D-Brigade – had taken substantial casualties. Their numbers were thinner and there was a lingering sense of loss across the battlefield. In addition, there was tension, distrust, and resentment between the coalition forces and the D-Brigade. They knew they needed to work together, but not everybody had to like it.

The battlefield itself was a mess, even without the emergence of the dark rifts. What had once been a beautiful, grassy field was now a burnt, torn, and eviscerated landscape. Smoking impact craters peppered the field. There were deep furrows caused by beams carved into the expanse. The grass had been burnt by attacks and crushed by feet and tank treads. The pungent aroma of smoke, plasma, burnt matter, electricity, and blood wafted in the breeze.

The war was over, but there were still many challenges to overcome…

* * *

SaviorHackmon wandered across the battlefield, looking a bit lost. The bipedal dragon man walked along the grass, gazing around at his surroundings.

During the battle, he had tried to help as much as he could. He helped the wounded to safety, and even fought the D-Brigade at points. He had a few scuffs along his armoured body with bruises forming underneath, but he was more or less unharmed.

He was more concerned with what was around him. He walked forwards, moving past a deep, smouldering crater. It was just one of the many signs of how destructive this battle had been.

SaviorHackmon quietly and bitterly took in his surroundings. He observed the devastated battlefield. He saw the burnt grass, the drifting smoke and ashes that floated across the battlefield, and the destruction and ruin caused by the war. There was even a large chunk of the hill missing after getting struck by a powerful beam.

SaviorHackmon's snout curled at the choking, metallic and smoky scent on the breeze. He watched as Digimon ran across the battlefield, trying to bring aid to the wounded and to establish order. He knew that he needed to do the same. That was what he set out to do. However, in this moment, now that his adrenaline had died down, he began to take in the devastation caused by conflict.

The white dragon man walked deeper into the battlefield. He could see a lot of wounded lying ahead of him. Digimon were running over with medical supplies and stretchers. It was a grisly scene. There were a many Digimon with bad, bloody wounds. Yells of immense pain rang out from wounded soldiers. SaviorHackmon winced grimly. The scenes of devastation around him began to make him feel sick to his stomach.

However, he shook his head and hardened his resolve. He told himself to focus. He needed to help, despite his misgivings. SaviorHackmon clenched his fists and ran forwards.

He dashed forwards, his crimson cape flapping behind him as his bladed feet dug into the unearthed dirt below. SaviorHackmon ran over to a Cyberdramon, who was lying on his back, clutching his leg. There was a bloody, seeping hole in the rubber armour covering his thigh.

SaviorHackmon winced and kneeled down, looking at the Cyberdramon. He could tell from the band around his bicep that he was with the Aerial Strike Forces. "Are you alright?" he asked him with concern.

"I've been better, but it's nothing serious," the Cyberdramon said with a pained grunt. "Worry about someone more badly hurt."

SaviorHackmon shook his head. "I'm here now. Let me help you," he insisted, going and taking the Cyberdramon's arm and slinging it over his shoulders. SaviorHackmon straightened his bent legs and stood up with a grunt of effort, helping the Cyberdramon stand with him.

"Fine…" the Cyberdramon reluctantly muttered.

The metal-clad dragon man walked with the Cyberdramon for a minute until he saw two Digimon carrying a stretcher. "Over here!" SaviorHackmon called out to them. "This guy needs medical attention!"

After the two ran over, SaviorHackmon handed the soldier off to them and helped him onto the stretcher. He then turned around and ran off to find someone else to help. Over the course of several minutes, SaviorHackmon helped two more Digimon. After seeing the destruction that war caused first hand, he felt that he needed to do this.

SaviorHackmon watched as the Ogremon that he just helped was hauled off in a stretcher. He then turned and began running off to find another wounded Digimon to aid.

The next Digimon that he came across was a MetalTyrannomon. He wandered over to the large cyborg dinosaur and looked at him. He had a large, bloody gash along his leg, and several of his wires had been severed. SaviorHackmon also noticed that he had the D-Brigade insignia on him.

SaviorHackmon offered his hand. "Here… Can you stand up?" he asked the MetalTyrannomon.

The MetalTyrannomon looked up at him sceptically. "…I can't move a muscle," he explained.

"Then I'll help you," SaviorHackmon stated, walking closer and taking hold of his arm.

The MetalTyrannomon grunted. "I'm with the D-Brigade, you know," he felt the need to inform him.

SaviorHackmon paused for a moment in response. "…That doesn't matter to me," he responded, shaking his head. "You're hurt; that's all that's important."

The large, white dinosaur released a haggard breath and looked away. "I'm too heavy."

"I've carried heavier," SaviorHackmon insisted stubbornly.

He placed his claws under the MetalTyrannomon and lifted his heavy body up. With a snarl of determination and effort, he hoisted the dinosaur that was over twice his size onto his back. SaviorHackmon winced with pain as he held onto the large, semi-metal arms that were slung over his shoulders. He had to basically drag the MetalTyrannomon with him as he walked, which was a pretty difficult feat.

"You sure you don't mind helping the enemy?" the MetalTyrannomon asked him, letting himself be carried on the smaller Digimon's back.

SaviorHackmon grunted as sweat dripped down his face and body. "You're… not the enemy… anymore…" he insisted between strained breaths.

The MetalTyrannomon grunted with amusement at the Digimon's idealism. He looked forward and saw a D-Brigade Tankdramon ahead of them, who was also looking for wounded. "Take me over to him."

SaviorHackmon nodded and carried the large, half-metal dinosaur over to the Tankdramon. Once he reached the mechanised Digimon, he carefully transported the MetalTyrannomon onto the large tank Digimon's body. Once he was successfully unloaded onto the MetalTyrannomon's comrade, SaviorHackmon breathed a sigh of relief.

The MetalTyrannomon held onto the Tankdramon and glanced at SaviorHackmon. "…Thanks," he mumbled. "If you don't mind helping D-Brigade soldiers, there's a few more around here that could use your help."

"Okay. Take care of that leg," SaviorHackmon replied. He waved him off as the Tankdramon rolled away with the wounded MetalTyrannomon. Once they began to head towards the D-Brigade's makeshift camp, SaviorHackmon turned away and began to walk around the battlefield again.

As he wandered, he couldn't help but be drawn into his thoughts. He was surprised at how much he changed over the course of a day. Before the battle, he was filled with excitement. He wanted to fight against the D-Brigade, who he thought were a bunch of evil tyrants. He thought that that was what it meant to be a Royal Knight; fighting against evil, aggressive kingdoms and Digimon who wanted to oppress and destroy others.

However, the thought of war and battle no longer excited him. After having seen its effects first hand, anything that was romantic about it was gone for him. The brutality of war had affected him deeply. He felt naïve.

SaviorHackmon looked at his hand as he walked. He realised that he no longer wanted to use these hands simply to fight for the sake of fighting. He wanted to use them to _help_ Digimon. He surprised himself when he realised that he even wanted to help D-Brigade soldiers. They weren't these heartless enemies to him. He was sure that they were regular Digimon just like anybody else.

His thoughts were interrupted by a long, pained groan that sounded out from nearby. SaviorHackmon stopped and looked around for its source.

To his shock, he saw the body of a Sealsdramon lying nearby. He was collapsed on his back beside a smouldering rut in the ground. SaviorHackmon suddenly ran over to him. He felt a stab of worry and nausea in his stomach as he looked down at the wounded D-Brigade soldier. There was a deep gash through the Sealsdramon's chest, and blood soaked the grass around him. Although SaviorHackmon didn't look closely, he was able to see the soldier's damaged digicore in his chest.

SaviorHackmon grimaced with nauseous disgust at the sight. Despite the numb feeling that emerged in his face, he dropped to his knees beside the Sealsdramon. "D-Don't worry. You're going to be alright. I'll get you some help," SaviorHackmon insisted to the Sealsdramon. He looked at the soldier's wound and took a deep breath, trying to summon his courage. He fortified himself before leaning forwards and pressing his hands on the Sealsdramon's wound to try and staunch the bleeding.

The Sealsdramon looked up at him with a look of weakness and pain. The lens of his scouter monoeye was shattered, and his armour was fractured in several places. "…Don't bother…" he weakly responded. "Forget about me…"

SaviorHackmon narrowed his eyes with determination. "Not a chance… You need medical help. I'm not going to leave you," he maintained adamantly. He couldn't help but wince at the warm, crimson liquid that he felt against his palms, but he refused to release the pressure that he was putting on the Sealsdramon's wounded chest.

The Sealsdramon released a pained breath. "W…Why…?" he asked.

"Because I'm not going to turn my back on a Digimon who needs my help!" SaviorHackmon shouted stubbornly. "Just hang on!"

"Focus on… someone you can actually help…" the Sealsdramon insisted, releasing a hoarse cough behind his half-broken face mask. SaviorHackmon was able to see the corner of his mouth, from which a trickle of blood leaked out of.

"I can help _you_…" SaviorHackmon assured him vehemently. He proceeded to look around the area desperately. He knew that the Sealsdramon needed more than his hands to make it through this. To his relief, he saw one of Saversburg's medical team a few dozen meters away. "Help me! I need some help over here! This soldier's badly wounded! I need bandages!" he shouted out to them.

To SaviorHackmon's relief, he saw the physicians notice him. Two of them started running over with medical supplies. SaviorHackmon sighed and looked down at the Sealsdramon. "They're coming now. You're going to be okay," he said with a relieved smile.

"…Thank… you…" the Sealsdramon breathed haggardly.

"It's nothing. You're not out of the woods yet," SaviorHackmon insisted, smiling warmly at him with relief. "They still need to patch you up."

The Sealsdramon weakly shook his head. "No…" he spoke, his voice at ease.

The bloodied corner of the Sealsdramon's mouth curved up into a faint smile. "Thank you… for being with me…" he said, looking up at SaviorHackmon. He weakly raised his hand and took hold of SaviorHackmon's hand, pulling it off of his wounded chest. He squeezed SaviorHackmon's hand tightly. "I didn't want to… be alone…"

The grip around SaviorHackmon's hand weakened and then the soldier's hand separated into data particles. SaviorHackmon's heart sunk when he saw Sealsdramon's body fade into floating specks of data. His eyes widened with horror when he saw the Sealsdramon's data break apart and float up around him. Within seconds, SaviorHackmon found himself alone, kneeling over nothing.

SaviorHackmon stared at the place where the Sealsdramon had been lying. His incredulous eyes didn't move from the place where the Digimon he had been trying to help had been seconds earlier.

"No…" he whispered, a pained, shaky breath exiting his mouth. "No…"

SaviorHackmon's stunned expression suddenly fractured and broke. His wide, gold eyes began filling with tears. He clenched his fists tightly, still feeling the Sealsdramon's blood on them, and bent forwards. He slammed his fist against the ground and shut his eyes tightly as tears began spilling down his face.

"NO!" he yelled, falling onto his arms and knees. SaviorHackmon released a choked sob and stabbed his wrist blade into the grass. "They were… They were going to fix you… D-Damn it…!"

SaviorHackmon remained there, trying to repress his tears and sobs, but failing. His body trembled with emotion, and he felt his spirit wracked with sorrow. As tears trickled down to his chin, he cursed his own helplessness and his inability to save the Sealsdramon.

After a few moments, he felt a warm hand on his caped back. SaviorHackmon opened his stinging, irritated, gold eyes and looked up. Gankoomon was standing beside him, gently rubbing his back with a stoic expression on his face.

"S-Sensei…" SaviorHackmon murmured, looking away from his master. "I… I couldn't save him…"

Gankoomon took a step forwards and placed his hand on the back of SaviorHackmon's head. "I know…" he said to him, his voice soft with understanding. "You can't save everybody, SaviorHackmon…"

SaviorHackmon shut his eyes and bowed his head, trying to stifle his tears before his Sensei.

"Don't look away, Hackmon," Gankoomon said to him firmly. "…Cry all you want, but don't look away... Don't turn away from these tragic scenes. Let them engrave themselves in your heart so you can learn from them and become stronger…"

SaviorHackmon sniffed and opened up his teary eyes, raising his head and looking forwards. Through his blurred vision, he gazed across the battle. The scenes of destructions and pain were etched in his memory, carved in his heart by his strong emotions. "S-Sensei… I h-hate war…" he said, his voice strained and quivering. "What's the point…? What's the point of all this sadness and destruction?"

"I dunno…" Gankoomon responded, sighing and rubbing SaviorHackmon's head. "But there will always be Digimon who want to fight each other…"

"I… want to stop it…" SaviorHackmon explained, narrowing his wet eyes. "I want to stop wars and conflicts from happening before more Digimon can lose their lives…"

Gankoomon smiled a little bit. "You sound like you have the will to follow through with that…" he observed. "Do you?"

"Yes… I do, Gankoomon-sensei," SaviorHackmon answered. His voice brimmed with resolve and determination.

"Then follow your heart," Gankoomon told him. "But you realise that the Royal Knights have to fight like this when the need arises. They have to fight in order to protect. You can't be a Royal Knight if you want to be a pacifist… Even Sleipmon fights."

SaviorHackmon wiped his tear-stained face with his arm and shook his head. "I don't want to be a pacifist… I'll fight in order to protect…" he explained. He glared with a newfound strength of mind. "If I become a Royal Knight, I'll fight in order to stop pain and suffering. But… fighting isn't always the answer, Sensei… That's what I believe… I know you might not agree…"

Gankoomon chuckled a little bit and lifted SaviorHackmon to his feet. "It doesn't matter what I believe! If you made that decision with your heart, then that's all that matters!" Gankoomon explained. "You have to carve your own path in life and make your own decisions." He placed his hands on his hips. "If you want to be a Royal Knight, you can't go around asking my permission all the time… Right, SaviorHackmon?"

SaviorHackmon smiled weakly at Gankoomon. He was grateful that Gankoomon was starting to have more faith in him. "Right… Thank you, Sensei…" he replied, straightening himself up. His smile faded as he looked down at the blood on his palms. His gaze hardened and he clenched his fists. "Then I've decided… I need to become a Royal Knight more than ever… I need to do my part in the Strike Forces…"

"Good…" Gankoomon said, placing his hand on SaviorHackmon's shoulder. "…But this doesn't mean that I won't beat your ass if you step out of line."

The dragon man chuckled a bit. "…I know, Sensei," he responded, starting to gain a fraction of his energy back. He looked at Gankoomon questioningly. "Shouldn't you be helping the other Royal Knights?"

Gankoomon shrugged dismissively. "Eh… Alphamon, Imperialdramon and them are dealing with the Dark Area stuff," he explained. "The rest of us who don't know much about that stuff are just helping organise everyone."

SaviorHackmon nodded. "You should go do that, then… Don't worry about me," he insisted, although his voice was obviously sombre.

"Okay," Gankoomon replied. "You should report to Grademon and see if he needs you to do anything."

"Right, Sensei," SaviorHackmon agreed. He took a lingering glance at the place where Sealsdramon had been lying, and then turned around and dashed off to find Leftenant Grademon.

Gankoomon smiled with pride as he watched SaviorHackmon run off. "…_You're turning into a fine Digimon, Hackmon. With a heart as strong as yours, you'll make an excellent Royal Knight one day. Just make sure that you have the inner strength necessary to keep up with your heart. I'll be watching, my promising student!_"

* * *

Meanwhile, several of the leading Digimon stood at the far west part of the battlefield. They stood some distance in front of the dark rifts that had been created around Chaosdramon. Among these were Imperialdramon, a handful of the Royal Knights, some of the Warrior Ten, and some of the military commanders from the various forces.

"I can't believe it," Dukemon said, folding his arms. "We take care of one problem and now a new one appears as a direct result."

"We can't seem to catch a break," Magnamon stated, sighing.

"Just how dangerous are these dark rifts?" Raijinmon questioned, looking over at the Royal Knights.

Alphamon turned and looked at the Thunderclap Commander. "You saw for yourself what they can do to a Digimon that gets consumed by that dark data," he explained. "Beyond that immediate threat, the deterioration of the Dark Area's barrier is a danger to the entire Digital World. There are many powerful prisoners within the Dark Area who could escape and wreak havoc."

"On the other hand, this could be a miraculous opportunity to study the Dark Area!" AncientWisemon exclaimed with a youthful glee. He began wringing his hands together excitedly and the eyes of his concealed face lit up. "There are countless tests that I have dreamed of running! In fact, if I may just sample a smidgen of that dark data for testing purposes…!"

As AncientWisemon summoned a vial in his purple, feathery hands, he began swiftly floating towards one of the dark rifts with a thirst for science. Before he could get make it past a meter, AncientGreymon grabbed hold of him with his foreleg. "Oh, no you don't, geezer," AncientGreymon stated, sighing with exasperation.

"Unhand me, you vile rogue! Release me from your grubby clutches, AncientBlackmon!" AncientWisemon protested, wriggling around in the dragon's grip.

AncientGarurumon grunted and tapped his foot impatiently. "More importantly, what are we going to do about it?" he asked, his irritation clear in his voice.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode stepped forwards and rested the gigantic Omega Blade on his shoulder. "Several experts on the Dark Area have come up with a plan over the past few days," he explained. "We're going to have to implement it."

"Ah, yes!" AncientWisemon spoke up, suddenly ceasing his resistance as he became distracted by the new topic. "My plan! It is pertinent that we implement that plan post-haste!"

Gaioumon walked over, his Kikurin katanas sheathed in his belt. "Do you know of your role in the plan, AncientGreymon?" he asked, looking up at the large dragon.

AncientGreymon looked away from him with annoyance. "Tch. Yes, I do. Not that it's any of your business," he grunted. He cast a withering, sideways leer towards his rival. "I don't know why we even let you be a part of this conversation. You can't be trusted."

"Gaioumon did help quite a bit during the discussion," Tactimon pointed out diplomatically.

Gaioumon calmly nodded. "We need to work together. Nobody stands to benefit from Dark Area prisoners being released and running amok."

"I'm sure you'd find a way somehow," AncientGreymon grumbled.

"So, what _is_ the plan?" Magnamon wondered.

"The plan is for AncientGreymon to tap into the Dragon's Veins and freeze the flow of energy using his powers. As he harnesses that data, I will access the Dark Area while simultaneously tapping into the data that AncientGreymon is harnessing," Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode explained. "Ideally, once I did that, I could fix the whole barrier, but I think the barrier is far too damaged at this point. I'm going to have to reset the entire barrier and reconfigure its data from scratch. It's not going to be easy."

Omegamon frowned and looked at Imperialdramon. "Is it going to be dangerous?" he asked him.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode smiled, shrugged, and rubbed the back of his neck, already giving Omegamon his answer. "Maybe a little?" he suggested.

AncientGarurumon looked at AncientGreymon. "Don't get yourself killed, lizard," he told him tersely.

AncientGreymon grinned. "As if we would, but it's nice to know you're worried about me, mutt."

"I'm not," AncientGarurumon grunted, glaring at him.

Duftmon folded his arms and thought carefully. "If you are planning to tap into the ley lines, then perhaps you should choose a spot where they intersect so that there is a greater well of power to draw from," he suggested.

Alphamon nodded. "Like the World Tree, perhaps?" he suggested. "That's where the ley lines originate from."

"That's a good idea," Imperialdramon agreed. "But we should probably get the permission of the Four Holy Beasts. This is something that they will want to know about."

"I will send somebody to speak with Xuanwumon," Alphamon stated. "He should still be around Saversburg, correct?"

AncientWisemon floated over and looked at the Royal Knights. "I should inform you that, thanks to that brute Chaosdramon, this will assuredly take longer than we initially expected," he explained.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode sighed and nodded, running his fingers through his blond hair. "Yeah… I originally thought that we might be able to fix the barrier within six hours, but now…"

Dukemon frowned. "How long?"

"…Resetting the barrier might take us several hours, but if I'm rebuilding the whole barrier from scratch…" Imperialdramon spoke, his words sticking in his mouth. "…It'll take AncientGreymon and I around two days to complete. That means the barrier will be vulnerable for two whole days…"

Alphamon stared at him incredulously. "If that's how long it takes, it can't be helped… But two days of pouring your energies into that…? Can your bodies handle it?" he asked with concern.

"They'll have to," AncientGreymon insisted stubbornly.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode nodded in agreement. "Yeah. We don't have a choice," he concurred. He smiled lightheartedly. "…We'll be fine. We've got more than enough energy between us. We both have bounties of it."

Before anybody could voice their objections, Imperialdramon looked up at the sky to check where the sun was. "We'd better get going now. The sooner we start, the better," he announced. "Are you guys going to be okay here?"

"Hold on a minute," Omegamon said firmly. "I'm coming with you."

"What?" Imperialdramon asked, blinking and looking at his friend. "But—"

Omegamon shook his head and stepped forwards. "You need somebody there to keep an eye on you. You always overdo it. I am definitely coming."

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode couldn't help but smile. "I guess there's no point in arguing…" he conceded.

"I'll come too," Alphamon stated. "I would like to see how it goes. If need be, I can step in and take over."

"I'm going as well," AncientGarurumon spoke, eyeing the large dragon nearby. "Somebody has to keep AncientGreymon from being his usual, reckless self."

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode nodded. "In that case, I'd also like AncientWisemon and AncientSphinxmon to come so that they can help us keep an eye on our progress."

"But of course! It was my brilliant plan, after all!" AncientWisemon declared, folding his arms.

AncientSphinxmon nodded quietly, indicating his willingness.

"Don't worry about the rest of us. We'll help organise everything here," Magnamon assured them.

"Thanks," Alphamon said. He turned to Raijinmon. "And the D-Brigade? Will you all be okay?"

Raijinmon nodded. "We will be fine. We'll begin our demobilization efforts. The D-Brigade is nothing if not disciplined and well-organised," he told Alphamon. "Do what you need to do. It will take several days to hash out peace talks and exit our occupied territories anyways."

"Very well. I trust you," Alphamon responded.

Imperialdramon flapped his wings and lifted himself off of the ground. "Let's get a move on. The longer we take, the more dangerous it is," he stated.

"Right. Let's move out," AncientGreymon agreed, doing the same after allowing AncientGarurumon and AncientWisemon to hop onto his back.

"Good luck, guys," Dukemon told them. "Do your best."

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode looked over his shoulder and grinned. "You can count on us," he responded. He flapped his broad wings and shot into the sky. Alphamon, Omegamon, AncientGreymon, and AncientSphinxmon all flew after him.

Dukemon turned to Magnamon and Duftmon as they flew away. "Guess it's our job to do our best here."

Magnamon nodded. "It's all we can do for now," he stated. "I just hope they'll be alright."

* * *

Meanwhile, Bagramon resided in his hut on Yggdrasil's Mount, a peak of the Argent Mountains that overlooked New Terminal. The hermit's modest hut was dark. It was lit only by several candles, which had been placed on the floor.

The interior was different from usual; the furniture was moved to the side in order to make space in the middle of the living room. In the center of the room, Bagramon sat in a chair, staring passively at a glowing pentagram painted in the middle of the floor. Sigils and digi-letters had been drawn around the glyph. Its purpose was to help channel Bagramon's energy more precisely.

Bagramon stretched the fingers of his long, wooden, skeletal arm as he watched and waited. The large ruby in his dark, hollow eye gleamed brightly. The image of Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode and Alphamon passed through the prism of the refractive corundum. After a few more moments of watching Imperialdramon's group as they began to head off to the World Tree, the glow of his eye dulled.

"Two days… Apparently I have a window of two days to extract the Seven Great Demon Lords from the Dark Area," Bagramon stated, looking over at Wizardmon.

Wizardmon sat at the table that was pushed up against one of the walls. There was a large map of the continent opened up across the table, which Wizardmon studiously studied. There were six pins sticking into the map and the table beneath it. After carefully sticking in a seventh pin, the mage turned and looked at Bagramon. "Do you think you have enough time?" he wondered.

"You're the expert in dark rifts and the Dark Area, Wizardmon. I should be asking you," Bagramon replied with a slight smile. "But, to answer your question, yes, I think it can be done."

"Even with the internal barriers of the Dark Area?" Wizardmon questioned.

Bagramon closed his eye. "It won't be easy, I admit…" he pondered aloud. "The Dark Area is divided into nine purgatorial levels. The largest one is the outer level, where the data of deleted Digimon goes before it is reformatted. After that is a buffer zone between the graveyard of data and the inner levels. Beyond that are the seven prison levels. There is one Demon Lord on each of the inner purgatorial levels, not to mention other powerful convicts and simple, deleted Digimon whose data was judged as evil by either Anubismon or Plutomon. They are consigned there as well. Depending on the internal politics of the Dark Area, the Demon Lords may even have their own armies."

"If that's true, were you planning to extract them too?" the mage Digimon asked. "Because that would be impossible in only two days…"

"No, not at this stage," Bagramon responded. "Only the Seven. They will be difficult enough… I have to release them one at a time. The outer most layers should be simple enough, but with every extra layer, it will be more difficult and more time consuming to navigate the internal barriers. Imperialdramon needs to rewrite the barrier, so two days should be plenty of time, but, even then, it is not a guarantee."

Wizardmon nodded and turned back to the map, readjusting the seventh pin by less than a millimeter. A silence overtook the hut, leaving only the soft flicker of candle flames and the gentle hum of the magical circle on the floor.

As the silence lingered, Bagramon thought quietly to himself. "_Little brother… I wonder if your data was judged as good or evil…_" he contemplated. A soft breath escaped his nostrils. "…_Is it really that simple…?_"

"There. I'm finished," Wizardmon spoke up. He stood up from the table and stepped away from the map before turning to Bagramon. "I have pinpointed all of the largest breaches in the barrier."

"Good," Bagramon answered. He stood up from his seat and walked over to Wizardmon in order to look at the map.

"Do you think that you can spot them all with your Invisible Snake-eyes?" Wizardmon asked him. "I should warn you that one of the rifts is at the bottom of the Net Ocean. Right here." Wizardmon pointed to the part of the ocean off the eastern coast of the continent. "Will that be a problem?"

"It will be harder to locate, but I think I can manage, just as long as I know the general area," Bagramon assured him. "Thank you for your hard work."

Wizardmon shook his head. "You are the one who is funding my research," he responded sheepishly. "The least I can do is help you with your plans."

Bagramon nodded and looked over the map carefully. After several moments, Bagramon walked away from the table and stood in front of the glowing pentagram in the floor. "We can finally begin the next stage…" Bagramon spoke, gazing down at the glowing sigil. His artificial right eye suddenly flashed red. "Invisible Snake-eyes."

His vision was no longer focused on the floor of his hut. Instead, he found himself staring at a secluded, barren wasteland. The dry, cracked plain was littered with giant weapons that were stuck in the ground. Twenty foot swords, pole arms, and battleaxes towered over the flat expanse. The tips of the blades were embedded in the earth so, the weapons pointed either straight upwards or diagonally. Bagramon looked around the area carefully, taking ten minutes to find a large, gaping, dark rift in the middle of the plain. The deep, wide fissure spewed dark data from out of the Dark Area.

"I've found it," Bagramon spoke as he stretched his massive, right arm out and placed it over the glowing circle.

"Is there anything else that you need me to do?" Wizardmon asked him.

"Go and meet Black Pincer Company in Shroud. Bring them back here," Bagramon told him. "I will be fine here for now."

Wizardmon nodded obediently. "Good luck," he told him, heading for the door.

Upon hearing Wizardmon exit the hut, Bagramon focused on the magical circle below. "I suppose I should begin…" he spoke.

His long, wooden arm began to grow swathed in violet energy. The glowing circle on the ground began to react. Dark shadows emerged inside of the circle. They began to swirl around the floor, though never leaving the confines of the circle. The shadows hissed and the ground seemed to open up beneath them.

Bagramon's eye flashed and his arm began to grow bigger and longer. "Astral Snatcher," he whispered. His thick, skeletal arm reached into the shadows, stretching way beyond the floor. The arm tore a hole in the dimensional space and extended through it.

A swirling cloud of dark violet shadows formed in the sky above the plain of weapons. Bagramon's massive arm emerged out of the dimensional rift within the clouds. The Astral Snatcher reached down and carefully infiltrated the dark rift that scarred the grass. Upon entering, the constantly growing arm reached deeper and deeper into the pocket dimension. Bagramon's arm appeared unaffected by the dark data pushing against it.

Bagramon concentrated intensely, avoiding all external stimuli and focusing intensely on his task at hand. He carefully navigated the interior of the Dark Area, slowly but steadily stretching deeper. Bagramon kept his other hand free, as he would need to use it once he penetrated the first of the internal barriers.

He just needed to get into the first of the purgatorial prison levels. Then the first would be released.

* * *

A couple hours passed until Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode and the others reached the World Tree. The group flew over the Great Forest of the Neutral Zone, towards the center. They headed for the massive landmark in the center, which was visible for kilometers.

The World Tree reached into the sky, passing through the clouds so that only the lower boughs of the canopy could be seen. The colossal yew tree stood majestically. The trunk was thick and sturdy, reaching a couple hundred meters in order to support its great height and weight. Its leaves were a bright, verdant green, and the trunk was a healthy, dark brown hue. The World Tree had fully recovered from DarkKnightmon's attack and the Battle of the World Tree a year earlier.

As they reached the massive, expansive clearing surrounding the World Tree, Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode flew forwards and hailed the World Tree's guards. Recognising them, the Moosemon and other guards were satisfied that they didn't have any ill will, so they lowered their watch.

As the group touched down on the grass in the clearing, a colossal bird Digimon swept down through the clouds. The white, radiant form of Valdurmon swooped down, his body backed by a glory of light. The primary guardian of the World Tree flapped his wings powerfully and stopped in front of Imperialdramon, the two Royal Knights and the four Warrior Ten.

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode smiled and looked up at Valdurmon. "Hello, Valdurmon," he greeted.

"Imperialdramon…" Valdurmon spoke, his deep voice resonating. He turned his avian head and looked around at the Digimon with him. "Alphamon… AncientGreymon… What are all of you doing here?" he asked with tentative concern.

"As you can probably guess, this isn't a social call…" Imperialdramon explained, his voice growing serious. "Something big is happening. The security of the Digital World is at stake."

Alphamon nodded and stepped forwards. "The barrier between the Digital World and the Dark Area has deteriorated rapidly over the past day thanks to Chaosdramon. If we don't act, the barrier could collapse and the prisoners held there might escape."

Valdurmon narrowed his eyes at their words. "I see… That is troubling…" he spoke. He arched an eye and gave the group a scrutinizing look. "And what do you need from me?"

"We want your permission to tap into the ley lines beneath the World Tree," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode explained in a beseeching voice.

"We need to use the great power of this area if we have any hope of rewriting the barrier before it's too late," Alphamon added. "Please, Valdurmon. Xuanwumon knows of this plan."

Valdurmon sighed and closed his eyes. "…Will there be any risk to the World Tree?" he asked.

"Not a chance," AncientGreymon stated firmly. "Imperialdramon and I know what we're doing."

"…Very well," Valdurmon conceded. "Please, be careful."

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode nodded. "We will. Don't worry," he reassured the World Tree's guardian.

"Right then. Let's get to work," AncientGreymon stated, turning around. The large, armour-clad dragon closed his eyes and began sensing the ley lines in the area. He could sense a tremendous well of power beneath the ground. Given that this area was the origin for all of the Dragon's Veins in the Digital World, it makes sense that this was the spot with the most concentrated power.

AncientGreymon began walking around the area until he found the spot with the greatest concentration of energy. He wandered around the clearing for a few moments until deciding on the best spot. The Warrior of Flame stopped in the grass and tapped the ground with his foot. "Over here! This is the spot," AncientGreymon declared.

"Okay, good," Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode spoke, walking over to AncientGreymon. "How much space do you need."

"Ten meters should do," AncientGreymon spoke, standing firmly on his four legs. He bent his body down and closed his eyes. "I'll start now. Stand back."

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode nodded and gripped the Omega Blade in his hands, getting ready himself. Likewise, AncientSphinxmon walked over to Imperialdramon's side, preparing for when the dragon knight tapped into the Dark Area.

"What should we do?" Omegamon asked, watching as the three prepared.

"Let's just stay out of their way and watch for now," Alphamon replied.

AncientWisemon floated beside them and cupped his hands to his face. "AncientLynxmon! Be sure to check the data structure of the Dark Area's data!" he called out to AncientSphinxmon, once again accidentally butchering their names. "AncientGaymon! Make sure to coordinate your timing with Unbearabledramon! It is imperative that you both work together to ensure to consistency of the barrier!"

"What did you call me?! It's 'AncientGreymon'! AN-CIENT-GREY-MON!" AncientGreymon heatedly shouted at AncientWisemon. "Get it right for once, you mad nutter!"

"That is exactly what I just uttered!" AncientWisemon blithely responded.

AncientGarurumon shot the Warrior of Steel a look. "Don't get him riled up, AncientWisemon. He needs to focus," he told him.

"Why, I was merely offering counsel!" AncientWisemon huffily responded.

Imperialdramon smiled and looked at AncientGreymon. "Ready?" he asked him.

AncientGreymon nodded firmly. "Leave it to me… Gaia Tornado!" he spoke, his deep voice resonating and seeming to cause the ground to rumble.

Imperialdramon gave the large dragon Digimon some space. He watched as the ground in front of AncientGreymon began to fracture and split open. Several cracks opened up around AncientGreymon like a spider's web. However, instead of a tornado of terrestrial energy forming, the deep cracks simply formed

The cracks suddenly shone brightly with a bright light. AncientGreymon's blue eyes suddenly burned with the hue of fire. AncientGreymon tapped into the ley lines and he felt a surge of energy sweep into his giant body. Flames ignited around his form and swelled across his wings and back. The Warrior of Flame unleashed an energised laugh as adrenaline and power swept through his body. His form trembled as he harnessed the rich well of power that was difficult for him to control. "Ha-hah!" he yelled excitedly. "Here we go! Get ready, Imperialdramon! I'm trying to take control of this power!"

Imperialdramon nodded and gripped the Omega Blade in his hands, pointing the tip of the blade towards the ground. "Just say when…"

AncientGreymon snarled as his entire form crawled with flames. He concentrated as he used his own immense power to wrestle with the powerful source of the Dragon's Veins beneath them. He began to sweat heavily as the strain of such an effort got to him. However, he knew that, although this would be the most difficult part, there was still a long way to go. He would need every ounce of energy that he could muster.

The Warrior of Flame dug deep. He unleashed a sudden surge of dominating energy that sent further cracks in the ground around him. The fire wreathing his body burst outwards in a sudden flash, the embers extinguishing in the air. AncientGreymon released a strained roar of determination and effort as he finally harnessed the full extent of the Dragon's Veins.

"NOW!" AncientGreymon roared, his body straining and trembling with energy.

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode's red eyes hardened and he plunged the Omega Blade deep into the ground. "Omega Blade!" he shouted as the sword shone with holy light.

The yellow light shining from the cracks in the ground suddenly turned a bright white colour. Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode's eyes glowed as he accessed the Dark Area's porous external barrier. He grunted with effort as he tapped into the Dark Area in conjunction with AncientGreymon controlling the ley lines. With the Omega Blade as a conduit, he could sense the Dark Area's barrier that he helped to create.

AncientSphinxmon acted next. His red eyes flashed as he, too, accessed the Dark Area. The ground beneath him became swathed in shadows, and a small, black portal opened up in front of him. He silently analysed the Dark Area, the domain that he and Plutomon watched over.

For several minutes, Imperialdramon and the Warrior of Darkness probed the Dark Area, taking in the full extent of the damage. Suddenly, a glare formed on Imperialdramon's face, and the corners of AncientSphinxmon's mouth curled into a sneer.

"Something's wrong…" Imperialdramon spoke, gripping the Omega Blade tightly, the blade trembling in the ground.

"This is…" AncientSphinxmon murmured seriously.

Alphamon frowned and took a step forwards. "What's wrong?" he asked them.

"…Somebody else is infiltrating the Dark Area," AncientSphinxmon spoke. "And it isn't Plutomon…"

"What?" AncientGarurumon demanded, clenching his fists tightly.

"It's definitely a foreign body…" Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode spoke with a wince. "This isn't good…"

AncientSphinxmon sneered softly. "I'm going in," he spoke, about to step into the portal.

"You cannot! Cease at once!" AncientWisemon protested. "Do not forget what the purpose of this is; our priority is to rewrite and mend the Dark Area's barrier! If we abandon our plan solely to fixate on stopping a single entity then we risk the entire barrier collapsing and _all_ of the rogues held there absconding! We must focus on the bigger picture."

AncientGarurumon turned and looked at the Digimon beside him. He sneered and clenched his fists tighter. "But…" he wanted to protest, but he also knew the truth in AncientWisemon's words. He growled with frustration.

"He's right, AncientGarurumon," Alphamon told him. "I don't know who's doing this, what their goals are, or how they knew about the weakness of the barrier so quickly, but we _must_ minimise the damage as much as possible."

AncientSphinxmon nodded quietly and backed away from the portal. "Yes, you are correct…" he agreed.

AncientGarurumon grunted and sighed. "Very well…" he conceded. He had a vested interest in preventing a break out of the Dark Area.

"Right, carry on, AncientSphinxmon," AncientGreymon said with a growl as he concentrated on halting the flow of the energy in the ley lines. It took a tremendous amount of effort. "Imperialdramon… Don't lose focus…"

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode nodded and he concentrated on altering the barrier with his sword. As much as it concerned him about another Digimon entering the Dark Area, he knew he had to focus on the task at hand. He began to pour his power into the ley lines that AncientGreymon was harnessing, as well as the barrier of the Dark Area itself. The two were intertwined at this point, so it was necessary to access both.

"AncientSpheremon!" AncientWisemon called out. "What is the dark data like?!"

Omegamon watched with trepidation as the darkness flowed around AncientSphinxmon's body. "Is that safe…?" he asked. "Being in that evil data?"

AncientSphinxmon glanced over at the group as they watched. "The darkness is neither moral nor immoral…" he said to Omegamon. "The darkness of the outer level of the Dark Area is generally natural." He narrowed his eyes. "However… the darkness is becoming corrupted. Dark data from deeper in the prison levels is seeping out through the holes in the internal barrier and is corrupting the data of the outer level."

"Fascinating!" AncientWisemon exclaimed. "Worrisome, but fascinating! I hypothesize that the liquid substance known as Black Digitron is native to the Dark Area, and that has some effect on the corruption of data."

Omegamon felt a chill down his spine. "…Then it is absolutely necessary that we get this right…" he spoke.

AncientWisemon folded his arms and nodded confidently. "Especially before the processes involved in the regeneration of digi-eggs become corrupted!" he stated in a carefree voice.

A dour silence washed over the clearing as a result.

"…So, no pressure!" Imperialdramon called over.

"Tch, really, AncientWisemon…! Don't say that in such a carefree way!" AncientGreymon grunted.

AncientSphinxmon closed his eyes and concentrated. "…Imperialdramon… Do you feel that?" he questioned as his body was half-submerged in shadows. There was a subtle tension in his words.

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode sneered. "Yeah… Whatever it is, is trying to penetrate into the outer prison level…" he spoke as he continued to pour energy into his sword, which accessed the Dark Area.

"That's what I feared…" Alphamon spoke, narrowing his eyes. "Keep track of it, but focus on resetting the barrier."

"Yeah…" Imperialdramon spoke, grunting with effort. He turned his head and glanced up at AncientGreymon. "I'm getting ready to reset the configuration data of the barrier. Then I'm going to start rebuilding it from scratch…"

"Are you sure this is the best way?" AncientGarurumon asked, looking over at the three Digimon.

Imperialdramon winced. "I don't feel great about it with this with this foreign entity accessing the Dark Area, since it will leave the Dark Area more vulnerable. However… I'm accessing all of the barriers right now, and I can feel that the internal barriers are badly deteriorated. Even if we don't do anything, the Digimon will still be able to do whatever they plan to do. At least this way, we'll be able to repair and strengthen the barrier before too much irreparable damage is done. This is the best way…"

"We trust you, Imperialdramon," Omegamon reassured him.

Alphamon nodded in agreement. "Do whatever you need to do."

Imperialdramon grunted and nodded, grunting the Omega Blade tightly. "Okay… AncientGreymon? AncientSphinxmon…?" he spoke, the effort and strain clear in his voice. "On the count of five, I'm deleting the configuration data…"

AncientSphinxmon nodded quietly.

"Right… I've got you covered…" AncientGreymon assured him.

Imperialdramon closed his red eyes tightly. "Five…"

He gripped the Omega Blade tightly. "Four…"

AncientSphinxmon sneered. "The first prison level has been penetrated…"

"Three…"

The Omega Blade began to brim with a blinding, white energy. The cracks around the blade widened and caused earth to pour into the holes.

"Two…"

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode's eyes snapped open and he glared fervently.

"One!" he yelled, his voice trembling as he sent power surging into the Omega Blade.

"Initialize!"

* * *

A few hours passed since the process begun. Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode had reset the barrier in order to create a new one. He was working hard in the process of configuring a new barrier for the Dark Area.

Meanwhile, Bagramon was nearly done extracting the first prisoner. After hours of struggling against the barriers and the abyss of the Dark Area, Bagramon had successfully contacted who he had been looking for. He was now in the process of extracting him.

Dark, grey clouds gathered above the field of swords. The thick vapour grew denser and darker, creating a caliginous, foreboding shade overhead that rivalled that of Shroud. Bagramon's Astral Snatcher continued to reach down from the dimensional portal in the sky into the Dark Area. The long, skeletal arm now was in the process of retracting from the Dark Area.

As the arm continued to pull out, there was an outpouring of dark data from the dark rift that it was invading. The wrist of the wooden arm was beyond halfway through the outer level of the Dark Area. The closer it got to the dark rift, the thicker and darker the clouds became. In fact, as the hand grew nearer and nearer to the surface, the clouds themselves began to change.

A deep, crimson glow began to ignite in the sky. On the underside of the murky clouds, a giant, red circle suddenly formed. Within the large circle was a second, smaller circle. At the center of this circle was an obscure sigil which wasn't a Digi-letter. The crest was shaped like a red, three-pronged trident that pointed upwards. On the bottom of the longest, middle, vertical line was a small ring. Below this, there was writing that read, 'CAUTION! PURGATORY LEVEL 1'. Above the crest was another symbol, which was a small ring with a dot in the center of it. Between the outer and inner circles of the sigil was more writing. These words read the following: 'LEVEL: 666' 'SYSTEM: LUCIFER' 'CODE: PRIDE'

The crest shone brightly and prominently. The closer that Bagramon was to extracting the prisoner, the more luminous the crest glowed.

Finally, Bagramon extracted his arm, which was clutching a Digimon in his massive, skeletal hand. Once past the dark rift, Bagramon released the Digimon onto the ground before pulling his arm back, further into the air. When the Digimon touched down on the Digital World's soil, the crest overhead shone with a deep red colour.

A humanoid Digimon landed gracefully on the ground, touching the grass lightly with his white boots. Over his body, he wore a pristine, white suit. Layered over this bodysuit was a black jacket that covered only his arms, shoulders, and back. Matching this were black leggings which reached from his thighs down to his knee-high, white boots. All of this was garnished with a splendorous gold lining that gave off an elegant, showy appearance. To match this, beneath the humanoid Digimon's neck was a large, golden broach in the shape of the sun.

He had a human face with fair skin and shoulder-length, blond hair. The Digimon's face wore an expression of subdued curiosity as he looked around his surroundings. He had pale, blue eyes which stared across the weapon-strewn landscape with a look of aloof superiority.

The Digimon in question was dichotomous. His appearance made him seem like a half-angel, half-demon. The right side of his body was angelic, while the left side of his body was demonic, opposite to that of Bagramon. Five immaculate, white, feathery wings protruded from the right side of his back. Meanwhile, five black, bat-like, demonic wings extended from the left side of his back. This incongruity extended to his face as well, as an angel and demon wing were placed on each side of his head, with a pair of black, feathery wings directly below them. Stricken down the left side of the demon Digimon's face was a pair of jagged, red scars, which were even given through battle or through some sort of punishment. It was more likely the latter, given the demonic nature of that side of his body. Matching the shape of the scars was a long, red brand down the sleeve of his left arm. The angel-demon theme continued down the rest of his body, with ornamental angel and demon wings adorning the golden bracelets of his knees and ankles.

This demon Digimon was Lucemon: Falldown Mode, the first Digimon to rebel against the Heavenly Choir and their God. He was the one who initiated the bloody civil war known as the Heavenly War.

Lucemon took a few tentative steps on the ground of the Digital World. He stopped and raised his hand, brushing his blond hair back as he looked up into the sky.

"My, it _has_ been awhile…" he spoke, his voice calm, refined, and confident. He looked up towards the large, skeletal arm that extended from the abyssal hole in the blackened clouds. "It seems that I am finally free of that wretched prison… And who do I have to thank for that?"

"An old comrade of yours, Lucemon…" Bagramon's deep voice echoed through the dimensional portal. "From our rebellion, way back then..."

Lucemon blinked with dull surprise. "Bagramon… You actually survived?" he questioned with curious incredulity.

"Only barely… They destroyed half of my body after you seven were defeated and locked away. It was all I could do to survive…" Bagramon explained.

"Ah, yes… Our righteous rebellion… thwarted by pathetic heretics and heathens," Lucemon spoke, folding his arms. "So, tell me, Bagramon… Why release me?"

A soft laugh echoed through the clouds. "Because I have been mulling over our defeat for the past few decades… The plans that we had… The righteous and virtuous plans that we had for the Heavenly Choir and the Digital World when we began our struggle against those stubborn and close-minded fools up in the Sky Colonies…" Bagramon spoke. "I don't know about you, but just because we were defeated, that doesn't mean that my goals have changed. I have chafed under the dominance of the Sky Colonies ever since. I have had to live secluded in the mountains. I am not content to leave things as they are. Are you, Lucemon?"

"Obviously not, Bagramon," Lucemon responded with a dismissive shake of his head. "_I_ have been locked away in the hellscape that is the Dark Area. _I_ was forced to contend with others for dominance of a pathetic prison dimension. You think you have suffered, but you know not of what I had to go through. A high-ranking angel reduced to consorting with the likes of common criminals…" The demon man narrowed his eyes and looked up at Bagramon. "No, I agree with you completely, Bagramon… I thank you for releasing me. We must continue our rebellion somehow. This glorious Digital World deserves nothing less."

"I agree, Lucemon," Bagramon spoke. "But for now, we must wait patiently. We must consolidate our forces and plan carefully we want to have any hope of success. We are still in the early stages of our plan."

"That is a logical conclusion. You must fill me in, Bagramon," Lucemon stated.

"I will. However, first, I must release the other six," Bagramon informed him. "For the time being, please remain hidden and unknown. I cannot keep my actions a secret indefinitely, but we can attempt to keep our opponents guessing for as long as possible."

"Naturally," Lucemon spoke, nodding in agreement. "Very well. I will stay out of sight for now. I must regain some of my strength anyways. Contact me when you wish to meet."

"Of course," Bagramon responded.

Without another word, Bagramon pulled his hand back into the dimensional portal. As soon as it disappeared in the void, the dimensional rift closed, leaving only dark clouds and the fading Crest of Pride in the sky. Bagramon immediately went to work on freeing the next Demon Lord.

When Bagramon was gone, Lucemon smirked smugly and gazed across the field of swords.

"Fear not, Digital World, for I have finally returned..."


	36. Interlude: Act II

(Author's Notes: This marks the end of Act 1 of 2 of Holy War. I'll still be using this story to update chapters. Though the next one probably won't be up for 4-5 weeks since I'm getting busy. We're moving onto Act II, which will have all of its own problems and enemies, as well as continuing arcs and plotlines from Act I. Hope you look forward to it. And enjoy this interlude!)

**Interlude: Act II**

It was after the battle. The pungent scent of smoke continued to drift on the air. The late day was turning into the evening; the sun hung low in the sky, descending towards the horizon. However, clouds covered the expanse of the sky around Saversburg, causing the sunlight to be blocked. The landscape was dim and murky as a result.

The fields to the west of Saversburg were bleak and battle-scarred. Craters and trenches littered the landscape. This was to say nothing of the dark rifts that had split open during the battle. They continued to cover the landscape as Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode attempted to reconfigure the Dark Area.

As for the aftermath of the battle, all sides were now completely organised. The wounded had been completely moved to medical tents, and the seriously wounded had been transferred to the hospital in Saversburg. The Royal Knights and the Order soldiers were grouped at the southern part of the battlefield near the hill, the Saversburg army was congregated near the walls of the city, and Republic of Mode's military was camped at the north part of the battlefield. Meanwhile, the D-Brigade was camped further away, over to the west. They intended on beginning their long march home to Facture on the following day. Only a small formation would stay behind to wait for the wounded that were being treated in Saversburg.

Magnamon walked along the battlefield, looking around at the damage quietly. He reflected on the day's bitter struggle. He could see the Royal Knights all gathered at the edge of the Order's camp. The Knight of Miracles made his way over to them.

All of the Royal Knights were present except for Alphamon, Omegamon, and Dukemon. Alphamon and Omegamon had both gone with Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode, while Dukemon had went off with Grani and Fujinmon when PrinceMamemon arrived unexpectedly in the aftermath of the battle.

Most of the Royal Knights had some injury of some kind. None of their wounds were too serious; they mostly consisted of cuts, bruises, and minor burns. Their bodies definitely seemed tired from the long, intense fight. Their armour was scuffed up and even cracked in some places. Even Duftmon, who was directing tactics for the majority of the battle, has a frazzled look to him from when he helped attack Chaosdramon.

Dynasmon had taken his chest armour off and Gankoomon had removed the top half of his body suit so that bandages could be placed over their muscular chests. Those two probably had the most amount of minor injuries, while the other Royal Knights had only two or three. Magnamon himself sported a few welts from some bullets that had hit him, and fist-sized bruise on the small of his back and a shallow cut on his tail.

Magnamon walked up to the Royal Knights and waved. "Hey. How are you all doing?" he asked them.

"Could be worse," Dynasmon answered, wincing a bit as he prodded the bandages wrapped around his brawny chest with one of his claws. "Chaosdramon caused a lot of destruction."

"Yeah, he did," UlforceVeedramon said with a sigh as he looked across the battlefield. He had some bandages patched over the back of his right wing, as well as around his abdominal muscles and bicep. "Lots of casualties."

Sleipmon winced as he clutched his sore right arm. "Do we know how many we lost yet…?" he asked, although not really wanting to know the answer.

Duftmon frowned deeply and folded his arms. "The Captains and Leftenants are doing a count right now, but we expect that we lost a couple dozen, at least…" he responded bitterly. "A large portion of that is down to Chaosdramon's relentless bombardment..."

"Shit!" Gankoomon swore loudly. He punched his palm with his fist in anger and frustration. "We should have killed that bastard earlier!"

"That's an easy thing to say, but a harder thing to do, Gankoomon," Craniamon murmured, folding his arms across his dented chest and narrowing his eyes. "We did the best we could."

"The appearance of those dark rifts certainly didn't help matters," RhodoKnightmon pointed out, gazing across the field to the crevices that were flagged for safety.

"Now we have those to worry about instead," Craniamon grunted.

UlforceVeedramon looked at the Royal Knights, forcing a grin onto his face. "Hey, now's not the time to get dark and melancholic. We just beat Chaosdramon, the guy who was oppressing his own citizens for ages! Not only that, but the Storm Commanders seem pretty reliable. I don't know about you guys, but I call that a victory," he stated, trying to make them look on the bright side.

Magnamon couldn't help but smile at UlforceVeedramon's usual cheery demeanour. "Yes, you're right, Ulforce. All of this wasn't for nothing," he agreed.

"That is very true…" Duftmon concurred. "However, I cannot help but be concerned. If somebody were to escape the Dark Area, we would be at a less than optimal capacity. Our battle strength has been dented, and I am sure that morale will suffer in the immediate aftermath as well."

"One thing at a time, Duftmon. Maybe Imperialdramon can fix the Dark Area before anybody gets the chance to escape," Dynasmon suggested, frowning uncertainly.

"I sure hope so… It was bad enough when DarkKnightmon escaped," Examon mused, the corners of his mouth curving downwards as he remembered the event.

"…We should hold a memorial when we get back to the headquarters," Sleipmon stated, a heavy expression on his face. "Alphamon always knows the right thing to say."

"Yeah, that's a good idea, Sleipmon…" Magnamon agreed. "Battles like these are always hard."

"Even so, our soldiers knew what they were signing up for when they joined the Order," Duftmon reasoned. "They are prepared for hardship."

"That doesn't always make it easier," Magnamon explained, a sombre tinge to his soft voice. "But they will be okay, with time."

Examon frowned. "I hope so…" he spoke thoughtfully.

Craniamon sighed and placed his hands on his hips. "So, what's the plan?" he questioned, his glowing eyes turning to the Royal Knights.

"Everyone's too tired to travel right now," Dynasmon stated. "We'll stay in our camp overnight. That will give everyone some time to rest and for the wounded to recuperate."

Duftmon nodded with agreement. "During that time, we can sort out transportation, rations, and supplies. There will be some wounded who are unable to walk who will required assisted transport."

"Yeah, sounds good to me," UlforceVeedramon agreed. He turned around and stretched his stiff body and wings with a grunt. "…Okay. I'm going to go visit some of the wounded," he explained.

"I might come with you," Magnamon added, walking over to the tall, blue knight.

"Me too. I want to thank them for their hard work," Sleipmon concurred, trotting over as well.

"I think I'll help Duftmon with the organisational stuff," Examon offered.

Duftmon closed his eyes and nodded pensively. "Very well. UlforceVeedramon, when you are finished, I need you to go speak to GigaSeadramon and his Deep Savers about mass transport back to our headquarters."

"I need to go speak with the mayor of Saversburg," Dynasmon said, still scratching at his bandaged chest.

"Then you might want to put your armour back on," UlforceVeedramon suggested with a laugh.

"Feel free not to," RhodoKnightmon chimed, ogling Dynasmon's buff, half-naked, bandaged body shamelessly. He then pulled his gaze away and looked at Craniamon. "I suppose we should go to the Locomon rail station in the city and arrange for further transport for tomorrow."

Craniamon nodded. "Sure," he complied.

Gankoomon pulled his body suit up over his arms and shoulders before zipping it up firmly. Once it fitted over his chest, he picked up his jacket and placed it over his shoulders. "In that case, I'll go—"

"Shishou?" a voice asked.

Gankoomon turned around and saw SaviorHackmon apprehensively approaching the group. "SaviorHackmon…" he said, watching as the bipedal dragon man approached. "What are you doing?"

SaviorHackmon saluted and bowed softly before the Royal Knights. "Actually… I was wondering if there was anything that I could do to help…" he suggested.

"Aren't you tired from running around all day?" Gankoomon asked him, eyeing him sceptically.

SaviorHackmon stood up straight in an effort to show that he still had a lot of energy and determination. "There's still a lot that needs to get done! I'm not going to take it easy while others do all the hard work," he answered insistently.

A smirk formed on Gankoomon's face. "Hah! That's the spirit!" he exclaimed. "I'm sure we can find something for you to do."

Sleipmon turned and looked at SaviorHackmon with a warm smile. He admired his determination and spirit. "Do you mind helping me with the wounded?" he asked. "They're a bit short-staffed right now, so apparently the extra hands would be appreciated."

"Of course I'll help, Sleipmon-shishou," SaviorHackmon stated, smiling widely. "You can count on me."

"I'm glad to hear it. Shall we, SaviorHackmon?" the centaur knight asked him.

SaviorHackmon nodded avidly and allowed Sleipmon to lead the way. As Sleipmon began walking towards the field hospital, SaviorHackmon followed him dutifully.

Dynasmon pulled his chest armour on and then looked at Gankoomon with a smile. "Your apprentice sure is eager to please," he lightheartedly observed.

"Yeah, he is. He's putting his whole heart into it. I can tell," Gankoomon responded, watching as SaviorHackmon walked off. He smiled slightly with a hint of warmth in his gaze. He remembered seeing the emotion of SaviorHackmon's heart earlier in the day. "…He's serious about helping Digimon."

"I can respect that," Magnamon stated, smiling at Gankoomon. "It's admirable work you've done with him, Gankoomon."

Gankoomon shook his head. "It's not because of me…" he answered.

Dynasmon laughed and patted Gankoomon's back, prompting the red-haired Royal Knight to wince as Dynasmon accidentally struck one of his injuries. "What the hell is this? Gankoomon being humble? Did you take a hit to the head or something?"

Gankoomon grunted and gave Dynasmon a sharp elbow to his hip, causing the wyvern knight to shout with pain. "I'm being honest! …That's just the way SaviorHackmon is. He always gives it his all, even with his confidence issues. That's part of the reason I took him on as my apprentice. I saw a lot of potential in him, even though he looked weak."

"You're really just a big softy underneath all of that bravado and bluster, aren't you?" UlforceVeedramon teased him affectionately.

"It is positively adorable!" RhodoKnightmon chimed in agreement. "Such love between master and student!"

"Honestly, you guys are asking for it…" Gankoomon warned them, a vein twitching in his forehead.

Craniamon grabbed RhodoKnightmon and began pulling him by one of his ribbons. "Come on, Rhodo. Let's get a move on," he said to him.

"Oh, very well," RhodoKnightmon complied, being dragged off by Craniamon.

"I'd better get moving too," Dynasmon stated, starting to walk.

"One second," Examon stated, looking at Dynasmon. "Where exactly did Dukemon go? I haven't seen him since PrinceMamemon showed up."

"They went to deal with the Mamemon Kingdom now that the Metal Empire agreed to give it back," Dynasmon responded as he walked off. "He'll be gone for at least a few hours, if not until tomorrow."

Examon nodded as the rest of the Royal Knights began walking away to see to their own responsibilities. "I see…" He turned to Duftmon. "Duftmon? What's next?"

"We should start telling our soldiers to head back to the encampment for rest. We will need a few scouting groups, as well as some guards to patrol overnight. I can say with reasonable certainty that the D-Brigade is no longer a threat, but it would be well-advised to keep an eye on those dark rifts in order to avoid further dark evolutions," Duftmon informed him.

"Got it," Examon complied. A pensive expression grew on Examon's face as he looked across the grey field at one of the leaking dark rifts. "Do you think that Imperialdramon and the others will be able to fix the barrier before anything bad happens?"

Duftmon frowned in response. "He did say that it would take approximately two days to complete the reconfiguration. That is a large window of opportunity, but only if Digimon are paying attention…" he deliberated. After a few moments, Duftmon released a soft sigh.

"…At this point, Examon, we can only hope for the best…"

* * *

Mercuremon sat on his throne in the throne room of PrinceMamemon's old palace. In the week or so since PrinceMamemon had been overthrown, he had been incredibly busy in his new role as the king of the Mamemon Kingdom. There was always much to be done after a change in power… particularly after an armed one.

Mercuremon decided to fill the palace with D-Brigade bodyguards rather than PrinceMamemon's old bodyguards, who he wasn't sure he could trust. He relied upon the D-Brigade for security until he could secure his position as king. He knew that there were rumblings against him. Despite PrinceMamemon's incompetence, he was well-loved by the citizens of the Mamemon Kingdom.

The ascended aristocrat had his old desk moved up to the throne room, so that he could work while sitting. He was currently creating a list of prominent Digimon who were loyal to PrinceMamemon who needed to be purged. The sooner he could finish that, the sooner he could feel safe enough to make other changes.

A Hagurumon floated behind Mercuremon's throne, looking over his shoulder as the mirror Digimon worked. He was the Metal Empire envoy to the Mamemon Kingdom, who consulted with Mercuremon regularly since PrinceMamemon was overthrown. Standing outside the doors of the throne room were a MachGaogamon and an Andromon who acted as guards.

"What about the army general?" Hagurumon asked, wondering if he was going to be added to the list.

"No, PlatinumNumemon is spineless," Mercuremon responded. "He will do what I say. Besides, it would be a bad idea to provoke the army, even with the D-Brigade occupying the city."

"Very well," the Hagurumon stated.

"I think I'd like to exile these Digimon rather than arrest them. I wouldn't want to send the wrong message," Mercuremon decided. He smirked. "…It's so freeing to finally make my own decisions without having to drip them into PrinceMamemon's ear."

"It must be," the gear-shaped Digimon concurred.

Mercuremon stopped writing and put down the over-designed, mechanical pen that he was using. He looked over his shoulder at Hagurumon. "The evening is upon us. Is there any news from Emperor Chaosdramon and the D-Brigade army about the battle at Saversburg?"

"None yet, I'm afraid," Hagurumon responded. "It must be a long battle."

"Too long…" Mercuremon murmured uncertainly. "But the D-Brigade will prove victorious. They are cold, efficient, methodical, intelligent, and unstoppable. That is a winning combination."

"I agree, Your Majesty," Hagurumon spoke.

Mercuremon nodded and continued to quietly and diligently work. He continued gliding the pen across the smooth paper as he wrote finely stylized digi-letters.

After a few minutes, the new king stopped. He was distracted by the sounds of several pairs of footsteps in the hallway beyond the closed doors of the throne room. The pen stalled on the piece of paper as he heard voices talking with the guards. Because the door was closed, the voices were muffled and Mercuremon was unable to hear what they were saying.

Mercuremon's lips curved into a frown. "Guards?" he called out loudly. "Do I have visitors?"

The voices stalled for a moment. They then continued in murmurs. Finally, one of the guards replied. "Yes, King Mercuremon!" the guard called back. "Your presence is requested!"

"Let them in!" Mercuremon called to them. He put his pen down and stood to his feet.

The doors opened and PrinceMamemon flounced into the throne room with an angry, determined expression. Walking calmly at his side were Dukemon and Fujinmon. Behind them were the MachGaogamon and Andromon guards.

Mercuremon's lips opened with stunned shock before swiftly morphing into a sneer. He glared at PrinceMamemon and took a step backwards. "W-What is going on here?" he demanded, looking particularly at Commander Fujinmon.

"Emperor Chaosdramon is dead," Fujinmon explained calmly. "The D-Brigade has surrendered to the Royal Knights' forces. We are relinquishing our control of the Mamemon Kingdom, effective immediately."

PrinceMamemon marched up to the desk and slammed his hands down on the surface. "Mercuremon, you are under arrest for treason!" the monarch declared.

As this happened, Hagurumon slowly floated away from Mercuremon, slinking over to Fujinmon's side.

"…Treason? Treason?!" Mercuremon scoffed incredulously, his calm demeanour disappearing. "If it weren't for me, our whole army would have been decimated by the D-Brigade!"

"You sold out the people of this kingdom so that you could become king!" PrinceMamemon protested, glaring heavily at Mercuremon with a determination that had been absent before.

"I saved them from an incompetent buffoon!" the green mirror Digimon fired back.

PrinceMamemon sneered. His eyes then trailed down to the desk that he was propping himself up on. He noticed the list of familiar Digimon on top of the desk and quickly grabbed the list before Mercuremon could. Mercuremon tried to snatch it, but PrinceMamemon stepped back and held it out of his reach by giving the piece of paper to Dukemon.

Dukemon frowned and took the piece of paper. He read the list carefully. "…A blacklist?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he realized what the list was.

"Likely to purge supporters of PrinceMamemon," Fujinmon stated. "That is Chaosdramon's model of ensuring loyalty. I should know."

"That is the proof that we need!" PrinceMamemon declared, pointing his finger at the aristocrat. "Mercuremon, you are to be placed under arrest."

"What?!" Mercuremon demanded, scowling. He looked at Fujinmon for help. "We made a deal, Commander!"

Fujinmon locked eyes with Mercuremon's mirror face, causing him to see his own reflection in it. "Now that Chaosdramon is gone, the Storm Commanders are taking the Metal Empire in a different direction. I apologise for the unfortunate turn of events," he politely explained to the distraught steel humanoid. "I will petition PrinceMamemon for a comfortable imprisonment befitting an aristocrat."

At this, Mercuremon's sneer turned deeper. "You… I _gave_ you this city!"

Fujinmon calmly nodded his V-shaped head. "And now we are giving it back," he dryly answered.

"You betrayed me!" Mercuremon shouted angrily.

"I have betrayed many Digimon recently," Fujinmon nonchalantly explained to the agitated Digimon. "You shall be the last one. Guards, if you please?"

Mercuremon sneered and took another step back as the guards began to approach him. He leaned back and gripped the lavish throne behind him. The guards closed in on him and grabbed hold of his arms, quickly unfastening the Shields of Irony. As the shields dropped to the ground and his arms were held firmly, Mercuremon glowered and directed his anger towards PrinceMamemon.

"You…" he spoke in an icy, vindictive tone. "PrinceMamemon… You don't even realise it, but I have been propping you up this whole time. They were _my_ policies that made the Mamemon Kingdom into what it is. I simply let you take all the credit. The honest truth is that you're a bumbling oaf! You can't tie your own shoes without me helping you."

PrinceMamemon's gaze hardened in response, but his lip began to quiver at the hurtful words of someone who he once considered a friend.

Mercuremon glared at PrinceMamemon furiously. "You're a sham of a king! You are an inept, ridiculous, rotund half-wit! The sad part is that you actually believe that you're royalty! KingEtemon made you believe that obvious lie as a part of a practical joke, and you fell for it completely!" he shouted, venting his years of built up frustration against the monarch. "You are a walking punch line who embarrasses himself and our state on a regular basis! You make fools of all of us by your irrational belief that the Royal Knights are actually your subordinates! It's pathetic!"

PrinceMamemon's large, yellow cheeks were puffed out and his eyes were welling up with tears. He glanced over at Dukemon, who was looking sheepish. The Royal Knight wanted to speak up in his defence, but he also couldn't deny that the Royal Knights weren't his subordinates.

PrinceMamemon sniffed, but he hardened his resolve. "I… I'm aware that I am not perfect…" he stated, looking directly at Mercuremon with wet but determined eyes. "H-However! …Though he may not necessarily be my subordinate… Alphamon has taught me a very valuable lesson. He taught me the meaning of being a good leader! He said that it is my duty to look out for the interests of the Digimon that I am responsible for. And that means looking after the citizens of the Mamemon Kingdom," PrinceMamemon stated with newfound resolve. "I may not know all of the answers, and I may be a flighty oaf, but I care about my citizens. I want to try to be a good leader!"

"You will never be able to hold the Mamemon Kingdom together without me helping you," Mercuremon stated.

"I… I guess I will have to take that chance," PrinceMamemon replied, looking away. A guilty look formed on his face. "I owe it to everybody to try, after all of the mistakes that I have made…"

"You—" Mercuremon began to speak up again, but he was cut off.

"Okay, that's about enough," Dukemon interrupted firmly. "Get him out of here."

Fujinmon nodded at the D-Brigade guards, who began to haul Mercuremon out of the throne room.

As they exited the large room, Dukemon walked up to PrinceMamemon and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?" he asked him, unable to help but feel bad for him after the verbal undressing he received.

PrinceMamemon released a shaky sigh. "Y-Yes…" he admitted. "I think so…" After a moment, he stared down at his boots. "I trusted Mercuremon so much… What should I do now?"

"Find your own footing," Dukemon said with a reassuring smile. "Your citizens love you. With their support and some measured confidence, you'll be fine."

PrinceMamemon smiled. "I do hope so… I… I apologise for being such a burden," he said to the Royal Knight guiltily.

"All you can do now is to do your best," Dukemon answered.

PrinceMamemon nodded and looked up at the throne before him. His cheery smile grew wider.

"…Then that is what I will do."

* * *

A day passed since the battle of Saversburg. The majority of the D-Brigade had returned to their headquarters in Facture. Only a couple formations temporarily remained in Saversburg, Haganemame City, and the Dual Chess Monarchy for logistical reasons. They would be completely out of non-Metal Empire territory within a couple days.

The D-Brigade organised in D-Central as they demobilized from warfare. They dutifully followed their Storm Commanders' orders.

Raijinmon walked beside Suijinmon quietly. He strode at a relaxed pace that allowed Suijinmon to keep up with him. They walked away from the large military base of D-Central. They headed down a metal road that led towards a bridge spanning the Rust River. Before they could reach the sturdy bridge, the two commanders turned down a street that ran parallel to the river.

After a few minutes of walking, they stopped at the riverside. The two stood in silence as they looked over the city from their riverside view.

The sun shone over the city of Facture. The metallic buildings and roads all shone radiantly as the sun's rays rebounded off of the lustrous metals. The tranquil, flowing water of the Rust River shimmered as well. A calm air hovered over the normally busy, industrial city. The whole of Facture seemed to have a sunny glow to it.

Raijinmon serenely folded his Blitz Arms behind his back as he stood beside Suijinmon and enjoyed the view. He stood there, allowing himself to appreciate the beauty of the urban scenery. After a moment, he turned his calm gold eyes towards Suijinmon.

"Facture seems different today, doesn't it?" he mused to his friend.

Suijinmon stared out across the water of the river, enjoying the calming flow of the liquid as it channelled through the city towards the Delta Ocean. He closed his eyes thoughtfully. "Yes, it does. Somehow," he concurred, although he felt a little uneasy. "I cannot quite place why that is…"

"It is because Facture is finally free…" a soft voice spoke.

Raijinmon and Suijinmon both turned their bodies towards the voice. They watched as Fujinmon descended from the sky and lightly touched down beside them. Upon landing, Fujinmon turned towards the other two Strom Commanders with an easy gaze.

"Fujinmon, you're back," Raijinmon acknowledged. "How did everything go in the Mamemon Kingdom?"

"It went well. PrinceMamemon is back in power, but he has been thoroughly humbled by the experience. We are conceding control over the kingdom back to them. The D-Brigade stationed there is preparing to exfiltrate," Fujinmon explained.

"Good," Raijinmon responded.

Suijinmon quietly turned his gaze away from Fujinmon, going back to staring at the river. The slender, green cyborg picked up on Suijinmon's silence.

"Err… Suijinmon…" Fujinmon tentatively spoke with guilt accentuating his voice.

"Yes, Fujinmon?" Suijinmon stoically responded, not turning to look at him.

Fujinmon released a sigh and took a step towards him. "I am sorry for some of the things that I have done. I didn't want to betray your trust…" he offered diplomatically.

Suijinmon didn't respond at first. He was intent on keeping up his icy demeanour. However, his resolve weakened and he glanced towards Fujinmon. "No… I understand…" he admitted. "I was hurt at first, but I…" Suijinmon winced. "I understand that getting rid of Chaosdramon was the right thing to do…"

"I'm a little surprised to hear you say that, Suijinmon…" Fujinmon calmly responded.

"I blinded myself to his true nature… I chose to look the other way…" Suijinmon answered. "It was easier to follow him loyally than it was to form my own, difficult opinions. …However… when I saw what he was doing to my soldiers – our soldiers… - I couldn't hide myself from the truth any longer…" the Waterfall Commander admitted. "I suppose I am afraid of the concept of change. I like order and I like being loyal. Being loyal meant being safe…" he explained with a faint softness to his usual, stoic voice. Suijinmon looked at Fujinmon meaningfully. "…More than change, I am afraid of losing the people I care about. That was why I resisted at first, but that was also why I felt compelled to act ultimately."

"We are glad that you joined us, Suijinmon," Fujinmon said to him, going and placing his Blitz Arm on Suijinmon's shoulder. To his relief, Suijinmon allowed him to touch him without any complaint.

"I am glad that I joined you as well…" Suijinmon rumbled deeply. He frowned and turned his gaze down to the river. "However, I am nervous… Chaosdramon is gone. There is nobody to tell us what to do. The decisions rest on our shoulders alone…"

"I find that something of a relief, personally," Raijinmon stated, turning and looking at Fujinmon.

"As do I," Fujinmon concurred.

"Even so…" Suijinmon spoke. "What do we do now?"

"Well, it is up to us to decide," Raijinmon stated, placing his metal hands on his hips proudly. "We are the Storm Triumvirate, after all."

Fujinmon released a laugh. "You named us already?" he asked his golden comrade with a relaxed, light-hearted glint in his red eyes. "Have you been saving that one up?"

"No…" Raijinmon murmured, glancing away sheepishly.

"I like it," Suijinmon softly replied. "Now… Onto practical matters…"

Raijinmon nodded. He gazed across the river to Chaosdramon's massive, riverside palace. "First of all, that palace has to go… It is a symbol of Chaosdramon's reign, and that space could be put to more practical use," he suggested.

"It would be a waste of money to demolish it completely…" Fujinmon stated.

"Perhaps we could make it into a public administration building?" Suijinmon suggested tentatively.

"I can agree with that," Raijinmon said, nodding optimistically.

"So can I," Fujinmon stated. "May I also suggest that we free all of the political prisoners and remove the curfew?"

"That is a good idea as well," Raijinmon concurred. "We should also begin to liberate free speech and scale back the D-Brigade's Special Task Force."

"Very well," Suijinmon agreed, his mind working quickly to keep up with all of the proposed new ideas. "But we can't just throw these ideas out there. We can't move too quickly. Too many reforms at once would be destabilizing. I believe that we should make these reforms in moderation based off priority and pragmatism. We also need to formalize them in writing," he complained. "These proposals need a thorough going over if they are to be effective in practice."

Raijinmon chuckled softly. "You're so fastidious, Suijinmon," he stated light-heartedly. "We will, I promise. We're just brainstorming at this point."

"Even so…" Suijinmon responded.

"It is to be expected of the Thunderclap Commander," Fujinmon joked.

The three Storm Commanders continued to talk animatedly about their plans for the Metal Empire. There was a relaxed atmosphere around them as they were finally free to speak their minds. It was as if a massive lodestone had been removed from them.

Although the future was uncertain, the three friends were at ease. Optimism began to creep into their cool, metal bodies once again. The future was theirs to make of it what they will. Most of all, the three Storm Commanders agreed that it needed to be much different from Chaosdramon's vision. The status quo was no longer acceptable; the fear, the oppression, and the suspicion of Chaosdramon's regime were to be relics of the past. With the spectre of Chaosdramon fading away, it was a new day in the Metal Empire.

Indeed, it was a sunny day in Facture.


	37. Chapter 26: Seven

(Author's Note: Here's Chapter 26. The next chapter will also be posted at an irregular time since I really need to catch up on my writing after this. Anyway, enjoy and let me know what you think!)

**Chapter 26: Seven**

The day turned into night as both the Royal Knights and Bagramon worked to counteract the other, although the Royal Knights had no idea that he, specifically, was involved.

Off the eastern coast of the continent, the waves of the Net Ocean crashed turbulently. The dark water rose and sank with every giant wave. The night sky contained large, intermittent clouds that drifted over the area. The bright moons shone reflected light down onto the sea, giving the waves a shimmering hue to the dark, foreboding liquid. Every so often, the clouds would pass over the moons, causing the rays of light to wane and disappear.

Bagramon's Astral Snatcher reached deep into the depths of the Net Ocean, no further than a couple kilometers from the coast. The long, sturdy arm pushed deep against the pressure of the water and extended far into a deep, underwater trench. At the bottom of that abyss was a massive, gaping dark rift that poured dark data into the water.

Bagramon's arm stretched into dark rift, infiltrating deeper into the Dark Area. He could feel Imperialdramon trying to configure new barriers within the pocket dimension. The demon Digimon knew that he still had plenty of time, but he also needed to work as quickly as possible. The process would become progressively more difficult and time-consuming as Imperialdramon reconfigured the barriers, which would be much stronger than their previous weakened and deteriorated states.

He retracted his arm from the Dark Area, pulling up despite the crushing pressure of the deep sea around it. As Bagramon heaved the tremendous weight up into the depths of the Net Ocean, another crest began to form in the night sky.

The black sky, infused with both drifting clouds and glimmering stars began to glow a cloudy, bluish teal hue. A set of two circles appeared directly above the place where Bagramon was reaching. The crest, similar in shape but different in substance to the Crest of Pride, took shape. The seal in the middle was a blue triangle connected to an inverted trapezoid. Above it was a parallelogram with a circle inside of it. The symbol above the seal was a circle with a cross connected to the bottom and horns protruding from the top. The text within the circle became clearly visible.

'CAUTION! PURGATORY LEVEL 2'

'LEVEL: 666' 'SYSTEM: LEVIATHAN' 'CODE: ENVY'

With a strained heave, Bagramon pulled up a final time before letting go suddenly. He quickly withdrew his arm from the ocean and pulled it back towards the dimensional hole that he created, as if trying to move a creature that might bite him.

For a few transient moments, the waves settled and the ocean grew calm. This wasn't to last for long, however. Pockets of air bubbled up from the Cimmerian depths. Giant oxygen bubbles rose to the surface before popping tumultuously. Then, the thousands of gallons of seawater seemed to rise up suddenly, as if something was pushing it from below.

A massive, crimson body suddenly became visible in the black of the abyss, its details obscured by the rippling water. The body then rose to the surface and burst out of the water, sending massive waves crashing out in every direction. The giant body - larger than all but the biggest Digimon - emerged from the violent depths and floated on top of the turbulent surface. Waves battered against the mass of flesh, muscle, and bone, but could do nothing to move it.

Water washed down the thick, rough, crimson scales of his body, causing them to shimmer in the moonlight. The dim light revealed the body of a colossal crocodile, covered in millions of those red scales. The reptile had a giant snout that was as long as his body. Lining the top of his snout was a thick, metal hide that extended along the length of his snout and stopping just behind his head. The metal was thick in depth and dull in lustre.

The crocodile Digimon lifted his head from the water slightly, revealing his fearsome mouth. Within his maw were rows of a thousands of jagged teeth connected to two powerful crushing jaws. He looked around with his sharp, narrow eyes, which contained golden irises and narrow, reptilian pupils. He gently pushed against the water with his four comparatively short legs. Attached to these muscular legs were blue fins, and a set of five, sharp claws on each foot. Running down the length of his back were two sky blue dorsal fins. They were jagged and uneven in appearance, and they extended all the way from his head to his ends of his long, twin tails.

The aquatic reptile released a sharp grunt which caused rainbow-coloured steam to escape from his nostrils. Leviamon stared up at the Crest of Envy in the sky. With suspicious eyes, he set his sights of the arm that freed him.

"What the hell is going on?" he demanded.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the World Tree, the team there continued to work to create the barrier before too much damage was done.

It was night out and an air of uncertainty loomed over the area. The mighty boughs of the World Tree obfuscated the moons from view, but strands of dim light still managed to seep through gaps between the branches.

In the shadow of the World Tree, Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode gripped the Omega Blade tightly. The digi-letters on the face of the blade glowed brightly as he continued to pour his energy into the sword in order to configure the barrier. He was about a quarter of the way done now. Given what he knew was happening right now, he fully intended to work straight through the night.

Beside him, AncientGreymon's body flickered with embers as he poured his own energy into stopping the flow of the ley lines. In addition to configuring new barriers, he and Imperialdramon also had to disentangle the Dark Area from the ley lines so that one could no longer have a negative effect on the other.

Both their bodies were showing signs of strain. Beads of sweat rolled down their scales, and, every so often, they would betray signs of weariness when their muscles would reflexively quiver. The amount of energy that it took to do what they were doing was enormous.

Alphamon, Omegamon, AncientGarurumon, and AncientWisemon watched from the sidelines. The former three watched quietly, trying to remain patient as their comrades worked. AncientWisemon, however, grew bored and began talking animatedly with Valdurmon about the science of the World Tree.

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode grunted and leaned against his sword a bit, his eyes shut tightly. He glanced over at AncientGreymon. "How are you faring?" he asked the Warrior of Flame.

"Hah!" AncientGreymon released a confident, nonchalant laugh. "This is nothing! I'm doing fine!" he insisted despite the sweat rolling down his body. "You?"

"I'll be fine…" Imperialdramon assured him. "But…" He looked over to his other side, giving a meaningful look to AncientSphinxmon.

AncientSphinxmon frowned lightly. His body was wreathed in shadows as he studied the Dark Area and Imperialdramon's progress. "…A second prisoner has been released. The infiltrator is now going in for a third…"

"I sense it too," Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode said with a mild wince.

"Right. Brilliant. That's all we need," AncientGreymon grunted sarcastically. "So, no pressure, then."

"No more than usual, anyways," Imperialdramon joked.

Omegamon turned and gave Alphamon a bland look. "I sometimes wish he would be more serious…"

"We both know that might be asking a bit much," Alphamon replied with a bit of humour of his own.

Imperialdramon looked over at them. "Shouldn't you two go and help the rest of the Royal Knights? The Order needs you more than we do," he suggested.

Alphamon shook his head. "They can handle it for now… I need to see how this turns out," he responded. "I need to know what we're dealing with."

"Besides, Alphamon can help you if need be," Omegamon spoke. "And I'm not going anywhere…"

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode sighed resignedly but nodded with a smile. "If you're sure…" he answered, turning his attention back to the task at hand.

Alphamon turned and looked at AncientSphinxmon with a frown. "Do you know who escaped?" he asked him.

"Not as of yet, but I will attempt to find out," the Warrior of Darkness responded.

"Please do…" Alphamon said, stifling a concerned sigh. As much as he didn't want to think about more powerful Digimon escaping the Dark Area like DarkKnightmon did, it was becoming a reality whether he liked it or not.

He just hoped they would be able to stop it.

* * *

Several more hours passed and it was now the middle of the night.

Bagramon accessed a dark rift in an entirely new landscape now. This time, the destination was the Volcanic Meadows: a plain of black, igneous rock. Molten lava flowed along the crevices and ravines of the rock as it flowed from a constantly flowing lava fountain. The burning orange-red liquid cast a fiery glow across the dark landscape.

Within this landscape was a large fissure that expelled dark data while also taking in drops of lava that flowed down into the chasm. Bagramon's arm was reaching deep into the chasm in his goal to extract the third of seven Demon Lords.

Like the two before, there was a third crest emblazoned in the night sky. This one was orange in colour and contained a seal with a long L-shape with vertical prongs on each end. Above it was a sigil that seemed to be a combination of both the numbers 2 and 4.

This crest displayed the following warnings: 'CAUTION! PURGATORY LEVEL 3' 'LEVEL: 666' 'SYSTEM: SATAN' 'CODE: WRATH'.

The Crest of Wrath burned brightly as the third prisoner was released after minutes of struggle and effort.

Bagramon released the bipedal demon Digimon, allowing him to drop to the ground. The demon Digimon dropped onto the black, rocky terrain, landing beside a bubbling lava flow. The orange liquid illuminated his demonic, beast-like body with hellish highlights. His legs and arms were covered in a dense, maroon fur. His well-developed pectoral muscles were bare except for a tuft of orange fur between them. His hands and legs were also exposed, revealing his greyish-purple skin and long, red claws. The lava shone against the left half of the demon's body. His left arm was asymmetrical to his right one; it was longer and the claws were bigger and sharper. He also had a pentacle engraved in his left shoulder to symbolize his demonic nature.

The Digimon rolled his head to crack the bones in his neck. The demon was intimidating on appearance alone. He had a fearsome, monstrous face and a pair of long, white horns. He has a pair of glossy violet-blue eyes that contrasted with the glow of the lava. There was a similarly-coloured gem embedded in his forehead, just below a thick mess of black hair that covered his head. The ebony of his hair matched the black feathers protruding from his shoulders, as well as the black wings that extended from his back. The leathery wings had a violet underside, as well as red claws at their uppermost tips.

Demon took a step forwards, causing the chains that decorated his arms and waist to rattle. He gazed up at the Digimon who freed him.

"Bagramon… That's you, isn't it?" he asked in a deep, demonic husk.

"Indeed it is, Demon," Bagramon responded.

"What is this about?" Demon demanded, his eyes narrowed.

"Nothing that you won't appreciate," Bagramon responded hurriedly. "I will tell you more, but I am pressed for time at the moment. Please keep yourself hidden while I free the rest of your comrades."

Demon grunted. "…Fine," he answered, raising a hand and snapping his claws.

Clothing suddenly appeared over his demonic body, concealing it almost completely. He wore a long, deep red, robe that covered from his shoulders to his feet. Only his horns and wings were exposed. The red cloth, which seemed to be a kind of liturgical garment, also concealed all of his head except for his blue eyes, which gazed out through a slit in the fabric. The cloth, occultist hood had a soft conical shape between his horns, and yellow pentagram was displayed on the fabric over his forehead. The extremities of the robe were lined with a black stripe and a gold chain pattern. Hanging from his neck was a long, triangular vestment that was black with gold lining. Down the face of the vestment was a green occult symbol that matched the design of his robe's lining before it ended in a pentagram. Resting above this piece of fabric was a rosary chain with a circular, gold pendant.

Now disguised in semi-religious garb, Demon folded his - now symmetrical – arms and nodded. "Just don't take too long. Please," he spoke, his deep voice much more refined now that his demonic side was hidden.

"I will try not to. Enjoy your freedom," Bagramon told him, closing the dimensional rift in the sky.

Demon gazed across the hellish landscape with a calm, restrained gaze. The glow of the lava seemed to blaze behind his placid, indigo eyes.

"…I shall…"

* * *

As the hours passed, the night began to turn into dawn. Before the sun could rise, the night turned dark as dawn set in. Cathode Tundra, which was directly adjacent to Anode Desert in the north of the continent, had a black atmosphere except for the occasional patch of unmelted snow.

Despite the darkness, a fourth crest appeared in the sky. This crest shone a deep blue colour that could be seen stricken across the night sky, despite the darkness of twilight. The seal consisted of three, interconnected brackets that faced vertically. The symbol above it was a circle with an arrow pointing out of the upper right edge. The inner edge of the crest warned, 'CAUTION! PURGATORY LEVEL 4'. The crest also detailed the demon that was about to be released: 'LEVEL: 666' 'SYSTEM: BELPHEGOR' 'CODE: SLOTH'.

Wasting no time, Bagramon released the fourth of the Seven Great Demon Lords. This one, however, was a struggle to release. This wasn't just because of the growing complexity of navigating the Dark Area as Imperialdramon created new barriers. Much of the struggle was due to the fact that pulling this Demon Lord was like pulling dead weight.

With a mighty heave, Bagramon pulled the giant Digimon out of the seeping dark rift. A massive, fuzzy creature emerged out of the chasm and hovered idly in front of the rift.

The creature was round and chubby in appearance. His body was covered with brown fur, and he had the vague appearance of a goat-like demon; there were two curved horns protruding from the back of his head. The demon's head was bigger than his actual body, giving him a cute appearance. There were two rows of five, short, bony protrusions jutting out of his skull. Between them, on his forehead, were two tufts of red fur, and in the center of them were three red scars that looked like scratch marks. On his face was a deceptively cute, cat-like smile.

His body was small (compared to his head) and pudgy, with short, stubby legs. Wrapped around his body were thick chains that seemed to give off an eerie, grey aura. The chains connected to a white alarm clock that had two hands slowly ticking around the face of the clock. The demon has two stubby, bat-like wings that protruded from his back.

The demon Digimon breathed lightly and his eyes were closed. He seemed to be in a deep slumber.

Bagramon watched through his ruby eye as Belphemon just hovered in place. "Belphemon?" he questioned. There was no reply. "Belphemon, can you hear me?"

Belphemon just continued to snooze, making no indication that he even knew he was out of the Dark Area. The only noise that he made aside from soft breaths was the unnerving sound of ticking.

"Hmm… He appears to be in Sleep Mode," Bagramon observed. "The Royal Knights and Angels must have sealed his powers before putting him in the Dark Area."

Bagramon thought to himself for a moment, taking these few minutes to catch his breath after the immense effort. "But… maybe this is for the best, at this stage in time," he mused, remembering what Belphemon was like when he was angry.

The fallen angel Digimon observed Belphemon: Sleep Mode for a few moments. It didn't seem like the slumbering Digimon would be going anywhere any time soon. Moreover, the Cathode Tundra had a very sparse population of Digimon. He figured that it would be safe to leave Belphemon unattended while he freed the rest of the Demon Lords.

Bagramon knew that he had to strike while the iron was hot. Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode was working as fast as he could to repair the barrier. He needed to free the others before he was sealed off from the Dark Area for good.

He retracted his arm back through the dimensional portal and sealed it shut. Bagramon then started to work on opening a new portal to the location of the next dark rift.

* * *

Six hours passed and it became late morning. The sun shone between the intermittent clouds, casting a yellow light down across the landscape. A warm glow reflected off of the dewy, emerald glades, which stretched for miles. The shadows of the clouds drifted across the idyllic, grassy landscape.

On closer inspection, the beautiful environment wasn't all that it seemed. The picturesque view of the verdant grasslands and the warm, sunny, celestial sky was tainted by a massive crater.

A monumental crater was embedded in the expansive field. It was over a hundred meters deep, and the crater was as large as a city.

More specifically, the crater was a city. A destroyed one.

At the bottom of the crater were vast ruins of white and gold. Old, polished stone and glistening marble was scattered across the nadir of the expansive hole. There were half-destroyed buildings littering the ground. Fractured and compressed roads and sidewalks were embedded in the bottom of the crater.

The architecture was obviously once beautiful. They were made up of white, Corinthian columns, and polished, golden stone and metal that seemed to glow. There were verdant gardens that seemed to grow despite the fact that nobody was tending to them. Due to abnormalities in the city's data, clouds drifted across the ground of the broken streets. However, these clouds were the city's only inhabitants. The whole of the ruined city was abandoned.

This ruined city was the remains of Sky Colony: Empyrea. This was the Sky Colony of the Heavenly Choir that the Seven Great Demon Lords ravaged and tried to drop on the Digital World during the Night of Falling Stars. The Royal Knights and the Warrior Ten were forced to break the remains of the Sky Colony up in order to prevent a cataclysm as it fell to the Digital World. This was the largest piece of the Sky Colony that fell to the Digital World, and when it did, it caused widespread damage across the landscape. Due to the sheer size of this piece of Empyrea, its data structure remained intact despite the crash. This caused its tarnished ruins to remain at the bottom of the crater.

Since that day, the Heavenly Choir didn't dare touch the remains of their city. This was both out of respect and mourning for those who died, but also due to the fact that they believed that the Sky Colony had been poisoned by the influence of the Demon Lords. This caused them to dub the remains as the Unhallowed Debris.

These once sacred buildings were further corrupted by the large, purple crest in the sky above them. It contained a long, complicated seal that was shaped like a pronged podium. Above it was a sigil that was shaped like a curved letter 'h'. The crest indicated the following: 'CAUTION! PURGATORY LEVEL 5' 'LEVEL: 666' 'SYSTEM: MAMMON' 'CODE: GREED'.

At the edge of the crater was a large, dark rift. It was one of the seven largest rifts that Bagramon needed to access the Dark Area.

With each purgatorial level that passed, it took longer for him to navigate the Dark Area. The internal barriers were being reconfigured faster than he thought, creating more and more obstacles for him to navigate as reached into the dark abyss. He wasn't positive that he could reach his objective, but he wasn't about to give up.

Bagramon heaved his arm out of the pressurised dark rift. He released the fifth Demon Lord from his grasp and allowed him to fall to the grass beside the edge of the deep crater.

The demon Digimon landed on his hands and knees. He had a gaunt, slender, humanoid body with pasty grey skin. Hanging from his head were long, grey hair and beard, both of which reached down to his knees. His face was garish. He has a wide, toothy mouth, and he wore a gold mask over his face, which had a long, pointed nose. He looked around with his spurious, crimson eyes.

He rose to his feet and brushed himself off with a sneer. Covering his slender body were green leggings and pointed, red boots. He wore a long, black poncho over his upper body, which was intricately designed. The fabric had a red triangle pattern as well as purple lining. Over top the poncho were a series of expensive, red gems and gold prongs that made up a large, ornamental collar that rested on his shoulders. In fact, he wore jewellery over most of his body. He had gold earrings on his pointed ears and a multitude of precious rings and bracelets around his clawed, bony fingers and wrists.

As Barbamon stood upright, he stretched the six demonic, red wings on his back, and summoned a long staff in his hand. The staff was as tall as he was and contained a large, red gem resting inside of a metal, ornamental skull which acted as the stave's globe.

"Hmph," Barbamon scoffed, pressing the end of his staff against the dirt. He turned and looked up towards the arm of the Digimon who saved him. "It took you long enough, Bagramon. Do you know how long we were rotting away in there?" he said in a sharp, hoarse voice.

"This plan was many years in the making, Barbamon," Bagramon responded. "By sheer coincidence, one of the dark rifts that I needed to free you ended up here."

Barbamon turned his head and gazed into the crater at the ruined Sky Colony of Empyrea. He stared into it thoughtfully. "Empyrea… My handiwork," he mused at the memory. "That rebellion seems like it was cycles ago…" He cocked his head to the side and looked at the city with cold interest. "Shame. I bet it's been picked clean of its treasures by now. Filthy scavengers."

The Demon Lord of Greed turned his attention away from the destroyed Sky Colony and gazed up at Bagramon. "So, Bagramon… What are you planning…?"

"Justice, Barbamon," Bagramon stated plainly. "Please remain clandestine for now. I still have two more of your comrades to free, and it will likely take me deep into the night."

Barbamon released a resigned sigh. "Oh, very well…" he reluctantly stated, an irritated edge to his gravelly voice. "Perhaps I will look around the city for any valuables that looters may have missed. Now that I am free from the Dark Area, my castle and all of my belongings are stuck in there. I have to start from scratch now, you see… It is rather irritating."

"As you wish…" Bagramon responded.

The demon man retracted his large, artificial hand once again so that he could continue his work. He was unaware that other Digimon had begun to take notice of what was happening.

* * *

An angel Digimon stood at the edge of a balcony, overlooking the pure blue sky and the beautiful rolling clouds below. The balcony was a railing of white stone and columns, and it was rose up from the ground on a raised platform. A ramp led from the back of the balcony down to vast, beautiful gardens. The expansive gardens were full of vibrant, colourful flowers, plants, and trees. At the opposite ends of the gardens was a large, domed building. The sizeable building was made of white stone, and its architecture was in an ostentatious Renaissance design, complete with columns, porticos, and arcades. In the dome of the building was a giant oculus from which light could shine in.

The Digimon in question was a humanoid angel. He was clad in head-to-toe with shimmering, silver plate armour. The warm sunlight reflected off the silver as well as the pristine blue metal that covered his shoulders, elbows, knees, ankles, and head. His face was covered completely by a metal helmet with a golden cross emblazoned across it. There wasn't even a slit for his eyes. In fact, the only part of his body that was uncovered was his shoulder length blond hair that hung from the back of his head and slipped underneath the thick, metal collar of his body armour. Across his resplendent armour was golden trimming and ornamentation, with decorations such as wings and the fleur-de-lis.

A pair of small, silver wings protruded from his head and ankles. However, these were tiny compared to the five pairs of radiant yellow wings that protruded from his back. Matching their colour was a long, golden breechcloth that flowed between the angel Digimon's legs, with Digi-letters that read "All shall be one with me."

Seraphimon was one of the Three Great Angels, the leaders of the Heavenly Choir and the Religion of Light.

He stood at one of the highest points in Sky Colony: Lambent.

The Sky Colonies were massive cities built atop the clouds of the Digital World. The giant cloud's data was held together by energy strong enough to support the cities, which drifted in the sky as if they were as light as air. Sky Colony: Lambent was the largest of the colonies, of which there were two smaller ones that tailed behind Lambent wherever it floated.

Sky Colony: Lambent consisted of a sizeable city on top of a massive, circular platform that spanned the length of the giant cloud. The platforms were filled with white, sky blue, and gold colours. The ground consisted of pristine, glossy marble and stone. The edges were cordoned off by gold railings to prevent any accidents. The city of Lambent was known as the Golden City. True to its name, it was as if the whole of Lambent was bathed in holy luminescence. Beautiful architecture filled the Sky Colony. The city was filled with columns both big and small, golden pavilions, and statuettes of angels, holy aspects, and abstract, angelic art. Tranquil founts ran throughout the city, sparkling in the light as they gently flowed.

The Golden City consisted of three different levels: a higher level, a middle level, and a lower level. The city was organised like a dais, with the highest level (known as the First Sphere) being the smallest and concentrated near the center, the middle level (the Second Sphere), which was more expansive and hovered below the First Sphere, and the lowest level (the Third Sphere), which was by far the largest, and was the place where the majority of the Golden City was. Each level was supported by the lower level using beautiful, sturdy columns and concentrated cloud data. The First Sphere was the religious and political center of the city, where the Three Great Angels resided. The Second Sphere was the administrative and military center of Lambent. Finally, the Third Sphere consisted of residential areas, markets, libraries, and rolling parks, which surrounded the city. Swirling right above the First Sphere was a beautiful vortex of puffy, white, silver, and dark grey clouds. Coming from within the majestic, ethereal tunnel of layered clouds was warm, glowing light that shone down on the Sky Colony. This light cast shadows across the clouds and caused them to have their eerie hue that ranged from a bright white to a dark grey that bordered on black.

The design of the Sky Colony was emblematic of the Heavenly Choir's society. The Heavenly Choir was theocracy with a hierarchical structure. The angel and fairy Digimon were highly disciplined, and they knew their place and purpose in society. The society was extremely community-oriented with only some room for individual freedom. The highest order could not survive without the lower two orders, the lowest order could not survive without the higher two orders, and the middle order required both orders above and below it. The angel Digimon supported each other and all had a strong sense of discipline.

Seraphimon was one of the Three Great Angels, alongside his partners Ophanimon and Cherubimon. They made up the triumvirate that ruled over the Heavenly Choir. They are the ones who are said to be closest to God, and therefore, they set both political and religious policy for the Heavenly Choir. They each governed different aspects of God. Seraphimon was the executor of God's law and justice. Ophanimon governed over love and mercy. Cherubimon governed over wisdom, and served as the guardian of God.

They were the Council of the Three Angels, and they would meet in the Supernal Sanctum for discussion on important political and religious matters. The Supernal Sanctum was the council hall that was located on the First Sphere of Sky Colony: Lambent. It was a large, circular building made of white and gold stone. It was constantly guarded by angel warriors on both the ground and in the sky. The building was made with magnificent designs in its architecture, crafted by some of the finest sculptors. The edges were etched with stone angels wings and swords, and it was surrounded by glimmering spires and columns.

The First Sphere contained some of the most precious landmarks of the Sky Colonies. The vast Celestial Gardens, which stretched for over a kilometers, was a massive biome of beautiful flowers and flora. It contained all sorts of different kinds of plants and flowers, and it was a large, open space that allowed for contemplation. There was the Library of Wisdom, one of the largest libraries in the Digital World. It contained millions of scrolls, scripture, chronicles, historical accounts, records, annals, and books, all preserving the vast, collective knowledge of the Heavenly Choir and the Digital World. Circling around the grounds First Sphere were the Spires of Hope – massive, sky-reaching columns made of pure, glistening, white stone that seemed to be surrounded by a faint aureole. At the edge of the First Sphere were the Astral Pools. These were tranquil pools that were as still as the calmest of water. Their shimmering waters seemed to reflect the purest of holy light and the distant stars. Angel Digimon could come here for reflection, prayer, and introspection, as the waters seemed to allow for a deep interaction with one's thoughts and emotions. Another of the famous landmarks was the Eternal Chapel, the largest cathedral in the whole of the Digital World. It was made of pale, grey stone, and was complete with ornate spires, a massive dome, an oculus that allowed light to flow in, and beautiful ornamentation that etched the edges of the building. One of the other notable parts of the First Sphere was the Forum of Judgment, a large colosseum where criminals, heretics, lawbreakers and demons were brought for divine punishment.

Below them, on the Second Sphere, are the Dominions, the Virtues, and the Powers. The Dominions are the administration and bureaucracy that run the Heavenly Choir and make sure that everything runs smoothly. They regulate the duties of the angels of the Third Sphere, as well as set policy about expanding society. The main building of administration was known as the Hall of Dominion. The Dominions are run by Archangel Dominimon, one of the three Celestial Commanders.

The Virtues are the religious wing of the Second Sphere, and they also act as bodyguards of the First Sphere. They serve to protect the Being of Goodness while also teaching others in the betterment of morals. They operated out of the Hallowed Sanctorum, the Virtues' headquarters where they carried out orders and divine edicts. The Virtues are commanded by Archangel ClavisAngemon, the second of the Celestial Commanders.

Finally, the Powers are the military arm of the Heavenly Choir. Their purpose is to eliminate threats to the Heavenly Choir, both outside and inside. The Powers are run by the final Celestial Commander, Archangel SlashAngemon. The Powers had three different headquarters, perhaps revealing the military nature of the Heavenly Choir. They contained the Court of Truth, where legal matters and inquisitions took place, the Hall of Justice, where punishment and reprieve was issued, and the Hall of Valiance, the military headquarters of the Powers. Right beside the Hall of Valiance, was the military base where angel Digimon would train. Despite the military nature of the Powers, measured reason, spiritual reflection, and honouring the fallen were still very much an important part of their culture. Although the internal affairs part of the Heavenly Choir was under the Powers' jurisdiction, all three Celestial Commanders collaborated where matters of justice are concerned.

Within society, there are several other high-ranking specialized angel Digimon, who govern things like the arts, worship, law, death, medicine, and other such aspects.

Seraphimon stared out into the beautiful, heavenly sky. A soft wind blew against his winged body as the city drifted in the sky. However, despite the picturesque scenery, a sense of foreboding nipped at his mind. In the archangel Digimon's heart, something was deeply troubling him, but he wasn't sure what it was. It was a sense of dread that ate at the corners of his senses, causing him great unease.

"_Perhaps I should consult Ophanimon and Cherubimon. Maybe they sense it as well…_" he thought to himself.

As he straightened his humanoid body and prepared to turn and walk back into the Celestial Gardens, a bright pink blur caught his eye.

A tiny fairy Digimon about the size of Seraphimon's head flew before him and then stopped in the air. The pink sphere with eyes bowed, flapping his wings to keep himself in place. He kept his spear lowered as he looked up at Seraphimon. "Your Holiness!" the Piccolomon spoke urgently. "I bring urgent news!"

Seraphimon looked at the messenger, his sense of concern growing. "Yes, Piccolomon? What is it?" he asked him.

"One of our patrols has spotted something terrible above the Unhallowed Ruins!" the Piccolomon explained nervously. "Lord Seraphimon… They say they spotted the Crest of Greed!"

"What?!" Seraphimon uttered incredulously. He clenched his fists as his unease morphed into fear and concern. "The Crest of Greed… It cannot be…"

The Piccolomon messenger winced and bowed his head apologetically. "I am sorry that I have to give you this news, Your Holiness."

"Has Barbamon escaped the Dark Area?" Seraphimon asked him, his tone deeply serious.

"The patrols are investigating, but Celestial Commander SlashAngemon fears it to be so," the Piccolomon explained.

"And the other six?" Seraphimon questioned.

"We cannot confirm that at this time…" the small, pink Digimon answered remorsefully.

Seraphimon sighed and nodded understandingly. "It pains me to say it, Piccolomon… but Barbamon was on the fifth level of the Dark Area. If he has been freed, then it is highly likely that the others have been released as well," he answered, attempting to remain calm despite his inner worries.

"What are your orders, Lord Seraphimon?" Piccolomon asked the seraph Digimon.

"Please go and tell Ophanimon and Cherubimon. They need to know about this," he requested. "Then, go to SlashAngemon and tell him to put all of the patrols on high alert."

"Yes, Sir," the Piccolomon obeyed. He bowed before shooting off across the gardens.

Seraphimon watched as the pixie Digimon raced to tell his two comrades about what had happened. When he was gone, Seraphimon looked forwards and placed his hands on the stone railing of the balcony, gripping it tightly.

"_It's as I feared… I was worried that this day would come one day. Have the Seven really escaped from their inescapable prison?_" Seraphimon wondered. With his mind's eye, he stared into the distance, towards the sky above the Unhallowed Ruins. He could see the faint glow of the Crest of Greed in the sky. Seraphimon's broad shoulders stiffened as he beheld the seal.

Seraphimon turned away bitterly. He walked down the ramp of the balcony to the gardens. He thought to himself as he walked towards the Palace of the First Sphere, where the Three Great Angels resided. A dark cloud hung over Seraphimon as he walked through the gardens, his mind and soul heavy from the terrible news.

"_Right above the ruins of Empyrea… Is this a sign?_" the seraph brooded. "_Is our past coming back to haunt us…?_"

* * *

A long afternoon passed and the sun began to set in the distance. The race continued between Bagramon and Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode.

Bagramon could feel his time running out, and his body was wracked with exhaustion. Sweat ran down the left side of his body and his eye had a dark, tired look to it. He was beginning to grow as tired as Imperialdramon and AncientGreymon. They started to put up more resistance, and they were gaining traction as more of the Dark Area's barriers were reconfigured. This caused Bagramon to have to work more slowly. It took him another six hours to get to the point he was currently at.

Despite his struggle, the sixth Demon Lord was nearly free. A large, golden-yellow circle shone in the sky, matching the hue of the sun. Within it was a rectangle with an indent, from which four prongs pointed inwards. The symbol above it was a circle with a cross pointing out of the bottom side. The seal's text read 'CAUTION! PURGATORY LEVEL 6', 'LEVEL: 666', 'SYMBOL: BEELZEBUB', and 'CODE: GLUTTONY'

The demon man sneered with effort as he pulled yet another demon lord from the depths of the Dark Area. He released the Digimon from his Astral Snatcher arm, the giant, bony appendage tracing shadows and dark data as it emerged from the ground. The arm trembled with exhaustion, but it continued to pull back towards the dimensional storm that Bagramon was reaching through.

As it did, the Demon Lord dropped to the ground, landing gracefully on his feet. Upon landing, his black, spiked combat boots dug into the sand below.

The demon Digimon was humanoid in appearance. Strikingly, his lean body was clad in leather from head-to-toe. He wore tight leather pants and a leather bodysuit over his toned, athletic chest. On top of that was an unzipped leather jacket with a furry frill. Over his wrists and hands was a metal padding for protection. His body was further accessorized with metal knee and shoulder pads, a couple belts around his waist, a red bandana tied around his left bicep, and four cords that extended curiously from his back.

The humanoid demon squinted his three eyes in response to the intense sunlight. He had two eyes in their standard position on his pale, grey-skinned face, as well as a third one that was flipped sideways and positioned on his forehead. Protecting the top half of his face was a violet mask with a spiked frill, which extended over the front of his head. Short, messy, blond hair covered the unconcealed back of his head.

A toothy sneer emerged on Beelzebumon's face, and he flicked his demonic tail irritably. He looked around the vicinity suspiciously. He held one of his Berenjena shotguns in his clawed hand, while the other one rested in the large, metal, ankle holster strapped around his left leg.

Beelzebumon was in the Claw Desert, located near the southern edge of the continent. For the most part, it was the Mesozoic Kingdom's domain. He stood in the golden sands of the desert. There were rolling dunes for as far as the eye can see. The desert was the biggest in the entire Digital World.

Directly in front of the demon was an expansive plain of cracked, white, minerals. It was a plain of salt flats. The white minerals glowed brightly against the sunlight, causing Beelzebumon's sensitive trio of eyes to squint in stinging tenderness. He released a swear of pain and rose his hand to block the sunlight. In the distance, the salt flats dipped down, and a large, shallow pool of water shimmered brilliantly. The water was clear and calm enough that the setting sun was reflected perfectly in the brackish liquid.

The Demon Lord of Gluttony then turned his attention towards the sky. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded.

"Bagramon," the demon man said, his tone indicating that he was in a rush.

"Ah, the Angel of Death…" Beelzebumon noted. He smirked and cocked his head with amusement. "Shit. I thought the angels would've killed you."

"They nearly did," Bagramon replied matter-of-factly. "Now, I'm in a bit of a hurry. I need you to listen to me."

"Oh, you do, do ya?" Beelzebumon responded, his voice adversarial. "Look, buddy. I'm real pleased that you busted me outta the Dark Area an' all, but don't get the wrong idea. Just because you did that, I ain't gonna do whatever the hell you want."

"I know, Beelzebumon. I did not expect you to," Bagramon responded diplomatically. "However, I have already broken five of your comrades out of the Dark Area, and I still have one to go. We are currently at a disadvantage. All of you are separated and the Royal Knights and Warrior Ten are going to be on their guard. We need to stay hidden and gather. Unless you want to end up right back in the Dark Area, I request that you to listen to my advice."

"Psh, they weren't so tough. I gave 'em as good as I got during the rebellion," Beelzebumon responded with a dismissive shrug.

"We lost. And there are twelve Royal Knights now," Bagramon pointed out. "They are much stronger than they were when we fought them last."

Beelzebumon glared up at the swirling, black dimensional storm. "Tch… Then that just means that I need to get stronger too…"

"Very well, but will you please head to the hideout that I have prepared?" Bagramon beseeched. "Go to the Abyssal Caves and please try to not draw attention to yourself."

"Hold up. Not without my bike," Beelzebumon protested. He raised a hand and snapped his clawed fingers. "Behemoth!"

The revving of an engine howled from the gaping dark rift that Beelzebumon had emerged from. The sounds of wheels screeching and a motor running grew closer.

Suddenly, a motorcycle burst out of the dark rift, shooting straight up into the air. The heavy vehicle fell to the ground and sent sand shooting up around it. The motorcycle was big and black, with a red seat and windshield. The massive wheels rolled swiftly as the bike drove on its own, circling from the sand and onto the salt flats.

"That's more like it. I finally get to ride this baby in the Digital World!" Beelzebumon said with an excited laugh. He jumped through the air and landed on the motorcycle.

Beelzebumon then gripped the handles and changed gears with his foot. With a dark, adrenalized smirk, he accelerated the bike and began tearing across the salt flats. "Let's go, Behemoth!" he yelled, grinning as he rode north.

The demon lord drove across the shallow water on the far side of the salt plains, causing the pristine reflection of the sky to warp and ripple.

Bagramon watched as the Demon Lord of Gluttony drove off. He absconded from the area and went to free the last of the seven demons. He just hoped he could do it in time.

* * *

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode snarled with anger and exertion as he clutched the Omega Blade. He was lurched forward, over the hilt of the giant broadsword. He leaned on the blade in order to keep himself standing. His muscular, blue tail was poised as a counterbalance, and his muscles were flexed with bulging veins as he put all of his energy into rewriting the Dark Area's barrier. His blue scales were shimmering wetly and his blond hair was matted with sweat. He panted and heaved with effort as he worked on sealing the barrier as thoroughly as possible, while also trying to build the barriers swiftly.

AncientGreymon was in similar shape. His claws were several inches into the cracked ground, and his body trembled with passion and effort as he kept holding back the flow of the Dragon's Veins so that Imperialdramon could work. His armour and hair clung to his black scales due to the sweat coating his body. His thick muscles quivered with effort as the immense power and energy that he poured into the act. His sharp teeth were clenched and a low snarl rolled in his throat.

AncientSphinxmon's job was less intensive, but it was clear that he was totally fixated on scanning the Dark Area. He both checked Imperialdramon's progress, and also that of the intruder. His crimson eyes stared intently into the abyss of shadows around him.

Meanwhile, AncientWisemon was fast asleep, with a large snot bubble expanding and shrinking from his hidden face. AncientGarurumon sat cross-legged nearby, silently watching as the three worked.

Alphamon and Omegamon stood beside one another, staring intently and apprehensively.

Omegamon watched his friend with concern. "Imperialdramon…" he spoke softly.

Alphamon frowned and took a step forwards, seeing the toll it was taking on Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode. "Imperialdramon, let me take over. It's been over two days. You're exhausted."

"No," Imperialdramon said succinctly and stubbornly. "Can one artist finish another's masterpiece for him…? You wouldn't know where to pick up where I left off. I have to finish what I started…"

Alphamon was reluctant, but he nodded and took a step backwards.

"Imperialdramon…" AncientSphinxmon spoke. "You felt that a minute ago, didn't you?"

"Yeah…" Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode replied with a grimace.

"Felt – rgh… - what?" AncientGreymon grunted in question.

"A sixth one has been released," AncientSphinxmon calmly informed them.

AncientGarurumon's red eyes narrowed with frustration at the news.

Alphamon winced faintly but looked at AncientSphinxmon with calm eyes. "Six…" he mused with a heavy undertone to his words. "…AncientSphinxmon, do you have a clear idea of who the escapees are now?"

"Yes," AncientSphinxmon responded. "I can say with one hundred percent certainty that the Seven Great Demon Lords are the targets."

"The Seven Great Demon Lords…" Alphamon spoke weightily, clenching his fists.

"The intruder has gone through each of the prison levels. Only one Digimon was extracted from each level. The Demon Lords have been extracted, but none of the other Digimon on those levels have," AncientSphinxmon explained.

"That seems like a logical assumption," Alphamon replied.

"This is bad…" Omegamon spoke forebodingly.

"We're in the final stretch. Just a few hours to go," Imperialdramon said with a strained grunt. "I'll try to have the barriers configured before the final one is released… No promises, though… I want to be thorough, not quick…"

"Do what you need to do, Imperialdramon," Alphamon assured him.

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode nodded and gripped the glowing Omega Blade tightly. "I hope I can…" he muttered under a strained, shaky breath.

* * *

After a few hours, the sun set in the sky completely. Dual crescent moons rose into the starry, night sky. Behind the clouds, the stars twinkled and the moons beamed faint rays of light down onto the grassy landscape.

It was midnight at the city of Shroud. The constant data storm that raged overhead blocked out the night sky. Blackish violet clouds swirled and wafted restlessly.

In the sky outside of the city, within the thick clouds, an eerie green glow illuminated the veil of vapour. The seventh and final seal was emblazoned in the clouds. It consisted of a rectangle with four prongs sticking out of the top. At the end of each of the prongs, as well as at the bottom right edge of the polygon, were five circles. Above the seal was a crescent moon and a small star. On the inner edges of the two circles was the similar yet different text that accompanies all of the seals. 'CAUTION! PURGATORY LEVEL 7', 'LEVEL: 666', 'SYSTEM: ASMODEUS', 'CODE: LUST'. The Crest of Lust was the final seal, indicating that Bagramon was nearly finished.

Inside of the data storm was a dimensional storm that caused the sky to become even more chaotic. Lightning snapped through the sky and the clouds churned tumultuously. Reaching down from the chaotic sky was Bagramon's long, thick arm.

For the past seven hours, Bagramon had been infiltrating the Dark Area. It was now extremely difficult for him; the pressure against his arm was immense, and he could feel the walls closing in around him. Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode was nearly complete the reconfiguration of the barrier. The paladin was about 95% done. If Bagramon didn't finish soon, his arm would be chopped off by the closing barriers.

Fortunately for him, he had made contact with the final Demon Lord and was in the process of pulling her out. As he did, he could feel the internal firewalls closing the holes around him. He barely retrieved the Demon Lord before the barrier of the seventh prison level snapped shut imperviously. Bagramon was retracting the Astral Snatcher as swiftly as he possibly could. Any finesse he had was now gone; the past couple days were taking their toll on his body. It took all of his concentration and willpower just to remain standing.

After several minutes, Bagramon pulled past the external barrier of the first prison level. He pulled the Demon Lord up through the outer level of the Dark Area. Then, with a sharp and mighty heave, he retracted his arm from the Dark Area completely. Right as he did, the dark rift snapped shut. The earth around the chasm filled it in and sealed up the crevice as if it had never been there.

Bagramon released the seventh Demon Lord to the grass and pulled his right arm back inside the dimensional rift that he had created.

A Digimon in the form of a beautiful humanoid woman landed gracefully on the grass. She had smooth, fair skin, over which she wore a black body suit that covered from her ample breasts all the way down to her ankles. The suit in question had gold lining and had golden ornamentation on her knees and chest. Loosely covering her sleeves and waist was a long, purple fabric that loosely draped from her slender body.

Four black, bat-like wings protruded from her back. Also extending from her form were long, black, opposable sashes that connected to the broach on her chest. They were bladed and deadly, as were the several long, gold, arrow-headed wires that jutted from her form. The demoness had a humanoid face with purple eye shadow, long eyelashes, and a bat tattoo on her forehead. She also had pointed ears, icy, aloof eyes, and short, raven hair. Two gold horns protruded from her hair, which also contained jeweled hairpins and a gold, coronet hair comb.

Over her right hand was a slender, gold gauntlet, which had ornate etchings along the gold metal. The gauntlet's fingers narrowed into sharp, deadly claws. In contrast, her left hand was exposed, containing only a gold bracelet that covered her wrist and the back of her hand, and long, polished, violet fingernails.

Lilithmon looked at her surroundings and brushed her hand through her hair. "My my. This certainly isn't the Dark Area…" she mused with a calm smile. She turned her gaze upwards towards the dimensional storm that Bagramon's arm had retreated into. "And to who do I owe the pleasure…?"

"It is I… Bagramon…" the demon Digimon responded between tired breaths.

"Oh, Bagramon… I absolutely must find some way to repay you…" Lilithmon seductively suggested. A sultry grin formed on her violet, lipstick-covered lips. "I'm sure that I can think of something…"

"No repayment is necessary," Bagramon answered. "Please, stay undercover for a day or two. Try to make your way to the Abyssal Caves to the northwest.

"Oh, alright…" she responded in a blasé tone of voice. "I take it that you have freed the others as well?"

"All of them…" Bagramon responded, sounding out of breath. "I will meet you in a few days."

"Very well. I look forward to it, Bagramon. You always were a dashing fellow," the Demon Lord of Lust replied, beginning to saunter over to the road leading into Shroud.

"I fear I may not have the looks that I once had," Bagramon dryly answered. "Farewell, Lilithmon."

With those words, the dimensional storm that Bagramon created suddenly shut and vanished.

* * *

Back in his hut, Bagramon panted and fell to his hands and knees inside of his hut. Sweat rolled off of his body and soaked his clothing. His hair was dishevelled and his eyes were tired. He clasped his left hand over his hollow eye and winced with pain as he finally ceased using his Invisible Snake Eyes.

"B-Bagramon!" Wizardmon spoke, walking over to the fallen angel Digimon with some concern.

"I'm fine, Wizardmon," Bagramon spoke, although breathing heavily. "It's done…"

"You should relax now…" Wizardmon advised him. "The pressure on your body must have been immense."

"I will. Soon. There are still a few things that must be done," Bagramon responded. He looked over his shoulder at Wizardmon. "Black Pincer Company?"

"They are staying in an inn in New Terminal," Wizardmon explained.

"Have them come here tomorrow morning," Bagramon said to him.

"Yes, Bagramon," Wizardmon responded. "The dark rifts?"

"Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode is nearly finished sealing the barriers. This is fine. I didn't want any of the others escaping," Bagramon informed him. "I hope you did enough field work on the fissures while you had the chance."

"I have. To my satisfaction," Wizardmon answered. "Although I wouldn't mind hearing first-hand accounts of the Dark Area."

"I will see what I can do. For now, you should retire to your room in the inn," the demon lord Digimon suggested.

Wizardmon nodded and bowed politely. "Thank you, Bagramon," he responded. He turned around and began to walk towards the door, but he stopped and glanced over his shoulder. "Do you need any help?"

"No. Thank you," Bagramon responded, still catching his breath while on his hands and knees. "Those past two days have just taken a lot out of me…"

"That's understandable… Well, goodbye. I will see you tomorrow morning," Wizardmon responded. He walked out of the hut and closed the door behind him.

Once Wizardmon was gone, Bagramon released a strained sigh. All he wanted to do now was rest. His mind and body were exhausted from the ordeal. Despite his tired state, Bagramon smiled.

"It was close… but I managed to do it," he murmured. "All is going according to plan…"

* * *

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode released a strained snarl between his gritted teeth. He emptied his energy into one final push to close and secure the barriers. He was 99% finished. He just needed to close that final one percent.

"Damn it…!" he growled as he felt the intruder releasing the final Demon Lord. "I almost… damn it!"

Alphamon and Omegamon watched with concern. "Are you alright, Imperialdramon?" Omegamon asked him, stepping forwards.

"F-Fine… Just… a little more…!" the dragon man said with a determined snarl. "AncientGreymon…! On my count…!"

"R-Right… Let's do it!" AncientGreymon shouted.

"Five!"

AncientGreymon snarled and his body erupted in a swath of flames.

"Four!"

Imperialdramon hissed with effort as the last of the gaps in the internal and external barriers sealed up.

"Three!"

The Omega Blade shone brightly. Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode channelled deep into his energy reserves to put the finishing touches on the sealed Dark Area.

"Two! AncientSphinxmon!"

AncientSphinxmon nodded. He helped Imperialdramon run the finishing analyses on the Dark Area. The Warrior of Darkness finished scanning and he looked at the white paladin. "Secure."

Imperialdramon grunted. "One!"

"Let's go!" AncientGreymon shouted.

"Initialize!"

The Omega Blade suddenly flashed with a bright light that lit up the darkness. The cracks in the ground shone with light energy as the Dark Area's barriers were formatted. Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode gripped the Omega Blade tightly and then pulled it from the ground.

"Now!"

As Imperialdramon shouted, AncientGreymon's fiery body hunched down and his blue eyes flashed orange. He released the pressure of the ley lines and allowed the subterranean data to finally flow freely. As the Dragon's Veins were restored to activity, there was a rush of energy. The cracks in the ground suddenly sealed up and returned the grassy plain to its natural state.

"Bwah!" AncientWisemon shouted, jumping to his feet with a start. "What is this cacophony? I was sleep—OOH! You are concluding already?! Why in the name of the Spirits did you decline to awake me from my slumber?! How did the disentanglement progress?!"

AncientSphinxmon scanned the Dark Area. "Success," he spoke.

AncientGreymon's fires died down and he panted with exhaustion. "On my end too…" he spoke, his deep, accented voice haggard.

"Job… well done…" Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode said tiredly, giving a weak thumbs up. He then dropped the Omega Blade and collapsed from exhaustion.

AncientGreymon's legs buckled as well, and both of their bodies glowed with light. The two Digimon fell to the ground. Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode reverted all the way back to his Paildramon form. Meanwhile, AncientGreymon reverted back down to his Vritramon form. Both dragon men hit the ground, barely conscious.

"Imperialdramon!" Omegamon exclaimed, rushing over with Alphamon by his side.

AncientGarurumon sneered and muttered something about stubborn dragons under his breath. He then jogged over as well.

Omegamon kneeled down and removed his gauntlets so that he could help his friend. The exhausted Paildramon looked up at him with a weak grin. "Finally done…" he murmured, closing his crimson eyes. "Sorry. I couldn't stop the seven…"

"It's fine, Imperialdramon," Alphamon ensured him, putting a hand on Paildramon's shoulder. "You've done more than your share. It's our turn now."

Omegamon nodded. "We can worry about them later. For now, you need to focus on resting," he advised. Although it was a suggestion, Paildramon knew that he didn't have a choice.

Paildramon quickly fell into unconsciousness.

Meanwhile, AncientGarurumon was checking on the Warrior of Flame. He kneeled beside Vritramon, who was stubbornly struggling and failing to hold onto consciousness.

"One problem is solved," AncientSphinxmon spoke.

"But now we have a new problem," Alphamon responded. "The Seven Great Demon Lords…"

"Digimon of their power… they are extremely dangerous…" Omegamon said, his blue eyes narrowing. "Enough to rival us…"

Alphamon nodded grimly. "I sense that things will be extremely different from here on out…" he predicted. "With Digimon like the Seven Great Demon Lords on the loose, the entire Digital World is at stake."

"We have to stop them," Omegamon added with determination in his voice and gaze.

"Agreed," AncientGarurumon muttered from nearby.

Alphamon nodded firmly. He turned and gazed up towards the World Tree. "I feel that the era of petty politics, states, and factions is over… I think that we are facing a turning point in the Digital World. We very well may be up against another existential threat," he mused profoundly.

Alphamon's soft, gold eyes hardened and began to burn red. "This is one of those times where we need to put politics and bureaucracy aside. All of that becomes trivial at times like this. I fear that we will soon be fighting for the safety of the entire Digital World…"


	38. Chapter 27: Confession

(Author's Notes: Sorry for the wait. It's down to a mix of holidays and wanting to catch up on writing the most recent chapter. And, yes, I'm shamelessly ripping a title from one of the Adventure Tri episodes, but it fits the chapter, so let's call it an homage. ;P Anyways, read, review, and enjoy!)

**Chapter 27: Confession**

It was a new month. A few days had passed since the battle for Saversburg and the subsequent release of the Seven Great Demon Lords.

The respective armies had all returned home. The D-Brigade had completely removed themselves from the Mamemon Kingdom and the Dual Chess Monarchy in order to return to Facture. The Saversburg army had returned to their city, the Republic's military divisions had returned to New Terminal, and the Warrior Ten had returned to their headquarters at Elemental Peak.

It was a rainy day over Splendor's Reach. The Order's military forces had returned to Castle Albion. They were exhausted and weathered, but they were a determined bunch. Battles like that, although rare, were what they trained for. A memorial service had been held the day previous for those deleted in the battle. The Royal Knights also gave the soldiers double pay and time off as a reward for their hard work.

It was the early morning, a few hours past sunrise. Dukemon lay in his large, soft bed, underneath a thick, crimson duvet with gold lining. Normally, he was up before the sun rose over the horizon, but there wasn't much of a sunrise to watch that morning. Instead, he stayed in bed for awhile, staring up at the stone ceiling and listening to the rain pattering against the windows of his bedroom.

Dukemon lay in bed, but he wasn't relaxing; he was deep in thought. He had begun thinking about the battle, and then about the dark rifts. Alphamon, Omegamon, and Imperialdramon had only just returned yesterday, but the day had been so busy and they were so exhausted that the meeting had been postponed until today. Uncertain as to what was going to happen, Dukemon started to think about what they would do now that Chaosdramon had been defeated. If Imperialdramon sealed the dark rifts without any problem, they would be able to relax.

This got Dukemon thinking about his promise to Grani. He had promised that after the Metal Empire problem had been dealt with, he would tell the Royal Knights about the time that his Digital Hazard activated. It wasn't a pleasant memory for him, even just thinking about it while alone. While he treasured meeting Grani, the circumstances around the meeting were something that Dukemon preferred to pretend never happened.

The thought of telling the other Royal Knights about the incident caused him worry. He had misgivings about even talking about the Digital Hazard in front of them. How could he tell them about the time that he almost caused a Digital World-wide calamity? He was supposed to be a guardian of the Digital World. It was hard for him to talk about the time that he almost destroyed it.

He had doubts about how they would react. He knew that he had already told Examon, who had reacted as if it wasn't a big deal. However, Examon was one of the least judgmental Digimon that he knew. How would less understanding Digimon such as Duftmon react? How would his understanding friends even react? And there was also the possibility that Examon was hiding his true feelings because he didn't want to offend Dukemon. Would his other friends hide their true feelings as well? What did they really think about him when his back was turned? He knew they sometimes talked…

These thoughts niggled at Dukemon's mind as he lay in bed. He idly rubbed the smooth scales of his chest, his fingers running across the small, black Digital Hazard emblem on the center of his ribs.

"_Should I really tell them…?_"

The more he thought about it, the worse he felt. He was just going to end up convincing himself to not go through with it again, at this rate.

Dukemon sighed and steeled his determination. He sat up in bed and pulled down the blankets. Underneath, he only wore a pair of black boxer briefs, so his thick muscles and the red scales of his draconic body could be seen as he pulled the blankets down. He slid out of bed and stood to his feet so that he could prepare for the day.

As Dukemon began to head over to his cabinet, he noticed a familiar form touch down on the balcony that extended from his room. He saw Grani perched on the balcony railing, looking into the room. Dukemon turned and walked towards the glass door leading out to the balcony. He opened the wide door and looked at the large Zero ARMS, who had rainwater dripping off of his metal body.

"Grani?" Dukemon asked curiously. "What are you doing?"

"Getting out of the rain, if you don't mind," Grani responded, floating forwards. He then stopped and looked up and down Dukemon's almost-naked body. "…I haven't caught you at a private moment, have I? It wouldn't be the first time…"

Dukemon smiled a little and moved out of the way. "No. Come in already. Just don't soak my floor," he stated, walking to grab a towel from his wardrobe.

"I can only transcend the limits of gravity so much, I'm afraid," Grani dryly answered as water dripped off of his beak and wing tips.

"Here," he playfully said, tossing a towel onto Grani's head.

Grani used his stubby arms to pull the towel off of his head. He levelled a deadpan look at Dukemon. "Why, thank you…"

"My pleasure," Dukemon answered, turning around and looking through his drawers to decide what clothes he was going to wear that morning.

Grani dried what he could of his body before looking at Dukemon. "How are you feeling this morning?" he asked him inquisitively.

"I'm alright. Missed the sunrise today," Dukemon said with a dismissive shrug.

The Zero ARMS gazed at Dukemon with studious blue eyes. "…You seem troubled," he noted. "Your shoulders are tense, your back is rigid, and your gluteal muscles are clenched."

Dukemon slowly looked over his shoulder with his own deadpan stare. He then glanced back at the buttocks in question. "…Do you really have to look at my ass when trying to decipher my mood?" he asked him playfully.

"Body language is telling," Grani matter-of-factly answered.

"Well, my butt never lies," Dukemon admitted with a grin.

Grani rolled his eyes. "Don't change the subject, Dukemon," he pressed. "…Are you concerned about our deal?"

"Which one?" Dukemon innocently responded as he bent down to pull out some skinny, black pants from his wooden dresser.

"You know which one…" Grani said with a sigh. "You promised to tell the Royal Knights about the Digital Hazard event."

"'Event'… You make it sound like a festival," Dukemon murmured. He turned around and slung his pants over his shoulder. "I haven't forgotten, Grani," he said with exasperation. "And I'm not going to back out of our promise, either. I'm just not looking forward to it."

"I understand that you have cold feet, but you are overreacting," Grani explained to him. "Examon didn't mind at all. The others will be the same way."

"Do you think so?" Dukemon asked, not as confident as Grani was about the idea.

"It's unlike you to be so negative, Dukemon. Where is that easygoing confidence of yours?" the crimson dragon asked him.

"_How can I be positive about being a walking time bomb?_" Dukemon thought to himself. He sighed took a white shirt from his dresser. "It's still there, Grani. I'll tell them. I promise."

"When, precisely?" Grani asked him.

Dukemon looked steadily at Grani. "I'll tell them after the meeting this afternoon," he informed him, deciding that he'd rather get it over with. After a moment, he glanced away, hiding his uncertainty. "…You're coming, right?"

Grani smiled as much as his beak would allow. "Of course I am," he reassured him.

"Thanks, Grani…" he whispered. The Royal Knight then began heading for the door of his room. "I'm going to have a shower and get dressed. I'll see you downstairs for breakfast?"

"Most likely," Grani responded.

Dukemon nodded and walked out of his room. He strode down the hallway towards the large bathroom at the end of the hallway in order to prepare for the day.

Grani watched as he left and thought quietly to himself. "_I know that you worry about the Digital Hazard, Dukemon, but hopefully this will make you see that it isn't a big deal to your friends. Perhaps it will help you to put things into perspective…_"

* * *

The Argent Mountains overlooked the sprawling city of New Terminal, standing sentinel over the Republic of Node's capital. Clouds floated around Yggdrasil's Mount, concealing the peak of the tallest mountain and the top of the World Tree's root that extended out from the rock and reached towards the sky . Mist clouded the base of the mountain as waterfalls cascaded from the rocky cliffs and pooled into the Fountain River.

On a rocky plateau, high up on the craggy peaks of Yggdrasil's Mount, was a hut surrounded by grass and flowers. Bagramon's hut rested on the side of the peak overlooking New Terminal. It was a remote, hermetic location that took a bit of travelling through unbeaten terrain to access.

This made it difficult for Digimon like Bolgmon, who had to carefully navigate the rocks and crags of the mountain. Bolgmon followed behind Blitzmon as they made their way up a rural mountain pass, removed from the beaten pilgrimage trails awhile back. Leading them up the path was Wizardmon, who carefully roved along the path. The path was wide enough, but he felt uneasy about heights, so he stayed near the trees opposite to the cliff edge.

"We're almost there," Wizardmon stated, looking over his shoulder as he used his staff as a walking stick.

"The guy who's been hiring us seriously lives up here?" Bolgmon asked, grunting as he rolled over a melon-sized stone. The rock burst into fragments under his great weight, crushed underneath his treads.

"That's right. He prefers to live away from other Digimon," Wizardmon responded, walking forwards. They were nearly at the end of the inclined path, which started to level off and widen into a spacious plateau that rested against the mountainside. To their right was a beautiful, scenic view of the vast city of New Terminal.

Bolgmon perked up upon seeing the plateau at the end of the climb. "Finally! Some level terrain. My treads are killin' me," he complained.

"Please try not to crush any of the flowers," Wizardmon beseeched, not turning around to look at them.

Blitzmon looked at Bolgmon. "I think that was directed at you," he informed him with a slight grin.

Bolgmon rolled his green eyes and drove up to the plateau. Upon reaching the even ground, he looked across the plateau. He was surprised to see only a small hut in the centre. "…This is it?" he asked, looking at Wizardmon.

"This is where he lives," Wizardmon confirmed as he walked down the footpath towards the hut.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Bolgmon asked incredulously. "_That's _the place? Does he actually live there?"

Wizardmon looked over his shoulder and nodded.

"It's a good place to live if you want to stay obscure," Blitzmon supposed, following after their mage guide.

"I was expecting something… y'know, fancier," Bolgmon muttered, rolling down the path after them.

Wizardmon walked up to the hut and knocked on the door. "It's me," he said aloud.

"Enter," a deep voice spoke.

The magician opened the door and walked inside, leaving it open for Blitzmon and Bolgmon to follow.

The two insect mercenaries glanced at each other before making their way inside the modest hut. Blitzmon walked in first and looked around. Given the exotic ingredients, books, and materia medica, it definitely looked like a seer's hut or some sort of apothecary. The aromatic, sometimes pungent, smell of herbs and alchemy hit the two mercenaries like a brick wall as they entered the small hovel.

Bolgmon followed him in and eyed the interior with incredulity and suspicion. He noticed a Bagramon sitting at a table, writing down notes in a notebook. He spied Bagramon's half-devastated and artificial body with amusement. He leaned over to Blitzmon and whispered. "Shit, he's uglier than Grandis."

"Shut up," Blitzmon whispered back harshly, not wanting to offend their client.

Bagramon noticed the two bug Digimon enter, prompting him to stand up. "Hello. You must be Blitzmon and Bolgmon," he stated politely.

Wizardmon looked at Bagramon and then turned towards Black Pincer Company. "Black Pincer Company? This is Bagramon. He is the one who has been hiring our services all this time," he explained.

Blitzmon silently sized up Bagramon for a few, pensive moments. He noted that he had been smote in some way, considering the state of half of his body and the demonic features on his form. Despite this, Blitzmon calmly stepped forwards and offered his right hand across the table unflinchingly.

Bagramon smiled with amusement and looked down at Blitzmon's extended hand. "You're a brave one," he noted. "Most Digimon offer their left hand to me."

He reached his large, skeletal arm forwards and took Blitzmon's smaller hand within his large palm, shaking it gently.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Blitzmon responded, returning the shake firmly.

"Yeah, same…" Bolgmon stated, looking around the hut curiously.

Bagramon retracted his hand and placed it on top of the table. He looked between the two mercenaries with a wry smile. "I can't help but notice that your third member is missing…" he noted.

"Yeah… We got separated when the Royal Knights found us out in Saversburg. We don't know what happened to him," Bolgmon informed him, although it didn't sound as though he cared all that much. "They probably deleted him."

"It is unfortunate…" Blitzmon responded, although he actually sounded faintly remorseful. "However, it will not affect our ability as a mercenary team. Bolgmon and I are more than capable with just the two of us."

"I see…" Bagramon answered. He brought his hand to his chin and stroked his raven beard. "Actually… you may be relieved to hear that GrandisKuwagamon isn't dead. He has been captured by the Royal Knights and has been taken to their dungeon."

Bolgmon frowned at this news. The demon man sounded pretty sure of himself. "What?" he questioned. "So, he's locked up?"

Blitzmon eyed Bagramon. "How do you know this?" he asked him, leering suspiciously. "…In fact, you have known a lot about what has been going on. You knew exactly where those blueprints you wanted stolen were. You knew about that exiled MetallifeKuwagamon guy who you wanted us to blast. You knew when our hideout was taken by the Royal Knights. You also knew that the Metal Empire was invading Saversburg. You must have really good intel… Are you hiring Digimon other than us?"

"Yes and no," Bagramon answered enigmatically. "I get all of my information through this." He turned his head and angled the maimed right side of his face towards them. He allowed the ruby within his hollow eye to flash emphatically. "Using Invisible Snake-Eyes, I am able to see anything within the Digital World."

Bolgmon cocked his head to the side and eyed Bagramon. "So, you can see anything at all? You're… ominous?" he asked.

"Omniscient," Blitzmon corrected.

"Yeah, that. You could've made our lives a lot easier if you can see everything, y'know," the tank Digimon stated standoffishly. "Like, you could've warned us when the Royal Knights were gonna attack us those times."

Bagramon shook his head. "It's true that I can see anything. However, there is a difference between being able to see anything and being able to see _everything_," he explained emphatically. "I can only focus on one place in the Digital World at a time, and, even then, I would need to know where to look first. I cannot pinpoint a single Digimon in the Digital World, only locations that I am aware of. For example, I could only find GrandisKuwagamon because I looked at the Royal Knights' dungeon. My power is limited in that way."

"I see…" Blitzmon responded, thinking to himself.

"I have you at a disadvantage. For safety reasons, I have had to remain anonymous until this point, so I know more about you than you do about me," Bagramon stated. "I'm sure you both must have many questions for me. That's why I invited you here."

Bolgmon waved his cannon arm. "I've got a question," he spoke up. "What's with this flimsy shack? I expected you to be in a stinking rich mansion with the amount of cash you were shelling out to us… Are you even rich?"

"I use the money that I have for either subsistence or my plan," Bagramon responded. "I have a decent amount of reserves remaining, should I need it."

"And you make all that selling… herbs and potions?" Bolgmon sceptically questioned, gesturing to one of the shelves.

"I am primarily a seer… Some Digimon come to me to predict their future." Bagramon responded. He smiled a little. "Rather, I tell what already is, and offer advice on how to best make Digimon achieve their goals. I am quite good at it…" He tapped his finger near his right eye. "There are some wealthy Digimon who will pay a lot of money for the use of my Invisible Snake-Eyes. Clairvoyance is an extremely useful ability to have. I will use it if a Digimon asks, for a price."

"You sound like a savvy businessmon," Blitzmon stated.

"As are you, Blitzmon," Bagramon responded intentionally. "I hope that we can renew our business arrangement."

Blitzmon closed his eyes, thinking for a moment. "That depends…" he answered. "I'd like to know more about you and what your aims are before I commit to anything." Blitzmon looked at Bagramon carefully. "We are definitely interested since, as you know, we need the money… but I'd like to know what we're getting into."

"That's perfectly reasonable," Bagramon responded. "Can I offer you something to drink first? Tea?"

"Have any beer?" Bolgmon asked him.

"I don't drink, I'm afraid," Bagramon responded. "Old habit from the Heavenly Choir. It clouds the mind."

"I think that's the idea," Bolgmon muttered, suddenly finding the demon very stuck up.

"We're fine," Blitzmon assured him. "Please, go on. You were from the Heavenly Choir?"

"I was. Until the Heavenly War," Bagramon answered honestly, but sparing the details. "Do either of you remember that?"

"Yes… We started our mercenary company only a few years before that. We were doing some nothing-job during the night that the demons tried to drop the Sky Colony on the Digital World," Blitzmon recollected. "I still remember seeing it coming down in the distance."

"Well, I was on the side of those demons… We were fighting against the Three Great Angels and their dogmatic belief in God," Bagramon explained. As he spoke, his eye looked downwards and he became absorbed in reminiscence. His expression showed traces of darkness. "It was a necessary gambit, I suppose."

"Whatever gets the job done," Blitzmon agreed. The cobalt beetle man eyed Bagramon inquisitively. "…So, you were on the losing end of all that, huh?"

"I was… Half of my body was destroyed as punishment for rebelling against God and killing the faithful. I suppose that this was their version of mercy, as I was once a high-ranking angel," Bagramon ironically explained, gesturing to the artificial right half of his body. "The Seven Great Demon Lords, however, were defeated and banished to the Dark Area for eternity."

"Damn. That can't have been fun," Bolgmon lightheartedly mused.

Blitzmon folded his arms. "So… What do you want from us? Why did you hire us to do all those things? Attacking both the Royal Knights and the Metal Empire like that…" he questioned.

"I needed a war," Bagramon answered matter-of-factly.

"A war? Why?" Blitzmon asked with scrutinizing green eyes.

"You see… A year ago, when DarkKnightmon escaped from the Dark Area, the barrier between our world and the Dark Area was weakened. Gaps in the barrier were cropping up all over the place. However… the rifts were small - too small for the data size of whole Digimon to be able to pass through. At most, only small amounts of dark data could escape at a time…" Bagramon informed the two mercenaries.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Bolgmon asked, his voice laced with boredom and disinterest.

"Quiet, Bolgmon," Blitzmon scolded, elbowing his large cannon arm. "I'm sure he's getting there."

"Indeed… I needed to make the rifts larger. The only way that I could do that was by amplifying the flow of dark data from the Dark Area to the Digital World. This would exacerbate and ultimately degrade the barrier," Bagramon explained to them. "Due to the strength of the Dark Area's barrier, the danger and volatility with dealing with both dark data and the Dark Area, and the precarious nature of my own position, this was not an easy task."

"That's where we came in," Bolgmon guessed, idly scratching his orange body suit with one of his smaller, auxiliary arms. "Though I still don't get how…"

"A war helped you how?" Blitzmon asked. "And why did it have to be between the Metal Empire and the Royal Knights. I know you were playing them off each other."

"I needed a war with the Metal Empire, specifically," Bagramon enlightened him. "However, the D-Brigade is one of the finest armies around. I needed a large enough threat for the D-Brigade. That's where the Royal Knights came in…" Bagramon raised his left hand and brushed his long, white hair back over his winged back. He looked steadily at the two mercenaries. "I needed the Royal Knights to ensure that Chaosdramon would set foot on the battlefield. Only they would be strong enough and provocative enough to draw him out personally. And, I admit, I have some history with the Royal Knights…"

"Okay, that explains what you needed us for," Bolgmon said nonchalantly. "But why'd you need the big, red, piece of scrap metal?"

"Chaosdramon has the ability to tap into the Dark Area and draw out dark energy from within it," Bagramon answered calmly. He turned and looked over at Wizardmon, giving him a soft nod. When Wizardmon walked into the tiny kitchen area of the hut, Bagramon turned back to the two mercenaries. "I needed him to use his attacks, which harnessed the dark data of the Dark Area. He successfully weakened the barrier of the Dark Area through his mindless onslaught. He just needed a little push…"

Bolgmon had an amused glint in his bright, green eyes. "I like it…"

"To what end?" Blitzmon asked the white-garbed demon lord.

"To release the Seven Great Demon Lords who were imprisoned in the Dark Area," Bagramon answered. "All seven of them are now free."

Blitzmon blinked with surprise. "You wanted to free the Seven Great Demon Lords?" he asked him, frowning suspiciously.

Bagramon nodded with a disarming smile. "Yes… They were my comrades once. They are also as powerful as the Royal Knights…" he explained. "I will need them for what is to come."

"And what is that?" Blitzmon prodded. "What's next?"

"…I have many plans, Blitzmon," Bagramon answered soberly. His deep voice lingered with his words as he spoke. "I have been planning since that night… Since I crawled through the mud, pulling my mutilated, half-dead body across the Digital World… No, since before that, even…"

Bagramon closed his eye with thought. After a few, pensive moments, he opened it and looked at the two insect Digimon. "There is so much injustice in the Digital World… It is an imperfect place," Bagramon mused. "All I want is to bring a bit of justice back into this world of ours. The status quo… The way God allows things to continue… it is unacceptable."

As Bagramon spoke, he gently clenched the fist of his left hand. "I will be the one who repairs these imperfections, both in the Heavenly Choir and in the Digital World as a whole…"

Bolgmon and Blitzmon exchanged looks of uncertainty. "That sounds pretty ambitious," Bolgmon noted, making his scepticism clear. He folded his smaller pair of arms across his chest and squinted at Bagramon. "You aren't nuts, are ya?"

At this, Bagramon let out a deep, amused laugh. "…No… I am not insane. And, yes, it is ambitious," he responded. "However, I have already released the Seven Great Demon Lords. With their power, anything is possible."

"Will they follow you?" Blitzmon wondered. "I always thought it was that Lucemon guy who led the revolt."

"He was. However, like back then, we have mutual goals and commonalities," Bagramon explained. "It will be in our interests to work together. Lucemon is smart enough to know this. The rest will follow us."

"Okay… Well, thanks for bringing us in the picture," Blitzmon answered, placing his hands on his hips. "Better late than never."

Bagramon nodded. "Now, I have a question for the two of you," he put forward. The demon lord Digimon eyed the pair carefully. "Will you two continue to work for me?"

Blitzmon turned his horned head and glanced at Bolgmon. After gauging his friend's expression, he looked back at Bagramon. "Is the pay still the same?" he asked him

"I'm afraid I can't be as generous with the pay as I was before, but, rest assured, you will be able to make back what you have lost in a reasonable amount of time," Bagramon assured them. "Also… if you choose to help me, you will be recompensed greatly in the future."

Blitzmon frowned with scepticism and uncertainty. "We have a policy not to accept prospective money – I.O.U's. It's bad business. It usually results in us having to break the guy's fingers or claws when he doesn't want to pay up," the blue insect explained matter-of-factly.

Bagramon chuckled. "Don't worry. I fully intend to pay you for every job that you do," he explained. "Think of it as an investment… Once we are in power, you will be rewarded handsomely. Money, resources for Black Pincer Company, even estates – your own little kingdom perhaps…" Bagramon suggested with a twinkle in his eye.

Blitzmon's eyes seemed to light up with an emerald gleam at the prospect. "I see…" he mused, never one to show his hand. "And do you think it's possible? There's the Royal Knights to consider."

"The Royal Knights are an obstacle that we would have to face eventually," Bagramon admitted. "I would be lying if I said that it would be easy, but I am confident that we can neutralize them. However, that is some distance in the future. Right now, I am focusing on consolidating our strength." The demon lord gazed at Blitzmon and Bolgmon intently. "So… Blitzmon, Bolgmon… Will you stake your bet on me? Will you help me in my quest to tear down the scourge of God and his blind followers? Will you help me bring justice to the Digital World?"

The humanoid beetle man thought about his words for a few moments. "…If I can be blunt, we don't care about your ideals, Bagramon. 'God'… 'Yggdrasil'… 'justice'… they're just empty words to us," he responded dismissively. "All that matters to me is money. We'll help you, as long as you repay us."

"And as long as we get to fry some suckers," Bolgmon added with a sharp chuckle.

"I am good to my word," Bagramon assured them. He extended his left hand towards Blitzmon. "Do we have a deal then?"

Blitzmon glanced at Bolgmon. "You good with this?" he asked the large tank Digimon.

"I'm good," Bolgmon agreed, looking back at him with smirking eyes. "Sounds like it could be fun."

"And a good opportunity," Blitzmon pondered. He looked at Bagramon's outstretched hand and took it. "You have a deal, but what exactly do you need us for?"

"There will be covert, low-key operations that I will need you for. Things that the Demon Lords simply cannot do," the fallen angel Digimon explained as he shook Blitzmon's hand. "I'm glad to have you two on board."

"Pleasure doing business with you," the bug Digimon answered. Blitzmon then paused. "Where are the Seven Demon Lords now?"

"They are travelling to a meeting place. I am heading there myself in a couple of days," Bagramon responded.

After a moment, Wizardmon walked out of the kitchen. He carried a tray with three cups of fragrant tea. "The tea is ready."

"Thank you," Bagramon said to him. He took one of the cups from the tray and gently blew on the steaming hot liquid. He then raised the cup up as Blitzmon and Bolgmon took theirs. "To a continuing partnership," he stated.

Blitzmon raised his cup as well. "To a continuing partnership..." he agreed. Blitzmon's green eyes narrowed. "Whatever you need us to do, we'll do it..."

* * *

The early afternoon had set in over the Free Area. In Castle Albion, the Royal Knights had gathered to discuss the recent events and what to do about them.

The twelve Royal Knights and four captains were gathered in the council room, around the circular table of white stone. A tense silence hung over the austere room, punctuated only by the pattering of raindrops on the stained glass windows.

The news of what had happened lingered heavily, putting anxiety into the hearts of the Royal Knights. Alphamon, Omegamon, and Imperialdramon had informed the other Royal Knights about what they discovered while at the World Tree. So soon after one crisis had been solved, another, much greater one had emerged in its place.

Quiet continued to dominate the meeting until the silence became unbearable. Dukemon was the first one to speak up, unable to keep his feelings silent any longer. "The Seven Great Demon Lords are really free?" he asked in a voice brimming with frustration.

"How could this have happened?" Duftmon questioned, frowning deeply in response to the news.

"I'm sorry, guys," Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode apologised, wincing from his place next to Alphamon and Omegamon's seats. "I tried to reconfigure the barrier as quickly as I could, but it wasn't fast enough… Somebody freed all seven of them."

"It's not your fault, Imperialdramon," Omegamon assured him, looking up at the azure dragon man.

"We're just thankful that you fixed the Dark Area's barrier before all of the prisoners could escape," Examon added.

"That may be," Duftmon spoke up. "But this brings up some interesting questions. First of all, who was the one who freed the Demon Lords?"

"Probably some loyal underling," Magnamon suggested. "A survivor from the Heavenly War, maybe? Maybe they were able to communicate with them somehow."

"But how did they know to free them at that very moment?" Duftmon pondered, squinting as he tried to construe a response to his own question.

Alphamon frowned with thought, reflecting on Duftmon's query. "Duftmon makes a good point. This all happened way too neatly…" he deliberated, pensively stroking his chin. "No more than a few hours after Chaosdramon was defeated did somebody infiltrate the Dark Area to free Lucemon. There is no way that they could have known that the barrier was so weak at that moment."

"Could there have been a leak?" RhodoKnightmon suggested. "Perhaps somebody from the group of intellectuals that we gathered in Saversburg?"

"That is highly unlikely," Duftmon answered confidently. "All of them were well aware of the dangers that the dark rifts posed. None of them would have any reason to do such a thing."

Dynasmon frowned. "Somebody found out, somehow," he stated firmly. He looked across the table at Craniamon. "We didn't miss a Phantomon in the Iron Forest, did we?"

"Can't have. I'm sure we got all of them," Craniamon answered, confidently leaning back in his seat and folding his arms.

"I don't think that's the problem," Alphamon said, his gold eyes contemplative as he looked down at the smooth, polished surface of the table. "There is something that has been bothering me for awhile…"

Dukemon looked over at the black armoured knight. "What's that, Alphamon?"

"The Digimon who has been hiring Black Pincer Company…" the dark Royal Knight clarified. "They have been playing us off against the Metal Empire all this time. I could never figure out what they had to gain. But now… Could this have been their goal all along?"

"What…?" Gankoomon asked, gritting his pearly teeth together.

Alphamon's gaze softened remorsefully. "I can't help but feel like we've played right into their hand…" he mused.

"How could we have known that this would happen?" UlforceVeedramon defended, frowning as he clenched his fists on the table's surface. "The Metal Empire was a threat."

Duftmon narrowed his eyes, his piercing greens showing his discontent at the situation. "You could very well be right, Alphamon. This mystery Digimon predicted our response. He played us for fools…"

Magnamon sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "There is no sense blaming ourselves for something that we couldn't have known," he stated to try to add a bit of perspective. "We may have made a mistake, but we need to focus on the present, don't we?"

Alphamon nodded. "Yes. You're absolutely right, Magnamon. There is no sense dwelling on the past and what might have been if we did something different," he agreed.

"You're right about that…" Omegamon stated, looking at Alphamon meaningfully.

"So, what _do_ we do now?" UlforceVeedramon asked aloud, putting forward the question that everybody was considering.

"If Alphamon's theory is true, then I think we need to find out the identity of the Digimon hiring Black Pincer Company," Examon put forward, sitting with his large wings tilted back so that they didn't get in anybody's way.

Karatenmon stepped forwards, his talons resting on the hilt of his sheathed sword. "I'm on it," he assured the Royal Knights. "Maybe I can see if our guest knows anything."

"You mean GrandisKuwagamon?" Gankoomon asked, turning his head towards the humanoid crow demon.

Karatenmon nodded his black, beaked head. "I'll see what he knows. Even if he doesn't know the identity of his client, there may be other information that could be useful to us."

"You'll be gentle, right?" Sleipmon asked him with a bit of concern.

"Don't worry. I may be a ninja, but I remember the knight's code. I won't lay a finger on the bug," Karatenmon assured them with a relaxed grin. "Besides, I'm pretty good at reading Digimon."

"May I come with you?" Alphamon inquired the raven ninja. "I would like to ask him a few questions as well."

"By all means," Karatenmon agreed.

Dukemon leaned forwards on the table, tapping his finger. He was agitated and on edge, not just because of the news about the Demon Lords, but also because of his confession. He began to wonder if it was appropriate, after this dire news, but he wouldn't let himself be a coward. He reluctantly tried to hold true to his plan once the meeting was done.

"There's still the Seven Demons to deal with," Dukemon pointed out. "What do we do about them?"

Alphamon nodded and looked at Dukemon. "Obviously we have to act. The Seven Great Demon Lords must be dealt with," he stated firmly.

Sleipmon turned his gaze to Alphamon. There was a touch of uncertainty in his violet eyes. "Sorry if I seem ignorant, but I wasn't a Royal Knight when you fought the Seven Great Demon Lords. _Do_ they need to be dealt with? Is there any chance that they will just live a peaceful life now that they have escaped? I just need to be sure…"

"That's extremely unlikely, I'm afraid," Alphamon responded to Sleipmon. "Their hearts became evil when they rebelled. They committed horrific crimes… That was why we sided with the Three Great Angels ultimately. It's true that the angels were, at times, heavy-handed, but as the fighting went on, the sides became more clearly marked between good and evil. The demons were willing to cross lines that the angels weren't. The Seven Great Demon Lords didn't go down easily when we fought them during the Night of Falling Stars."

Dukemon nodded, a sharp, golden glare forming in his eyes as he remembered the fight. "These are the guys who massacred most of a Sky Colony and tried to drop it on the Digital World, remember…" he stated bitterly.

"I suppose you have a point," Sleipmon said with a sigh.

UlforceVeedramon folded his arms across his broad chest. "They most likely want revenge after being holed up in the Dark Area for all those years," he guessed. "They have unfinished business with the Heavenly Choir."

"Not just the Heavenly Choir," Omegamon spoke up with a serious frown. "Perhaps us as well. Or maybe something else entirely. Who knows what plans they have?"

Alphamon nodded. "The Seven Great Demon Lords pose a significant threat to the Digital World and Net Security as a whole. As the Royal Knights, it is our duty to Yggdrasil and our fellow Digimon to stop them," he stated resolutely, his gold eyes flashing red as his emotions and resolve were stirred. "I suggest that we work to stop them before they can cause any further damage. They were destructive enough before they were sealed away; we cannot give them the opportunity to wreak havoc again." Alphamon looked around at the other Royal Knights. He examined the faces of the eleven others sitting at the table. "…What do you all say?"

"I agree," Omegamon answered without pause or doubt.

"Yeah, same," Dukemon agreed, fixing a gaze of resolve at Alphamon.

The rest of the Royal Knights all expressed their unanimous support.

"That was the easy part," Magnamon pointed out. "Now we have to decide what to do."

"First of all, we should figure out the Demon Lords' locations," Sleipmon suggested.

Alphamon nodded in agreement. "I'll ask MetallifeKuwagamon if the DADAR picked up anything."

"And when we find them?" UlforceVeedramon wondered.

"I advise isolating them from each other, as well as from the populated areas of the Digital World. We should subjugate them individually before they are able to congregate and consolidate their strength," Duftmon proposed.

"That's a pretty solid idea," Dynasmon agreed. "But what if we can't get to them before they meet up?"

Duftmon closed his eyes and thought about it. "Should that occur, we will have to judge our circumstances and acclimatize to the situation accordingly," he responded.

"Which is a fancy way of saying you don't know yet," Gankoomon observed with a smirk.

"I will not deal in hypotheticals," Duftmon answered huffily, folding his arms. "I only acknowledge reality. The first priority is reconnaissance."

"We'll defeat them, whatever the case," Dukemon insisted resolutely.

Karatenmon turned and looked at Grani with a smile gracing the corners of his mouth. "Looks like we're going to be busy, huh, Grani?"

Grani sighed with exasperation. "I wish you wouldn't say that in such a carefree way…" he answered.

"Don't worry. I'll do my job," Karatenmon assured him, his smile fading and his expression becoming serious.

"We all will," Alphamon said. "However, we'll be relying on the Reconnaissance and Stealth Forces for the moment. I need you to have eyes all over the continent."

OuRyuumon frowned. His arms were folded across his serpentine body and he was drumming his claws against his brown arm scales. "What about us?" he asked, gesturing with his head to himself and Knightmon.

"The Strike Forces and Defence Forces still need to recover after that battle. Everyone needs a rest," Alphamon said to him. "Focus on the soldiers' wounds and morale; we may need them again in the future."

OuRyuumon sighed. "Yeah… Okay," he agreed.

"Yes, Sir Alphamon," Knightmon obeyed dutifully. "We will focus on recovering our strength."

"In order to do that, we're also reopening enlistment and asking the Republic of Node to loan us more troops," Alphamon stated. "I think they will be willing once they hear that the Seven Great Demon Lords have escaped."

"I would hope so," RhodoKnightmon spoke, leaning forwards and resting his chin on his palm. "This is no matter to scoff at."

"We should also send a messenger to the Heavenly Choir," Imperialdramon suggested. "You guys might want to have a chat with the Three Great Angels."

"Yes, we probably should…" Magnamon agreed.

"I guess the rest of us should get training," Craniamon put forward. He turned his helmet-covered head towards Alphamon with a questioning gaze. "Are we done here, Alphamon?"

Alphamon nodded. "I think we've established our goals for now. I suggest that we all look over the profiles of the Seven Demon Lords tomorrow so that the newer knights are caught up with the rest of us," he said, standing to his feet. "Karatenmon? Grani? Please begin recon as soon as possible."

As Alphamon stood up, signifying that he was ready to end the meeting, Grani looked at Dukemon to observe his response. Dukemon seemed to be deep in thought, obviously contemplating whether to follow through on his confession or not. Grani tentatively opened up his beak to speak if Dukemon wasn't going to, but he didn't want to have to force Dukemon into it.

"Well, if there's nothing else…" Alphamon spoke, looking around the table. "We should call this meeting to an end—"

"Hold on, Alphamon," a voice said, half-sighing as it spoke. It was Dukemon.

Grani smiled proudly as he watched the red dragon knight rise to his feet. He hovered in place nearby Dukemon, preparing to offer him moral support.

Alphamon turned and looked at Dukemon curiously. "Yes, Dukemon?" he asked his friend.

Dukemon rubbed the back of his neck uncertainly as he glanced around at the Royal Knights, all of whom turned their attention to him. He began to have second thoughts. He wanted to let Alphamon end the meeting as planned. However, Dukemon summoned his courage and steeled his resolve. He told himself that it wasn't as big of a deal as he made it out to be.

"…There's something that I want to say," Dukemon said, forcing the words off of his tongue. He sighed and smiled sheepishly behind his visor. "Now, this is going to seem irrelevant and off the subject, but I made a promise to myself that I would tell all of you. The truth is, I've been keeping something from all of you… and I feel that you all have a right to know."

At these words, Alphamon respectfully sat back down in his seat and allowed Dukemon to continue. There were confused glances between some of the Royal Knights.

RhodoKnightmon sat up straight in his seat. "Could it be that you have a secret boyfriend too?!" he asked excitedly. OuRyuumon and Alphamon exchanged embarrassed looks.

Dukemon smiled nervously and scratched his cheek with his index finger. "…Actually, it has to do with the Digital Hazard…"

His words sent a silent, serious atmosphere across the council room. Dukemon felt his stomach tighten up as he sensed the trepidation that began to loom over the room.

Examon looked at Dukemon carefully. He tried to wordlessly offer him his support, as he felt like he knew what it was that Dukemon wanted to tell them.

Gankoomon frowned and leaned forward on the table. "…That's that… thing inside of you right? That program or whatever…" Gankoomon asked, although not judgmentally. "You said it was dangerous?"

Dukemon fingered at the metal collar of his plate armour. He could feel sweat beginning to form under the body suit that he wore underneath his armour. "Yeah, that's the one…" he said in a voice that tried to play it off casually. "It's not active or anything; don't worry," he was quick to clarify. "There's just something I want to tell you about my past…"

Omegamon looked up at Dukemon with curious, sky blue eyes. "Go on, Dukemon…" he said, his light, flanging voice encouraging him.

"Well, it's about how I met Grani," Dukemon stated, beginning to readjust the focus of his message.

Duftmon looked across at Dukemon with an aloof gaze. Although he was curious about the Digital Hazard, he wasn't sure how important this actually was at the moment. "Pardon me, Dukemon, but if this isn't urgent, then is this really appropriate?" he asked, making it known that he really had no time for such trivialities.

A few of the Royal Knights gave Duftmon disapproving looks. Duftmon noticed their expressions and thought for a few moments. He then took his small pocket book out and began flipping through the pages beneath the table.

"I know this isn't the right time to talk about this, with the Demon Lords and everything, but if I don't say this now, I never will. I just want to get it off my chest after all this time, Duftmon…" Dukemon responded, oddly diplomatic towards the opinionated strategist.

Duftmon turned the pages of his self-help book to a bookmark. He then began to read the opened page. "'Always listen to what others have to say. Listening is the first step towards good communication and understanding,'" Duftmon murmured under his breath as he read. He then looked back up at Dukemon. "Very well. You may continue if it is important to you. I value your opinions, feelings, and personal experiences, after all," Duftmon said rather woodenly.

Dukemon couldn't help but blink at the slender, brown knight's odd wording and uncharacteristic response. "Uh… Okay. Thanks, Duftmon…" he responded uncertainly.

"You were saying, Dukemon?" Alphamon asked, eyeing the red caped knight curiously.

Dukemon nodded. His golden eyes turned downwards and he gazed at the Digital Hazard marking on his armour. He released a calming breath and closed his eyes. "…Some of you might know that my hometown was destroyed by a band of raiders a long time ago. I was the only survivor…" he said, gazing around the table at the Royal Knights.

Dukemon stared across the table at all of the Royal Knight, and he saw their eyes gazing at him expectantly and empathetically. He began to remember that these were his closest friends. He shouldn't have to be nervous around them. He trusted each and every one of them with his life. Surely, they trusted him as much as he trusted them, didn't they? As he stared into each of their familiar eyes, he began to feel his confidence grow.

Dynasmon looked over to his side, gazing at Dukemon. The wyvern knight remembered when Dukemon had told the founding knights about that. Their shared loss of their hometowns was one of the things that Dynasmon and Dukemon bonded over.

"Yes, I remember you mentioned that…" Sleipmon said, frowning sympathetically at Dukemon. "It must have been terrible…"

Dukemon nodded. "I… don't actually remember much about the attack. It was all a blur…" The crimson knight's gaze softened as he reminisced about the events. "The thing is, I evolved during the attack. It must have been the emotions and the adrenaline… Anyways, that was when I first evolved to Dukemon and defeated the marauders."

"There is evidence that Digimon have a heightened tendency to undergo evolution during times of intense emotional strain and peril," Duftmon observed.

"I guess so…" Dukemon acknowledged, although he became more and more immersed in his memories. "Anyways, after I evolved, well… something started to happen. I could feel something changing inside me. It was… well, it was the Digital Hazard." Dukemon subconsciously placed a hand over the marking on his chest as he looked out at the Royal Knights. As much as possible, he wanted to read their expressions. "When I became a Dukemon, the Digital Hazard activated."

None of the Royal Knights spoke. A stunned silence pervaded throughout the room, causing the sound of raindrops hitting the windows to become more noticeable. None of the Royal Knights really knew how to react to this news. It was a hard statement to reply to. It was a surprise to hear that the program that Dukemon had admitted to having had activated once before. They weren't entirely sure what that it meant or what had happened. They also didn't want to accidentally offend Dukemon. A few of the Royal Knights exchanged quick glances of uncertainty, as they wondered how or if the others would react.

Dukemon sensed the tension. He could hear the silence. He noticed the uncomfortable looks. His confidence began to recede, but he knew that he had to explain further, half-hoping that that would satiate his friends' discomfort. He glanced at Grani and Examon who both gave him reassuring gazes. Dukemon felt a small bit of comfort there. He took a breath and continued. "…I could feel myself losing control. The pain was unbearable… It was like it was taking over. Something inside of me was taking over and I could feel my sense of self slipping away," he explained, wincing lightly. "I noticed that the sky was changing… Storm clouds appeared out of nowhere and became a thick purple. Lightning was shooting everywhere. It was like the Digital World was ending and it was all my fault…"

"But… obviously the world didn't end," Craniamon noted, leering at Dukemon with his unreadable crimson eyes. "What happened?"

"Grani happened," Dukemon stated, smiling a bit as he looked at the Zero ARMS beside him. "Grani appeared in front of me and told me not to give in to the Digital Hazard. He… He told me that I was stronger than I thought I was. He gave me the confidence to fight against the Digital Hazard. I was able to seal the Digital Hazard within me…"

"That was all your doing, Dukemon," Grani assured him. "The strength was inside of you all along."

Dukemon half-smiled and glanced back at his fellow Royal Knights. He wasn't sure if they were judging him or not. They were still quiet and cautious. He wondered if he did the right thing by telling them.

"…So that's how you met Grani," Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode spoke up with an easygoing smile, breaking the ice for everybody. "I always wondered why you two were so close."

Alphamon rose to his feet and walked over to Dukemon, placing his hand on the knight's shoulder. "Thank you for telling us that, Dukemon… I'm honoured that you can trust us with that information. You really could have told us that before, though. We wouldn't have judged you…" Alphamon assured him.

Omegamon nodded and stood up as well, gazing at Dukemon warmly. "It isn't a big deal that it activated," he quickly spoke up. "You stopped the Digital Hazard before anything bad could happen."

"Omegamon has a point," Examon stated, looking at Dukemon meaningfully.

Dukemon smiled a bit and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess…" he answered. He felt partially relieved, despite his uncertainty.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Dynasmon questioned, trying not to feel too annoyed at Dukemon not telling them earlier, as he knew it must have been difficult.

Dukemon sighed a bit. "I was kind of ashamed of it," he admitted. "Besides, it's not exactly something that's easy to bring up in casual conversation, is it?"

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Dukemon," Magnamon assured him warmly.

"Yeah, really. It's fine," UlforceVeedramon added, shooting Dukemon a smile.

"No big deal," Craniamon dismissively said as well.

"We're just happy you're alright," Sleipmon explained with a soft smile.

Duftmon looked down at his book again. "Yes, thank you for sharing that intimate, personal information with us." he answered, sounding like he was reading off of a script.

"Thanks, guys…" Dukemon said, putting on a small smile in response. At the back of his mind, he wondered if they really meant what they were saying or if they were just trying to make him feel better. Dukemon chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sure I'm making a big deal over nothing."

"You often do," RhodoKnightmon teased.

Duftmon gazed at Dukemon curiously. "Pardon me, but there haven't been any incidents since when you first evolved to Dukemon, have there?" he wondered.

"I think we probably would have known if there were, Duftmon," UlforceVeedramon responded with a grin. "Calamities are kind of hard to avoid."

"Yeah… I haven't sensed any activity in the Digital Hazard since that one time. I have it under control now, so no worries," Dukemon explained, rubbing his fingers against the nape of his neck. "It's sealed."

"I can't think of a Digimon who I could trust with it more," Alphamon said to him with a small grin.

Dukemon laughed a bit. "Wow. You're going to make me blush, Alphamon," he answered good-naturedly.

"But you're so cute when you blush," Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode teased. He winked at his fellow white knight good-humouredly. "Right, Omegamon?"

Omegamon gave his friend an icy look but didn't rise to the bait.

Dukemon cleared his throat. "…So… Anyways, yeah… I guess that's it," he said with a sheepish chuckle. "Sorry for the drama. I just needed to get that off of my chest. Grani would have nagged me within an inch of my life otherwise."

Karatenmon released a lighthearted chuckle. "I can believe that…"

"Don't you feel so much better now?" Grani asked him, closing his eyes indignantly as he ignored the comments.

"Mm…" Dukemon answered simply. "Anyways. I'm sure I've bored all of you now, so let's call the meeting adjourned."

Alphamon nodded. "Let's…" he agreed. "Meeting adjourned."

The Royal Knights rose to their feet and began to head out of the room along with the captains.

As soon as he was out of the council room, Dukemon suddenly turned right and headed towards one of the doors in the side wall of the great hall. Zero ARMS: Grani floated after him as he walked from the great hall to one of the parallel corridors.

Grani flew up beside his friend. "I'm proud of you, Dukemon," he said to the Royal Knight.

"Yeah… thanks," Dukemon answered softly.

Grani couldn't help but notice that Dukemon's usual enthusiasm seemed somewhat deflated. "Are you alright?" he wondered.

Dukemon looked over at Grani and smiled a bit. "Yeah. I'm just tired. I'm going to head to my room."

"Very well," Grani spoke, slowing down and allowing Dukemon to walk ahead. He gazed thoughtfully at Dukemon as the Royal Knight made his way to the stairs.

"_Dukemon, I do hope that this helped to assuage your concerns…_" Grani thought as he watched his friend grow further from him. "_You aren't the monster that you think you are…_"

* * *

The Royal Knights and captains all left the council room and began heading down the long, splendorous great hall.

Alphamon, Omegamon, and Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode were the last ones to leave the council room. Omegamon and Imperialdramon lingered behind as they waited for Alphamon to gather up the papers on top of the table.

"What do you think brought all that on? With Dukemon, I mean," Imperialdramon wondered.

"I wonder if something happened in the battle…" Omegamon suggested, thinking to himself.

"Perhaps he has been meaning to tell us for awhile but couldn't find the words," Alphamon responded as he tidied up a small stack of papers. He glanced up at Omegamon sheepishly. "I have been in that situation myself…"

Omegamon gave him a small but warm smile, reassuring him. "I understand. It's sometimes difficult to admit such sensitive topics…" He nodded pensively. "…Do you think the others will worry about it?" he inquired.

Alphamon shook his head. "I think they all trust Dukemon enough to know that he can be trusted with the Digital Hazard," he stated confidently. "Even if he is hotheaded, I trust him."

"Me too…" Omegamon agreed. He turned his white head and glanced out of the council room's doors, into the great hall. He couldn't spot Dukemon among the Royal Knights. "Perhaps I should speak to him."

Alphamon looked up at the two white-armoured Digimon. "Can I put something to you both first?" he asked them.

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode turned and placed his blue hands on his hips. "Anything, Alphamon," he answered, swishing his long, blue tail.

"It's about the Royal Knights…" Alphamon explained. "There are twelve of us. An even number."

"Twelve?" Omegamon asked, looking curiously at Alphamon. After a moment, he frowned with realisation. "Ah. I see…"

Alphamon nodded. "As the Knight of the Empty Seat, it is my duty to arbitrate disputes within the Royal Knights and serve as a balancer," he explained. "We developed the idea after DarkKnightmon rebelled. I didn't want to be seen as the leader, but we also needed a mechanism to avoid an even split down the middle. If half of the Royal Knights are on one side of an issue, and the other half of the Royal Knights are on another side of the same issue, then it is my duty to split the tie. However, I can't do that when there's an even number of knights. I do need to vote on issues as well, after all."

"Yeah… I have been thinking about this too," Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode mused, leaning forwards on one of the chairs.

"If there are six knights on one side the debate, and six knights, myself included, are on another side of the debate, then we are at a deadlock. I won't allow my vote to be worth more than that of any other Royal Knight's in order to break the impasse," Alphamon explained, frowning. "Even numbers don't work… My role as a balance for the Royal Knights is put into question. I like to think that we are cohesive, but there will always be times that we will have differences of opinions. I don't want anybody to feel alienated like DarkKnightmon was. We all know how that turned out…"

Omegamon gave him a nod of understanding. "So…"

"We need a thirteenth Royal Knight…" Alphamon spoke.

"It seems that way," Omegamon concurred.

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode folded his arms and nodded. "Yeah…" he agreed. The dragon man then noticed Alphamon and Omegamon both turn their heads towards him intently. Imperialdramon took a step back and held his hands up in front of him. "Hey, hey! Don't look at _me_!"

"It would be convenient, Imperialdramon," Alphamon persuaded. "You're strong, knowledgeable, trustworthy, experienced…"

"You're already a close friend of ours…" Omegamon added.

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode grinned and rubbed the back of his neck, his blue fingers running through his blond hair. "Good try, guys, but sorry. If I wanted to be in the Royal Knights, then I would have joined when we first made the Order."

Omegamon sighed. "You really are stubborn, aren't you?" he stated with exasperation.

"I'm afraid so," Imperialdramon answered, flashing him a smile. "Anyways… I have to be outside of the Order. That was the reason why I didn't join to begin with. You need an external supporter. I'm already busy with the Dark Area, the Four Holy Beasts, and keeping an eye on network security, among other things... I can't do all that if I'm busy doing paperwork and missions."

"I suppose not," Alphamon conceded. "You are already quite helpful."

"What about OuRyuumon?" Imperialdramon suggested, looking at Alphamon. "He's been itching to get in since we started this thing, and he's gotten a lot more mature recently, hasn't he?"

"He has," Alphamon admitted. "But… to be completely honest, I think he's content with not being a Royal Knight now… He has the strength and leadership qualities for a Royal Knight, to be sure. However… he's a lot more useful to me as the Captain of the Strike Forces. The Digimon of the Strike Forces trust him, and he knows how to deal with them. He has a knack for battle and I want somebody I can trust leading the Strike Forces. I honestly think that he's best suited where he is."

"Do you have any other ideas?" Omegamon asked Alphamon.

"Not at the moment…" Alphamon responded. "This is a priority, but this isn't anywhere close to our greatest priority at the moment: namely, the Demon Lords. That's why I didn't tell the other Royal Knights. I don't want to distract them. For now, I'll think about potential candidates, but our focus has to be on the Seven Great Demon Lords."

"I understand, Alphamon," Omegamon agreed, nodding his head. "If you ever need somebody to discuss the ideas with…"

Alphamon smiled. "I know, Omegamon. You were my first thought."

"I'll keep watch for potential candidates too," Imperialdramon told them. He then nodded towards the great hall. "Shall we?"

Alphamon nodded in agreement and began walking out of the council room along with Imperialdramon and Omegamon.

The three friends made their way down the giant, gold-hued hall towards the castle foyer on the other end. They strolled down the great hall with their metal boots clamouring against the marble floor. As they walked, Omegamon thought quietly to himself about everything that Dukemon had said in the meeting.

Omegamon felt the need to talk to him about it. There were things that he wanted to say to Dukemon. He felt a bit guilty. He thought that he might have inadvertently pressured Dukemon into making that confession after he had previously asked him about how he had met Grani. His clear, blue eyes gazed pensively in front of him as he walked down the great hall.

Once the three reached the opened doors leading into the octagonal foyer, Omegamon turned to the other two holy knight Digimon. "I am going to go speak with Dukemon, if you don't mind."

Alphamon looked at Omegamon curiously. "Alright. Go ahead," he responded. "I'll check with him later on, but I have several things that I need to do right now."

"I'm sure he'll appreciate that, Omegamon," Imperialdramon said with a smile.

Omegamon nodded and turned away from them. "I'll see you both later," he told them as he made his way over to the right set of stairs.

Alphamon and Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode watched as Omegamon disappeared into the staircase.

"He cares about Dukemon a lot," Alphamon mused once Omegamon had vanished into the upper levels of the castle.

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode looked at Alphamon. "He cares about all of his friends. You included," the white armoured dragon man explained with a knowing smile.

Alphamon nodded softly. "I'm glad that we were able to mend things after the stupid mistakes that I made in the past," he tenderly reflected.

"He is too. I think that's why he wants to check on Dukemon," Imperialdramon reasoned.

"I see…" Alphamon pondered. "Anyways, we should get to work."

"Lead the way, oh Lord of the Empty Seat," the sapphire dragon paladin teased.

"'Knight'," Alphamon corrected him, smirking a bit. "Can I offer you some of my special brews while we're at it?"

Imperialdramon's sly smile faded. "I'm on a full stomach, Alphamon…"

* * *

Dukemon lay on the crimson blanket of his large bed. He stared up at the ceiling and thought about what he had just confessed to everybody.

He felt as though a massive weight had been lifted off of him. Dukemon had never been good at lying or keeping secrets. However, he frequently had to lie by omission or swiftly change the subject whenever his and Grani's meeting came up. He always felt guilty for not telling his friends the truth, but he always worried about how they would react.

Dukemon remembered when he first told the Royal Knights, as well as the subsequent new members, about the Digital Hazard. Dukemon didn't like doing it. He didn't do it for the sympathy either. If it were up to him, it would have forever remained his dirty little secret. However, he felt that they had a right to know, and he felt too guilty whenever he didn't tell them.

Each time he confessed about the devastating side of him, he sensed the apprehension and uncertainty among the Royal Knights. The wordless frowns… The little glances… The awkward fidgeting… Each was like a pin prick to his heart. They piled onto his insecurity, even when the Royal Knights assured them that it was fine. None of the Royal Knights ever talked about the Digital Hazard to his face. It seemed like they wanted to pretend that it didn't exist. Dukemon didn't blame them; honestly, he would have liked to do the same, but it was always there, niggling at the back of his mind.

These uncertainties remained, but, at the very least, Dukemon felt relieved that it was finally out in the open. Did the other Royal Knights think less of him now? Maybe. However, he didn't have to lie to them anymore. He felt tired, now that the adrenaline was subsiding.

Suddenly, he was roused by the sound of his door being knocked on. Dukemon sat upwards on his bed and looked at the closed door of his room. "Yeah?" he asked.

"It's Omegamon," a familiar fused voice responded from the other side of the door.

"Come in," Dukemon said, standing to his feet to greet him.

Omegamon opened the door and walked inside tentatively. "Hello, Dukemon," he said to him. "How are you doing?"

"Me? I'm fine," Dukemon responded, smiling a little at the white knight.

"Are you sure? I know that must have been hard for you to say in front of everybody…" Omegamon said sympathetically.

Dukemon's gold eyes darted away. "I guess," he answered noncommittally. He looked back at Omegamon insistently, not wanting Omegamon to see his doubts. "I'm fine, though. Really… I'm just glad to get that off my chest finally."

Omegamon's gaze softened. "I hope that you didn't do that just because I pressed you about it a few weeks ago…" he mentioned, his voice sheepish.

At Omegamon's concerned words, Dukemon smiled. "No, it wasn't because of you… To be honest, I've been meaning to for awhile now, but I've been too much of a coward," he admitted, rubbing his neck with embarrassment.

Omegamon shook his head in response. "You're not a coward, Dukemon. You're one of the bravest Digimon that I know," he insisted. He locked his sky blue eyes with Dukemon's golden ones, giving him a somewhat embarrassed look. "I know how hard it is to admit something personal like that."

"You mean when you told me you were worried about the dark data turning you into Omegamon Zwart again…?" Dukemon spoke, remembering their conversation.

Omegamon nodded and looked into Dukemon's eyes with a deep, knowing gaze. "…You asked me if I could feel myself losing control - my sense of self slipping away…" he mentioned softly. "I remember that feeling when DarkKnightmon pressed me onto that rift."

Dukemon's gaze tightened and he glanced off to the side, looking out the window and into the rain. "Yeah…"

"You felt that when the Digital Hazard activated," Omegamon noted, remembering what Dukemon had said.

Dukemon sighed and forced himself to look back at Omegamon. "…Yeah… I did…" he admitted. "I'll never forget that sinking feeling of helplessness…"

"Neither will I…" Omegamon mumbled. "Although, I know it isn't fair to compare my situation with yours. I don't want to assume I know how you feel…"

A warm smile formed on Dukemon's face. He looked at his friend and placed his hand on Omegamon's caped shoulder. "That's so like you, Omegamon…" he said graciously, a soft laugh not far from his lips. "But… yeah. It… was terrible feeling, wasn't it?" Dukemon's smile vanished and he became serious again. "I never want to feel that again."

Omegamon nodded quietly, understanding his worries. "I know, Dukemon. Neither do I…" he responded.

Both Royal Knights grew silent. It wasn't an easy thing to talk about for either of them. They were Royal Knights. They were rarely vulnerable.

More than that, none of them liked to show their vulnerabilities to others. When in battle, the Royal Knights needed to be strong for one another and the Digimon that they were protecting. They tended to resist showing their vulnerabilities in front of either their allies or their enemies. They couldn't afford weakness.

Despite this, Omegamon summoned his courage and spoke up. "…Dukemon…" he spoke, drawing the red and silver knight's attention. Omegamon took a soft breath as he gazed at his fellow Royal Knight. "…I have three fears. One, is losing my friends. Two, is being in front of crowds. And, the third… the third is losing myself."

Dukemon looked at Omegamon with a surprised look in his eyes. "…Losing yourself?" he asked him.

Omegamon sheepishly nodded. "I don't need to tell you this, Dukemon, but… I am a fused Digimon. I evolved permanently from my composite parts: WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon… I contain traits from both of them. This body… aspects of their personality… their memories… Their pasts are my past…" he explained. Omegamon looked down. "However… I am also distinct from them. My body is my own - my personality is my own… They each had parents, but I do not. They may be me, but I am not them…"

Dukemon frowned at his confusing wording, but nodded. "I think I get it…?"

"Mm… I used to struggle with my identity," Omegamon admitted. "Meeting my only living parents – MetalGarurumon's parents – it was difficult. MetalGarurumon is a part of me, but I am not their son. WarGreymon is not their son. It was difficult to know where exactly I fit in…" Omegamon smiled as he reminisced. "Fortunately, my best friend was a jogress Digimon. Imperialdramon. It was easier with somebody else to relate to."

"I never thought about that, Omegamon… I can't even begin to imagine what that must have been like," Dukemon stated.

"It was unusual… I questioned my own identity," Omegamon explained. "Was I my own Digimon? Or was I simply my component parts? …Was the sum of the parts greater than the whole? That was what I thought at first. It bothered me… but I eventually realised that I was my own Digimon."

Omegamon closed his eyes. "However… when I became Omegamon Zwart, I lost my identity completely. Everything about me that was 'me'… it was consumed by darkness and corrupted beyond recognition. I became another Digimon." Omegamon opened his eyes slightly and looked down grimly. "Or were those just the darkest parts of me?"

"That wasn't you, Omegamon. You've seen what that dark data does to Digimon," Dukemon urged him.

"Then I did lose my sense of self to that corruption… Neither option is better than the other, as far as I'm concerned," Omegamon explained bitterly. "I fear that the dark data will manifest again, and that I could become Omegamon Zwart again. I worry that I'll lose whatever is left of me and do horrible things to my friends again."

"That's not going to happen," Dukemon said fervently, placing both of his hands on Omegamon's shoulders and gripping them firmly. "…You're you, Omegamon. You're just regular, shy, caring, stubborn Omegamon to me," Dukemon reassured him, giving him a warm, comforting smile.

"I… Thank you, Dukemon…" Omegamon responded, giving him an appreciative gaze despite his obvious embarrassment. He turned his face away sheepishly. "I know that now…"

Dukemon nodded and removed his hands from Omegamon's shoulders. "I know what it's like to be afraid of losing your identity," Dukemon told him. "Just like you have Omegamon Zwart, I have the Digital Hazard… I'm worried that, by losing control of the Digital Hazard, I'll lose my identity too." Dukemon sighed. "I could feel it happen back when I first evolved… If I hadn't stopped it…" He trailed off, not wanting to speculate on the consequences.

"But you did stop it," Omegamon assured him. "We both went through similar ordeals and came out the same Digimon that we were before, didn't we? Stronger, even…"

Dukemon smiled and looked at Omegamon. "Yeah, I guess we did…" he responded. He felt a sense of ease at hearing Omegamon's words. "…Sorry, I didn't tell you before."

"Don't be… I understand, Dukemon," Omegamon answered sincerely.

"I'm glad you do, Omegamon…" Dukemon said with a sigh of relief lacing his words. He gave Omegamon a grateful grin. "Thanks."

Omegamon shook his head. "You're my precious friend, Dukemon," he insisted.

At this, Dukemon couldn't help but chuckle and place his arm around Omegamon's shoulders. "Yggdrasil, Omegamon. Did you really just say that? You can be really sappy, you know," he teased him. He raised his hand and placed his finger on the combined crests of courage and friendship engraved on Omegamon's white armour. "It must be this crest of friendship."

Omegamon blushed and looked away with embarrassment. "D-Don't laugh. I was being honest," he insisted self-consciously.

Dukemon laughed. "That's what's so great about you," he answered. The crimson knight gave an easy smile and looked at Omegamon. "And, for what it's worth, you're mine too."

Omegamon nodded. "Good…" he stated in a subdued voice, although he was inwardly glad to hear those words. He looked back at Dukemon. "Don't worry about the Digital Hazard, Dukemon. We all trust you with it."

Dukemon removed his arm from Omegamon. "…Yeah, I won't. Thanks, Omegamon," the dragon knight assured him.

"Anytime, Dukemon," Omegamon responded. He looked towards the door. "I should get to work now."

"Me too," Dukemon said. "You go ahead."

Omegamon nodded and walked out of Dukemon's room. He turned and disappeared down the stone corridor.

Once he was gone, Dukemon smiled and looked down at the Digital Hazard symbol on his armour. He turned and gazed out into the cascading showers outside of the window. He felt relaxed and more at ease with himself than he did before. Dukemon walked over to the window and leaned against the stone sill. He gazed up at the grey clouds and thought to himself.

"_…__Maybe Grani was right after all. Maybe I was over-thinking it. I doubted them too much. …I should really have more faith in all of them…_"

Dukemon stood up right and turned around, heading for the door of his room. Just like the rest of the Royal Knights, he had work to do.


	39. Chapter 28: Prisoner of the Black Mist

(Author's Notes: Here it is, finally! Sorry for the length of this longer chapter. Or "you're welcome" if you like long chapters. Let me know what you think. Read, review, and enjoy!)

**Chapter 28: The Prisoner of the Black Mist**

Rain continued to pour down across the Royal Knights' territory of Splendour's Reach. The water ran down the walls of the stone buildings, giving them a wet, slippery sheen. Rivulets of the cloudy, mineral-rich liquid drifted between the gaps in the stone streets. The accumulating rainwater drained out of the castle courtyard through small gutters that led through the base of the wall and into the castle's moat. The rain poured for the past day or so, causing the nearby river to rise slightly and the surrounding grasslands to temporarily grow wet and muddy.

In the headquarters itself, there was a meeting going on in the war room. The twelve Royal Knights, four captains, and Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode were gathered around inside the room. They stood in a loose circle, staring at the 3D map table near the far wall. The table showed a three dimensional map of grid lines with rudimentary textures that revealed the entire continent. Notably, there were seven glowing points at various, random places on the map.

Behind the table were holograms that projected the appearances and details of each of the Seven Great Demon Lords onto the wall.

The seventeen elites of the Order stood around the table, looking down at the seven points on the continent. There were three in the north of the continent, two around the middle, and two in the south.

"So, these are the spikes of data that Metallife picked up on the DADAR, huh?" Gankoomon deliberated, looking through his visor at the seven points on the map. "These are the rifts where the Demon Lords escaped from?"

"Due to the massive amounts of data shown on the DADAR readings, these aberrations could only be explained by the release of the Seven Great Demon Lords," Duftmon explained methodically. "All evidence suggests that they realised in these locations."

Alphamon nodded. "The time stamps on the data scan match up with the time that they were each released from the Dark Area, as well," he noted, remembering the days and nights that Imperialdramon spent sealing the barrier and updating them on the prisoners that escaped.

"We should be able to tell which Demon Lord emerged where, if we assume that they were released in order, from the first level to the seventh level," Omegamon stated, folding his arms and thumbing the back of his thin bicep.

Alphamon stepped towards the map and placed his hand on the edge of the table. "Duftmon, switch to chronological sequence mode," he told the tactician as he gazed down at the topographical display.

The blond haired Royal Knight nodded and delicately pressed a few buttons on the control panel of the table. The seven different three dimensional flags on the map disappeared. The points then began to slowly appear on the map, one after another, with an exponentially increasing between each one.

The first point appeared in the northern part of the Autonomous Expanse. The second point that emerged was several kilometers off of the eastern coast of the giant continent, in the Net Ocean.

"That one must be Leviamon," UlforceVeedramon deduced, placing his hands on his hips as he stared at the second point that appeared on the map. "He's the only one who could have come up through a rift at the bottom of the Net Ocean."

Magnamon nodded with agreement. "They must have been released in order."

"They were," Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode confirmed from beside Alphamon. "As I was reconfiguring the barrier, I could sense the unknown Digimon reaching deeper into the Dark Area each time. The penetration of each level set off an alert. …I still don't know how they were able to do that, not only practically, but physically…"

"More importantly, we need to stop them to make sure they can't do it again," Craniamon determined, his tough voice firm and succinct.

Dukemon eyed the map table with a steady, pensive gaze. He pointed to the pin in the Autonomous Expanse – the first one that had appeared. "Then this must be where Lucemon realised," he suggested.

"I have sent out my scouts to these coordinates," Grani explained, his sapphire eyes scanning the map studiously. "Given that the Seven Demon Lords are of the highest threat level, the scout teams have been ordered to survey at the longest possible distances with strict instructions not to engage."

Karatenmon nodded. "And I have my web of spies across the Digital World keeping their eyes and ears open in those areas," he added.

"Good," Alphamon answered before he turned and looked at Grani. "Grani, can you have a messenger contact the Deep Savers? If Leviamon is in the Net Ocean, then they may be in danger. We would also benefit from them keeping vigilant patrol of the waters."

"Affirmative, Alphamon," Grani obeyed.

"I can fly over there and check it out," UlforceVeedramon suggested eagerly. "The place where Leviamon realised is the closest one to the castle."

"That happened a few days ago, Ulforce," Examon pointed out. "It's unlikely that he's still there."

"We shouldn't be engaging the Demon Lords one-on-one either," Alphamon stated, looking at UlforceVeedramon emphatically. "Not if we can help it, at least."

"Where's the fun in that?" Craniamon said, folding his arms indignantly. He didn't make much of an effort to keep it a secret that he would love to duel one of the Demon Lords.

UlforceVeedramon looked back at Alphamon with insistent, ember-red eyes. "I think I could take him. He's probably weak, coming out of the Dark Area," he responded confidently.

"We don't know that, Ulforce," Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode answered seriously. There was clear warning and uneasiness in his strong voice. "There's a chance that they could be even stronger than when you last fought them. There was an unintended consequence when we created the prison levels within the Dark Area. The prisoners started fighting with each other with their own armies of followers, gathered from inside the Dark Area. The Demon Lords were separated, but due to the degradation of the Dark Area's internal barriers, there was some bleeding over into different levels. There was factional warfare as the prisoners vied for control of the Dark Area, and this might be the reason why DarkKnightmon was so strong when he escaped. The Demon Lords might be stronger too."

"Hmm, you have a point…" Dukemon admitted, his face growing sour at the thought that they might be even stronger.

"Still, we've gotten stronger from when we last fought the Demon Lords too," UlforceVeedramon pointed out optimistically.

"First, let's just find out what we're dealing with," Magnamon suggested even-headedly. "That's what the scouts and spies are for."

"I agree. We shouldn't be reckless," Sleipmon agreed.

"The longer we wait, the more chance we give them to cause trouble, though," Gankoomon impatiently pointed out.

"We won't be sitting on our hands, Gankoomon," Alphamon assured him.

Gankoomon released an irate grunt, folded his arms, and leaned back against the wall. "We better not," he indignantly mentioned. "Because if those Seven Demon-whatever's start wreaking havoc, I'm not waiting around and playing politics. That's a promise."

"I can agree with that," Craniamon stated straightforwardly, making his own feelings clear as well.

"We won't be playing politics," Alphamon responded, raising a hand to dissuade them. "To be honest, I don't think there will be much of that in the near future. When threats like these emerge, politics and bureaucracy start to go out the window."

Gankoomon grinned a bit and placed his hands behind his flame-haired head. "That suits me just fine. I hate politics," he stated proudly. "It's all just talking endlessly over little trivial details instead of taking action."

Duftmon shot him a sharp, disdainful look that only Duftmon was capable of. "Politics are important. Order is necessary, especially in times of crisis," he contended, obviously disapproving of Gankoomon's cavalier stance.

"Not when it gets in the way of doing the right thing," Gankoomon argued.

"Your view is simple-minded, ignorant and prejudicial, masked in a fallacious veil of being 'down-to-earth'," Duftmon contended argumentatively. "In fact—"

"Either way," Alphamon interrupted, not wanting the two to start another debate and get off topic. "We all know what to do." He looked around at all of the Royal Knights and captains. "Data on the Seven Great Demon Lords has been sent to your personal computers. Familiarise yourselves with them, and keep up your training while we wait for the recon reports."

"Obviously," Craniamon answered, cracking his knuckles. "I'll be in top shape for them."

Alphamon smiled a bit. "Let's call this meeting adjourned," he suggested.

Dukemon nodded. "Sounds good to me," he said, turning around and beginning to head out of the war room. He looked at Grani with traces of concern. He tried not to show it outwardly, but he couldn't help but worry with such dangerous enemies around. "If you go out scouting, be careful."

"I always am," Grani replied, with a faint touch of levity to his calm voice. "I've learned from you exactly how not to act."

Magnamon chuckled and walked up alongside Dukemon. "He's got you there, Dukemon," he teased the crimson Royal Knight.

"Maybe you should take a page out of Grani's book more often," Examon added with a playful smile, walking behind the two dragon men.

Dukemon smiled a bit in response to their words. "Yeah, yeah… I'll keep that in mind, guys," he chuckled a bit.

The Royal Knights all walked out of war room and went their own ways. They all had different tasks that they needed to complete. As the group split apart, Dukemon, Magnamon, and Examon continued heading in the same direction.

Examon poised his wings backwards as he followed the two down the left corridor. Due to his height and his giant wingspan, he didn't want to block anybody who wanted to pass him. The large dragon looked down at the pair of the Royal Knights in front of him. "So… You both fought the Seven Demon Lords, right?" he asked them quizzically. "How was it?"

"Yeah, we did. It was pretty tough, to be honest," Dukemon admitted, frowning as he remembered their clash. "They were powerful, even by our standards…"

Magnamon nodded, folding his arms and frowning as he walked. "I hate to say it, but it wasn't a sure thing that we could beat them. I nearly lost my arm… Luckily, they were relatively weakened by that point and the tide was moving against them. They were at a disadvantage."

Examon looked at the two with concern. "So… We have our work cut out for us," he said, his emerald eyes narrowing into a squinty frown at the thought.

"Yeah, we will," Dukemon answered definitely. His voice was terse and his movements were rigid as he thought about their new enemies.

Quietly, Magnamon noticed the anxiety of the two Royal Knights. He preferred not to be negative and he didn't want to see his friends worry. "We've beaten them before. We can do it again," Magnamon added with a smile behind his golden helmet.

Examon couldn't help but grin at Magnamon. "You're as optimistic as ever," he noted.

"Am I?" Magnamon asked, looking over his shoulder. "I don't think that's a bad thing. How can we expect to defeat them unless we _believe_ that we can defeat them?" he reasoned.

"…Yeah. You have a point, Magnamon," Dukemon agreed, pondering his words. "There's no sense in doubting ourselves and assuming the worst."

"I'm glad you think so, Dukemon," Examon said to him with a soft, meaningful smile. "I don't think you would have said that a few weeks ago."

Feeling sheepish, Dukemon chuckled a bit and rubbed the back of his head in response to Examon's comment. "Yeah, well… I like to think the best in Digimon too," he insisted.

Examon nodded. "I guess there's no point in being pessimistic," he agreed. "Although, we should still be prepared. I don't want to underestimate the Demon Lords if they're as powerful as you say."

"That's true too," Magnamon conceded. "It's important to be prepared as well."

"So, why don't we go spar in the training grounds?" Dukemon suggested. "All three of us. Training programs and all."

"Okay," Magnamon agreed readily. "Maybe we can invite Craniamon and have a two-on-two fight."

"He'd probably insist on taking on all three of us single-handedly," Examon pointed out with a chuckle.

Dukemon laughed. "Probably," he couldn't help but concur.

As the three Royal Knights turned a corner, they saw Dorbickmon standing further down the corridor. The crimson mercenary leaned against a wall, tapping his foot impatiently. The dragon man perked up when he saw the three Royal Knights walking towards him. He stood up straight and turned to face them.

"Dorbickmon?" Examon asked curiously as they approached. "What are you doing?"

"Waiting for you guys to finish another one of your many endless meetings," Dorbickmon answered sardonically, his arms remaining folded across his burly chest.

Dukemon walked up to him with Magnamon and Examon. "Any particular reason?" he wondered.

Dorbickmon nodded sharply, glaring at them with purpose. "You got the bug locked in your dungeon, right?" he asked them in a blunt, no-nonsense voice.

Dukemon tilted his head quizzically. "GrandisKuwagamon?" he asked. The crimson knight then levelled a sceptical gaze at Dorbickmon. "Yeah... Why?"

"I just want to see him, but the damn guards won't let me in without permission," Dorbickmon complained with an irate growl rolling off his words.

"Looking for a little payback?" Dukemon inquired, his flat voice and arched eyebrow making his scepticism clear.

Examon shot a disapproving look at Dorbickmon. "Dorbickmon… Revenge doesn't solve anything," he reminded him.

At this, Dorbickmon rolled his eyes. "I just want to talk with the pest," the muscular dragon Digimon insisted as diplomatically as he could. "I need to find out some things. Besides, it's not like I could touch him in a prison cell."

"Not for a lack of trying," Dukemon pointed out. He could sense Dorbickmon's thinly veiled aggression in his rough movements and acidic words. "You'd wring his neck if you could."

"Besides, it goes against security protocol," Magnamon added. "The others would kill us, especially if something happened."

"Ugh. Seriously? All these rules and crap are really getting up my ass," Dorbickmon complained.

Examon sighed and rubbed his temples with his claws. "What if I went with him?" he suggested, hoping to compromise the two sides. "I'll be with him the whole time and I'll make sure that he doesn't step out of line. If anything goes wrong, I'll accept full responsibility."

Dorbickmon turned his head slowly and delivered a flat, exasperated stare to Examon. "How come _I'm_ the one who sounds like the prisoner here?" he asked with annoyance.

"I've been on the receiving end of that temper," Examon pointed out with a grin. "I wouldn't wish it on anybody."

"Hell. Thanks for the vote of confidence," Dorbickmon muttered acrimoniously. He turned around and began heading down the corridor. "Come on, move your thirty-foot ass, Examon," he said with recalcitrance, not turning around to address the dragon.

Clouded with exasperation, Examon sighed and straightened out his long tail in question. "I'll catch up with you two in a bit," he told Dukemon and Magnamon before following after Dorbickmon. "We can have that spar afterwards."

As the two red dragons walked off down the corridor, Magnamon smiled and looked up at Dukemon. "They're really getting along now," he noted. "I'm impressed at how well they've been able to put the bad blood behind them."

Dukemon smiled. "I'm glad they have. It's good to have friends you can trust with your life…" he stated thoughtfully.

"That's for sure," Magnamon agreed, eyeing Dukemon with his warm, red eyes. "…I'm glad you can trust us, Dukemon."

Dukemon turned to look at the shorter golden knight. He knew he was referring to Dukemon telling them about the Digital Hazard. After a moment, he flashed Magnamon a grin. "Yeah… Me too," he answered sincerely. "Now don't get all soppy, Magnamon. It's not good for our image."

Magnamon chuckled. "I guess you're right," he agreed, walking along beside Dukemon.

The two Royal Knights continued chatting as they made their way down the stone corridor. The pair went to look for MetallifeKuwagamon, intent on getting fitted with the training program so that they could begin their spar.

* * *

The Royal Knights' dungeons were located deep underground, in the furthest part of the subterranean basement of the headquarters. They were at the end of a long, well-lit hallway. The entrance was very secure; there was a pair of chrome digizoid doors with electronic, magnetized, and manual locks for maximum security. They were modelled after the ones that were used in Havelock Prison. Castle Guards were constantly on duty whenever the dungeon was occupied. There were guards on lookout both inside and outside of the dungeon. However, most prisoners were transferred to Havelock Prison after temporarily residing in the castle dungeons, so they were typically empty.

That was not the case right now.

The dungeons were dark and lit mainly with torches at the ends of the hallways, although each cell had its own personal, little light. There were about thirty cells in total. The prison cells had differing sizes, large and small, in order accommodate different sizes of Digimon. Each secure unit was complete with vertical, fortified chrome digizoid-alloy bars, which had no more than a few inches between each bar. The bars also seemed to emit a faint, transparent barrier that prevented penetration, even from ghost and incorporeal Digimon.

Currently, there was only one cell that was occupied. It was outfitted with a bed, a toilet, and a night stand with a few books on it.

GrandisKuwagamon, the sole prisoner, sat cross-legged in the center of the cell. His red, compound eye was narrowed as it stared emptily beyond the chrome digizoid bars. The black, humanoid insect breathed softly and his long pincers were at ease. He was in a state of meditation. His mind was empty and his body was relaxed and controlled. He was almost in a deep state of passive concentration and tranquility.

As all of the Royal Knights' prisoners did, GrandisKuwagamon had a power-inhibiting virus implanted into his body. This virus kept him from evolving or devolving. Additionally, it kept him from using his abilities. His Gran Killer gauntlets had been confiscated, and the muscles of his long, scissor-like pincers were numb, preventing him from moving them with any effectiveness. He had been rendered subdued.

GrandisKuwagamon released a breath as he tried to focus on his inner strength.

Emphasis on "tried".

He was doing his best to concentrate, but there was an annoying bug that kept buzzing incessantly and breaking his focus. That bug came in the form of the guard standing outside of his cell. The guard had been trying to make pleasant conversation with him for the past ten minutes. GrandisKuwagamon had tried ignoring him, but he didn't seem to be taking the hint.

The guard in question was a large, muscular, dragon man Digimon. His light orange scales matched the glow of the flames that cast across his body. Resting over his buff, brawny chest was well-polished, gold and silver plate armour that went all the way up to his thick neck. The armour plates over his neck and chin were black in colour, matching the thick, black band around his hips that held his long loin guard in place and connected to his breast plate. Also connected to the dragon man's chest armour were the spiked, golden spaulders that covered his shoulders.

The Greymon-type Digimon also wore a pair of silver and red greaves over his shins. They were strapped to the backs of his calves with red cords, and over the tops of his large, clawed, draconic feet, further fastened by a black, rubber strap that went around the soles of his feet. In addition to this, around the dragon's forearms were thick wrists guards. These wrist guards each had a slot for a long object to attach into. Just above these vambraces were black belts that were wrapped around his thick, well-developed forearms.

He wore a helmet and face mask over his head. At the tip of his draconic snout was a nose horn that had the shape of a crimson blade. Further decorating his helmet was a gold, V-shape crest that went from the top of his mouth and over his eyes before protruding out from the back of his helmet. The VictoryGreymon had striking emerald eyes, which conveyed a sense of warmth, excitement, and optimism. His neck-length red hair contrasted with the green of his eyes. Finally, protruding from the armour of his back were two thick slabs of triangular metal that gave off the appearance of wings. These pieces of metal could be detached from his back and connected together to form a shield.

The VictoryGreymon held a massive broadsword with a single arm, letting it rest against his shoulder. The sword was taller than he was, and the blade was actually made up of three individual blades to form one single one. The width of the sword was as thick as the dragon man's torso. The giant sword, called the Dramon Breaker, had a V-shaped crossguard that was big and heavy enough to warrant handles on the two sides. The Dramon Breaker had a long hilt for both of his large hands. The fact that he could wield such a heavy sword with relative ease was a testament to the Greymon's impressive muscles. His armour only covered parts of his body, so his thick biceps and his tree trunk-like thighs were fully visible.

VictoryGreymon's muscular tail swayed back and forth as he talked animatedly to GrandisKuwagamon. Between his sculpted muscles, the sheen of his scales, his handsome face and approachable expression, he was considered quite an attractive Digimon by many Digimons' standards. Despite this, he didn't consider himself especially attractive and he would get embarrassed just being complimented.

His excitement caused the pitch of his deep, gentle voice to rise slightly as he talked about his favourite subject: the Royal Knights.

"-and they actually spoke to us new recruits in person!" VictoryGreymon exclaimed enthusiastically. "Dukemon actually said to me, 'Nice to meet you. We're happy to have you on board, VictoryGreymon. You look like you can handle yourself.' The dragon man's eyes were bright as he spoke about him, and he was smiling from ear to ear. "Can you believe that?! He actually said my name! It was so amazing! I nearly melted right then and there. Gee, I wish I coulda got a recording of that."

GrandisKuwagamon hunched forward, his four wings twitching agitatedly. He tried his best to ignore the irritating Greymon, but he began to get the feeling that this was a topic that he could go on for hours about.

"It was so amazing seeing them all up close. I mean, I know I've seen them a few times before, but that was only for a few seconds," the VictoryGreymon continued on animatedly. "Their armour is so cool, and they look so heroic in their capes and helmets. All twelve of them are so awesome, and I actually get to be a part of the Order! This is everything I could have imagined! It's a dream come true!"

Finally, GrandisKuwagamon had enough. He looked up at VictoryGreymon with a withering gaze. "Cripes…" he said aloud in an obviously annoyed voice. "I know you've got a raging stiffy for the Royal Knights and everything, but would you _shut up_ about them for _one_ fucking second? It feels like it's been an hour…"

VictoryGreymon blinked and looked at GrandisKuwagamon. He immediately quieted down and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "Oh… Sorry…" he said in a deflated voice. "I guess I got carried away talking about them… They're kinda my heroes, so I'm one of their biggest fans. I could talk about them for days," he explained, brightening up with a goofy grin.

"Really. I wouldn't have guessed," GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically muttered, sighing tiredly.

VictoryGreymon's smile faded and he suddenly frowned. "Sorry! How rude of me! I didn't introduce myself!" he suddenly stated with guilt lacing his words. "My name's VictoryGreymon. I'm from New Terminal. Well, actually, me and my friends were from a smaller town in the Republic of Node, but then we moved there. But anyways. What about you…?"

GrandisKuwagamon looked at VictoryGreymon with an expression that asked if he was serious. "…You know who I am; you're on guard duty," he stated emphatically.

"Yeah, but…" VictoryGreymon meekly responded.

GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye and stood to his feet inside his cell. "Name's GrandisKuwagamon. I'm from some place you've never heard of," he answered offhandedly.

VictoryGreymon smiled and placed the Dramon Breaker sword down against the wall on the opposite side of the dungeon corridor. He then offered his hand towards the cell. "It's a pleasure to meet you," VictoryGreymon stated, looking at the ebony bug expectantly.

GrandisKuwagamon glanced down at VictoryGreymon's hand and then back up at his smiling face. "…You know, the bars—" He suddenly caught himself and a mischievous smirk formed on his lips. "Actually, you know what? Sure. Slide me some scales," he said, offering his black hand towards the bars.

VictoryGreymon reached his hand forwards to try and put them through the bars. As soon as his clawed fingers began to go between the chrome digizoid slabs, and impenetrable barrier suddenly materialized, physically blocking him from going any further. Then the barrier sparked with electricity, sending a weak but surprising jolt through VictoryGreymon's hand.

He let out a sharp yelp of surprise and retracted his hand, shaking it rapidly. "Ow, ow, ow!" he exclaimed, dancing in place as he tried to get rid of the numb sensation in his hand.

GrandisKuwagamon snickered. "Oh, yeah. I forgot about that," he remarked innocently.

"So did I…" VictoryGreymon said with an embarrassed smile. He didn't seem to notice that the mercenary set him up for that to happen. The dragon guard looked at the bug Digimon with a friendly smile. "So, um, GrandisKuwagamon. …Can I call you Grandis?"

"No," GrandisKuwagamon said swiftly and succinctly.

"But 'GrandisKuwagamon' is long and hard to remember…" VictoryGreymon mumbled, twiddling his fingers.

"Fine, whatever," GrandisKuwagamon answered, just trying to get him off of his back.

"Great!" VictoryGreymon stated enthusiastically. "So, what do you think of the Royal Knights? Pretty cool, huh?"

"Yeah, amazing," the black insect sarcastically answered, rolling his eye. "I'm a real fanboy. And their dungeon sure is comfy. I feel right at home here."

"Oh, uh, yeah… Maybe that was a dumb question…" VictoryGreymon sheepishly suggested, realising that maybe GrandisKuwagamon didn't exactly have the best predisposition towards his heroes.

An uncomfortable silence began to overtake the dungeon. VictoryGreymon shuffled in place, scuffing at the floor with his toe claws as the tension began to make him feel awkward.

"So…" he began, looking over at GrandisKuwagamon again, wanting to make conversation. "Hey, did I tell you? I'm part of the Greymon Five. Ever heard of us?" he stated proudly.

"Nope," GrandisKuwagamon answered, not even bothering to hide his apathy.

"Yeah!" VictoryGreymon exclaimed, not picking up on the prisoner's annoyance or disinterest at all. "We were part of the Republic of Node military until a few days ago. We even fought in that battle against the Metal Empire! After our higher ups found out what was going on, they made an agreement with the Royal Knights to get us transferred here to the Order. It's great! We're all big fans of the Royal Knights. I can't tell you how amazing it is to be part of the Order. We're part of the Strike Forces now. Oh! But you're probably wondering why I'm guarding the dungeon."

"Not really."

"Well, I volunteered to help out since everybody's really busy right now," VictoryGreymon explained. "After that battle, there's a lot of stuff going on."

GrandisKuwagamon gave VictoryGreymon a sideways look. "You're not very good at this guarding thing, are you?" he asked him pointedly. "You know, you're making nice with the prisoners and everything..."

"Huh? There's nothing wrong with being friendly," VictoryGreymon responded, shrugging his broad shoulders.

GrandisKuwagamon grinned and shook his head. "Shit… I was kidding when I said that all of the Order Digimon are wide-eyed dumbasses like you, but I'm really startin' to think that I was right all along," he said cynically. "Then again, the Royal Knights probably have that as their job description."

"Hey, the Royal Knights and the others aren't dumb…" VictoryGreymon responded, more offended for the Royal Knights than for himself. "I know you must be upset, being in prison and all, but—"

"Don't patronize me, lizard," GrandisKuwagamon sharply told him. "You don't know anything about me."

VictoryGreymon frowned and folded his arms, thinking about the insect Digimon's words. "Well… I guess I don't…" he admitted, supposing that the mercenary had a point. He then smiled at him brightly. "I'd like to, though."

GrandisKuwagamon stared at the bulky Greymon. "…Are you serious?" he asked him incredulously. "I don't know how a naïve, empty-headed lug like you survived this long."

"I'm just trying to be friendly…" the humanoid Greymon mumbled, looking down dejectedly.

"There's your main problem," GrandisKuwagamon muttered. "You're soft-hearted _and_ soft-headed."

VictoryGreymon opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted by the sound of the metal door getting knocked on and a voice sounding out.

"We have authorised guests. Door one is open. Door two?" the voice asked.

The Mystimon guard who was standing by the inner door of the dungeon began unlocking the door. VictoryGreymon glanced at GrandisKuwagamon before walking over to help his fellow guard and return to his duties.

The pair unlocked the door and opened it to see Examon standing there with Dorbickmon.

"Thank you," Examon said to them politely. "My friend and I wanted to speak with GrandisKuwagamon."

"Right this way, Sir Examon, sir!" VictoryGreymon stammered excitedly, obviously awestruck at seeing the tall dragon Royal Knight up close. "Let me show you—" As VictoryGreymon hurriedly spun around, his legs moved faster than his tail. He ended up stepping on the tip of his tail and then getting his other ankle tangled up in the long, flexible appendage. VictoryGreymon let out a sharp holler as he tripped over himself and crashed to the floor of the dungeon.

A bead of sweat dripped down Examon's head as he stared at the fallen VictoryGreymon with surprise and concern. Meanwhile, Dorbickmon started laughing.

"Are you okay?" Examon asked him, bending down to help the dragon man stand up.

"Y-Yeah. Sorry," VictoryGreymon apologised, blushing sheepishly as he stood up again. "I've got two left feet." He straightened himself up and rubbed the back of his head with an embarrassed smile. "He's in the fifth cell down, sir!"

"Thanks," Examon responded before looking at Dorbickmon. "Well, come on."

Dorbickmon smirked and strode forward down the dungeon hall. Examon walked after him to keep a close eye on him. The pair of red dragons passed by the empty cells until they reached the one occupied one. There was an initial twinge of anger upon seeing the black form of the insect mercenary, but he stifled the gut emotion. Dorbickmon stepped up to the bars and folded his arms, looking in at GrandisKuwagamon with a victorious grin.

GrandisKuwagamon turned to look at the visitors. Upon seeing Dorbickmon on the other side of the bars, an irritated scowl formed on his face. "Oh, great…" he muttered, realising how much Dorbickmon would enjoy seeing him in this position.

"Remember me?" Dorbickmon asked, smirking as he stared at the imprisoned mercenary.

"Hard to forget a face as ugly as yours," GrandisKuwagamon deadpanned in response. "So, I guess you survived that little brawl in Shroud."

"I always survive," Dorbickmon countered, shooting an intense leer at the black insect.

"What a shame," GrandisKuwagamon snarked in return. He cast a fearless grin at Dorbickmon. "But, it's nice to know my instincts weren't wrong. I was almost worried I dropped an innocent Digimon into deep shit, but here you are, hanging off the arm of a Royal Knight. I always knew you were working for them."

Dorbickmon glanced at Examon and took a step away from him self-consciously. Despite their reconciliation, Dorbickmon didn't want to be lumped in with the Royal Knights. "A job's a job," he told the mercenary defensively. "I only worked with them to take down you and your friends. It's not like I work for the Order."

Examon watched Dorbickmon quietly. He wanted to comment, but he let Dorbickmon have his say. He couldn't help but be a little offended that Dorbickmon had to go out of his way to distance himself from them. Despite this, he understood that Dorbickmon was in a precarious situation at the moment, so he tried to let it slide.

"I dunno if everybody will see it that way," GrandisKuwagamon responded, idly examining his black fingers. "Once you've been outed as working with the Royal Knights, you'll be hard to trust again. Once a snake, always a snake…"

Despite bristling underneath, Dorbickmon smiled a dangerous, tooth-laden smile. "Yeah, well, you're in there and I'm out here. I'm pretty sure I got the last laugh," he pointed out to him.

"Whatever. Keep telling yourself that," GrandisKuwagamon answered nonchalantly, not wanting to give Dorbickmon the satisfaction.

"I also heard that you got betrayed by your own teammates. You must really be unpopular," Dorbickmon continued with a dark smirk. "Sucks to be you."

GrandisKuwagamon folded his arms. "Not quite as unpopular as a Royal Knight informant in the world of mercenaries. I sure hope these tin cans pay well, because I doubt you'll ever get a job again," the insect Digimon countered calmly. "I'd stay away from Shroud and Dark Point if I were you. Unless you want to end up with something sharp between your ribs."

A low growl rolled in Dorbickmon's throat. "At least I'm not stuck in some dungeon, bound for a lengthy stay in Havelock, while my friends who betrayed me are walking free." Dorbickmon laughed. "It must eat you up inside, bug."

Examon glanced at Dorbickmon, unable to help but feel uncomfortable. He knew that Dorbickmon still had a darker side, but it made him uneasy to see it after they were getting along so well. He also knew that it wasn't long ago that Dorbickmon blamed him for betraying him and he carried a grudge that festered for years. He began to think that he and GrandisKuwagamon had more in common than they thought.

GrandisKuwagamon's eye narrowed slightly, but he caught himself before he rose to the bait. "You done, lizard? I've got a book I want to finish."

Dorbickmon grunted and angled his head away, leering at him out of the corner of his gold and violet eye. "Yeah, whatever. Enjoy the prison cell, bug," Dorbickmon taunted.

"Enjoy the Royal Knight cock, lizard," GrandisKuwagamon snappily retorted.

"Why you-!" Dorbickmon snarled, stepping towards the bars, but he was stopped by Examon.

"Are you done here, Dorbickmon?" Examon calmly asked, keeping a tight hold on his arm to keep him from going any further.

"Not yet!" Dorbickmon protested, glaring at GrandisKuwagamon. "I heard your two so-called friends are laughing it up in Shroud by now. It must be shitty to be the sucker left carrying the can, isn't it, Scissor-face?"

GrandisKuwagamon grunted and looked away. "This is getting pretty boring, lizard. Like I said, I've got books to read," he pointed out with indifference. "So, why don't you take your spikes and your nipple lasers somewhere else?"

"I'm not done with you yet," Dorbickmon threatened, scowling intimidatingly.

"Dorbickmon, I think you've made your point," Examon protested, grabbing his arm and pulling him.

"Fine. I'll just go enjoy my freedom," Dorbickmon said with an edge to his growling voice. "More than I can say for you, huh, Grandis?"

Examon sighed. "Okay, you got the last word now. Can we go?" he asked tiredly.

"Tch," Dorbickmon grunted, conceding to Examon. He turned and started walking down the dungeon corridor towards the exit, not giving GrandisKuwagamon another look.

Examon eyed GrandisKuwagamon for a moment before following the dragon mercenary.

GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye and went to sit down on his bed. He grabbed a book from the nearby table and opened it to where he left off.

While walking down the dungeon corridor, Examon looked ahead at Dorbickmon. "You couldn't just take the high road, could you?" he asked him with subtle irritation.

"He had it coming and I had a score to settle with him," Dorbickmon answered with an aloof shrug.

"You didn't have to be so immature and petty," Examon muttered.

"Petty!?" Dorbickmon sputtered, wheeling around to glare at Examon. "That guy outed me as working for you and sent an entire mob of mercs on me! They were ready to beat me to a pulp! They probably would have interrogated me and pulled my teeth out one by one! You tell me again that that's petty!" he growled with an intense, draconic glare.

Examon stopped in front of him and stared at him coolly. "I know. He wronged you… So rise above it and be the better Digimon, if you're capable," he icily responded. "You're not going to do yourself any good by dwelling on grudges and revenge."

Dorbickmon stopped and blinked at his words incredulously. After a moment, Dorbickmon sharply exhaled in an offended scoff. "Oh, so that's what this is about! I get it now…" he exclaimed with a sharp edge to his voice.

Examon frowned softly and looked away. "I don't know what you mean…" he calmly answered.

Before either of them could continue, the muscular Greymon walked over to them. "Sir, the doors are ready," VictoryGreymon explained, thumbing over to the pair of opened security doors.

"Thank you, VictoryGreymon," Examon told him, walking past the volunteer guard and heading through the doors.

Dorbickmon stared after Examon with bitter, narrowed eyes. After a moment, he grunted and followed after the Royal Knight. As Examon and Dorbickmon headed towards the exit, they noticed a pair of Digimon on the opposite side of the threshold. Standing on the other side were SaviorHackmon and Gankoomon, who were talking to the exterior guards.

Examon raised an eyebrow upon seeing them there. "Gankoomon? Were you looking for me?" he asked him curiously.

"Nah," Gankoomon responded with a shrug as the pair stopped in front of them. He nodded over SaviorHackmon. "He wanted to visit GrandisKuwagamon."

SaviorHackmon bowed politely before Examon. "Hello, Examon-shishou," he greeted formally, making his reverence clear.

"Hello, SaviorHackmon," Examon said in response, offering a tiny smile to the younger dragon Digimon.

"Good luck," Dorbickmon muttered to SaviorHackmon. "He may be locked up, but his sharp tongue can cut even that thick armour of yours. Don't take him lightly."

"Yeah, I know," SaviorHackmon responded reminiscently. He could clearly remember how rough, brutally honest, and sarcastic GrandisKuwagamon was when Black Pincer Company was holding SaviorHackmon hostage. As much as he hated being in that situation and as terrifying as it was, he remembered part of it fondly. He liked getting to know this strange, enigmatic, cynical Digimon who seemed like he had more to him than he let on.

SaviorHackmon gazed down the hall towards the cells, as if hoping to be able to spot him from there. He looked at Examon and the guards. "May I see him?

"As long as you have Royal Knight permission," Mystimon said, looking at both Examon and Gankoomon for their approval.

"If Gankoomon says it's alright," Examon agreed, turning to the humanoid Royal Knight.

"Yeah. He just needs to talk with him and get a few things off of his chest," Gankoomon answered. The fire-haired Royal Knight folded his arms and looked at SaviorHackmon. "You can talk to him alone, right?"

"Of course, Sensei. I want to speak with him alone," SaviorHackmon responded, nodding his white, horned head. Feeling a bit nervous, he fiddled with the goggle-clad collar that connected his long, red cape to his neck. "May I go in now?"

"Go ahead," the Mystimon stated, stepping aside. "The cell is right down there."

SaviorHackmon nodded, took in a light breath of the musty dungeon air, and walked through the threshold.

Gankoomon watched as his apprentice walked down the hall, away from him. He smiled slightly and folded his arms across his chest. He could sense the maturity in SaviorHackmon's words and actions. His growth over these past few months had been clear to Gankoomon. No longer was he the young, dreamy Hackmon who saw everything in shades of black and white. SaviorHackmon was beginning to understand the shades of grey and the complex realities of the Digital World – and yet, his heart was strong enough that he held true to his passion and ideals despite it all. It was enough that Gankoomon trusted him alone with the mercenary. He was certain that witnessing that battle had something to do with his growth.

The Royal Knight turned and walked out of the dungeon, into the underground corridor along with Examon and Dorbickmon. As he did, he glanced at his fellow Royal Knight. "Hey, Examon," he spoke, glancing up at the dragon curiously. "D'you think SaviorHackmon has matured over the last few months?"

Examon frowned and folded his arms with thought, as the dungeon doors were closed behind them. "Well… you would know better than I would…" he pointed out to his comrade. "But… yes, I do. He seems like he has a better understanding of what the Royal Knights are now. Ever since he became SaviorHackmon, he's been more deliberate in his actions, and he doesn't only talk about fighting. He's curious about other aspects of the Order, like its organization, its history, the political and administrative sides…"

Gankoomon leaned against the stone wall behind him and nodded. "Yeah, I've thought so too. He's definitely changing… even more over the past week," he mused. "I wonder if that battle changed him so deeply…"

"His first battle… Something of that scale would have an effect on any Digimon," Examon pointed out. "I still remember mine."

"I even remember my first fight," Dorbickmon added, his sour mood fading as he fondly remembered his first scrap. "I knocked the guy flat on his ass. Good times."

Gankoomon sighed and scratched his head. "Yeah, I guess it would have something to do with that, wouldn't it? Especially for someone with a heart like SaviorHackmon's…"

"His heart?" Examon asked, looking at Gankoomon curiously.

The Royal Knight readjusted the white coat on his shoulders and nodded. "Yeah… He likes to put on an image of being tough, especially in front of you guys, but, deep down, he's actually got a sensitive heart that cares a lot for other Digimon… That's why he's in there now, talking with GrandisKuwagamon."

"Hmm…" Examon thought to himself. He glanced at Gankoomon with a knowing grin. "So, a bit like his Sensei, I guess."

Gankoomon's beige cheeks tinted and a toothy scowl formed on his lips. He looked away to hide his embarrassment. "Tch. Don't test me, Examon. I've punched out bigger dragons than you," he warned him.

Examon chuckled and sheepishly scratched his cheek. "It was a compliment…"

Dorbickmon quietly leered at Examon with hard eyes, but he remained silent and docile. He grunted softly and folded his arms, leaning against the wall as the two Royal Knights talked.

* * *

Meanwhile, SaviorHackmon tentatively walked up to GrandisKuwagamon's cell.

The dragon stopped just short of the cell, standing out of view. For a moment, he doubted himself. The last time he had seen GrandisKuwagamon, he had been his prisoner. He was still a big, dominant, fearsome Ultimate-level Digimon in his mind. Despite the chrome digizoid bars and the fact that they were nearly the same size, SaviorHackmon felt a bit of fear at the idea of standing face to face with him again.

SaviorHackmon exhaled and closed his eyes meditatively. He reminded himself that he wanted to talk to GrandisKuwagamon. There was something about the cynical mercenary that spoke to him. He felt as though he wasn't as bad as his first impression of the criminal made him seem.

SaviorHackmon steeled himself and summoned his courage. He pulled his crimson hood up over his horned head so that his face was shaded over. He let his goggles rest against the fabric over his forehead, weighing the hood down against his head. Finally, he looked in to see the bug Digimon standing behind the bars. It was strange seeing him in such a vulnerable position.

GrandisKuwagamon eyed SaviorHackmon with a sideways leer. After a brief moment of surprised recognition, an irritated expression formed on his black, hardened face upon seeing the dragon man come into view. "Oh, great…" he muttered.

"…Hello," SaviorHackmon spoke. It was clear from the uncertainty in his voice and his tense posture that he was feeling awkward. After a moment of tense silence, he rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the soft fabric of his mantle. "…It's funny… Our roles are reversed. Now you're the one who's captured."

GrandisKuwagamon levelled the flattest, driest, most acidic stare that he could muster at SaviorHackmon. "…Ahaha. Yeah. Side-splittingly hilarious," he responded, his annoyed voice dripping with sarcasm. "If you could spare me the gloating, that'd be peachy. I got enough of it from the asshole that came before you."

SaviorHackmon winced guiltily at how his words came out, realising how smug they must have sounded. "S-Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just meant—"

"I don't care what you meant, kid," the beetle mercenary responded dismissively, wishing to get this over with. "What do you want?"

"…I'm not a kid," SaviorHackmon calmly responded, his voice deeper than before and mature enough to back up that claim. "I just came here to talk to you."

"About what?" GrandisKuwagamon brusquely asked.

"I don't know… I wanted to see how you were," SaviorHackmon responded sheepishly.

"'To see how I am'?" GrandisKuwagamon rubbed the ridge above his eye with irritation. "You know what? I'd actually prefer the boasting to pity. Seriously, BaoHackmon – or whatever you're callin' yourself now – I can do without your smug sense of self-satisfaction."

SaviorHackmon narrowed his golden eyes at this. He shot a familiar, defiant leer at GrandisKuwagamon. "Believe it or not, but I was actually worried about you, GrandisKuwagamon," he told him firmly, refusing to let himself be scared off by his harsh words. "I didn't come here to rub it in _or_ pity you."

"That's very touching," GrandisKuwagamon deadpanned. "It's also incredibly stupid, worrying about the enemy." He turned to face SaviorHackmon directly, gazing at him. "You may look older and talk different, but you're still the same naïve dumbass."

"I'm not naïve," SaviorHackmon insisted emphatically as his heartfelt passion shone through his voice. "Is it naïve to care about people, GrandisKuwagamon? Is it naïve to trust people? Is it naïve to want to see the best in things? Is it naïve to have dreams?"

GrandisKuwagamon stared at him blankly. His single, compound eye revealed a cold, harsh, and disillusioned leer. "Yeah… It is…" the mercenary bluntly responded.

SaviorHackmon sneered sadly. "What made you so cynical…?" he asked him.

GrandisKuwagamon stared at SaviorHackmon darkly. "Living…" he answered.

"Yeah… well, I'm not like you," SaviorHackmon insisted, staring back at GrandisKuwagamon with an intense gaze. "I don't have to be like you. I don't want to be bitter and cynical. When you're surrounded by darkness, you can still choose to find the light! That's what the Royal Knights are!"

The imprisoned mercenary released a condescending, empty laugh. "The Royal Knights… That's what you cling onto for hope, huh? The hope that, one day, you'll get to be just like them…" he pondered perceptively. "If that's what you wanna do, I won't stop you… I really don't care. Just don't expect to live very long. That's how the world works."

"I'll take that chance, even if you think I'm stupid for doing so," SaviorHackmon stated with firm resolution. "You must have ambitions too, GrandisKuwagamon. Otherwise, you wouldn't have started a mercenary company! You wouldn't have gone through all this!"

"Yeah, I did have ambitions," GrandisKuwagamon admitted. "I had a lot of ambitions." He gestured around at his cell. "They're not much good to me now."

SaviorHackmon winced and sighed regretfully at how the situation ended up for the mercenary. "…What kind of ambitions?" he tentatively asked.

"Number one was pretty basic. It was to get myself out of gutter that I was forced to grow up in. It was just me, Blitzmon, and Bolgmon, and all we had was each other and the determination not to die. When we started Black Pincer Company, we wanted to be something. We wanted to take the skills that we learned growing up and turn it into something that would make us a lot of money," GrandisKuwagamon explained. "It wasn't easy, but it worked. At least, it _did_…"

"Until all this happened and Blitzmon and Bolgmon turned on you…" SaviorHackmon mentioned sympathetically. He couldn't help but feel guilty for the situation that GrandisKuwagamon ended up in.

GrandisKuwagamon turned his head and looked at SaviorHackmon. He looked under the shadow of SaviorHackmon's hood and saw his concerned, yellow eyes. GrandisKuwagamon glared at him with bristling disdain. "Cripes… Don't look at me with those big, sad eyes," he growled. "You can't help yourself, can you? I don't want your pity. I fully expected something like that to happen eventually. In this business, you have to stab each other in the back to get ahead."

"Even your friends?" SaviorHackmon pressed, frowning resistantly.

GrandisKuwagamon pivoted in his cell to face the visitor directly. "Even them," he coldly answered. "No mercy."

SaviorHackmon folded his arms and levelled an unconvinced expression at him. "I don't buy it… You seem like a loyal guy to me."

"'Seem loyal'? Assuming makes an ass of you and me… Particularly you," GrandisKuwagamon chastised him. "Talk about naïve…"

"I'm not assuming. I just have a gut feeling," SaviorHackmon insisted.

GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye. "Tch. You mean, you're assuming," he corrected emphatically.

SaviorHackmon sighed. He could see that he wasn't getting anywhere. "Fine…" he capitulated. However, as the topic ended, a tense silence began to fill the dungeon. "…Have you been convicted and sentenced yet?" he wondered.

"Not yet," GrandisKuwagamon said with a shrug. "They want something out of me first. I can tell."

"Like what?" the blade-adorned dragon man wondered.

"They probably want info on my client or Blitzmon and Bolgmon," GrandisKuwagamon responded dismissively. "You can tell them that information doesn't come free."

SaviorHackmon nodded thoughtfully. He closed his pure, golden eyes and thought to himself for a few moments before looking back at GrandisKuwagamon. "Maybe if you tell them about your life, they'll go easier on you," he suggested.

GrandisKuwagamon smirked at this. "The sad thing is that you actually believe that…" he said flippantly. The smiled faded and he gazed at SaviorHackmon with his piercing, red eye. "What about my life, exactly? Some sob story? Which one, if you're such an expert? What exactly do you know about my life, huh, SaviorHackmon?"

SaviorHackmon shifted in place, shame-facedly. He admitted that he didn't actually know anything about GrandisKuwagamon. He just assumed based on some of the things that he said and what he could piece together. "I don't know... I just thought, well… I have a gut feeling about you, so..."

"You don't know me half as well as you think you do," GrandisKuwagamon told him harshly. "Don't act like you do."

"Sorry…" SaviorHackmon bashfully responded. "I didn't mean to assume anything." However, after a moment, his eyes hardened defiantly and he leered back at the prisoner. "Even though you assume things about me… Like me being naïve and dumb."

"Prove me wrong," GrandisKuwagamon answered coolly.

"I will. You can't just brand the whole Order as being full of idiots because they believe in Yggdrasil and actually want to help other Digimon," SaviorHackmon argued. "Not everybody is self-interested, and being altruistic doesn't make somebody stupid or naïve."

GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye. "Look, kid, I'm having a bad enough time as it is without your constant sympathy and idealism driving me up the wall. I'm getting tired of dropping hints that I'm not interested in what you're selling." He picked up his book from the bedside table and leaned his winged back against the wall. "Are we done? I want to finish these books in case I get hauled off to Havelock."

"I guess so…" SaviorHackmon reluctantly confirmed. He began to walk away, but suddenly stopped and turned his head to look at the imprisoned insect Digimon. "Just one more thing..."

"Shoot," the ebony mercenary replied, not looking up from his book.

"I still believe that you're not such a bad guy," SaviorHackmon said to him, looking at him meaningfully.

"Shows what you know," GrandisKuwagamon answered dismissively.

SaviorHackmon sighed. He expected such a response. "Try to have a bit of hope, GrandisKuwagamon…"

With those words, SaviorHackmon continued walking down the dungeon hall, flanked by cells on both sides. As he made his way towards the exit, there was a deep frown on his draconic face.

VictoryGreymon turned towards SaviorHackmon as he approached. "Are you done, SaviorHackmon?" he asked his fellow bipedal dragon.

"Yeah. Thanks," SaviorHackmon answered, his words a bit heavy and pensive. He found it hard trying to debate GrandisKuwagamon. The mercenary always had a comeback and he knew just what to say to needle Digimon.

"He wasn't too hard on you, was he?" VictoryGreymon wondered, leaning forwards on his massive broadsword. "I know he's a bit rough, but he's probably just frustrated about the situation he's in. Don't let it get to you."

"That, or he's a total dick," the Mystimon guard muttered under his breath.

Not hearing the Mystimon's remark, SaviorHackmon smiled and nodded at the muscular Greymon. "Yeah, I know."

VictoryGreymon smiled broadly. "By the way, I hear you're a huge Royal Knight fan too, huh?" he asked SaviorHackmon with interest. "I am too! Me and my friends from the Greymon Five are having a Royal Knight trivia session later on when we're off-duty. Want to come?"

SaviorHackmon brightened up at the idea. "That sounds great. I'd love to come. Thanks!" he confirmed excitedly.

VictoryGreymon chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "No problem. Here, I'll let you out," he said, going to unlock the various different kinds of locks.

As the two guards prepared to let him out of the dungeon, SaviorHackmon couldn't help but worry about GrandisKuwagamon. He knew he shouldn't feel bad for him since he brought it upon himself, but he felt like there was more to the mercenary than just being a shady, underhanded criminal. He wanted to believe that he was right about GrandisKuwagamon.

* * *

"Good," a contralto female voice said evenly. "Watch your angles of attack after you pull up from the dive."

Over-sergeant Paildramon watched from the ground as the Aerial Strike Forces drilled in the training grounds. The multitude of aerial Digimon were organized into single rows in the air. One after another, they were diving towards the ground at a steep angle before pitching upwards a few meters before they could hit the grass. The winged Digimon pulled up at a sharp angle and glided over the grass before finally circling around and returning to their positions in a carefully choreographed training exercise.

The draconic over-sergeant gazed at the winged soldiers, watching as the last one finished his manoeuvres. "Alright. That's enough for now," she stated. "Group's A and B, I want you to start working on evasive manoeuvres. Group C? Prepare the practice rounds and set up a fifty meter firing range. We'll start with static evasion and then move onto tailed and frontal evasions. Clear?"

"Yes, over-sergeant!" the Aerial Strike Forces Digimon obeyed.

Paildramon nodded and pointed over to an open part of the training grounds that faced north, away from the castle. "Set up over there," she said to them.

The humanoid dragon placed her gauntlet-covered hands on her hips as he watched several dozen aerial Digimon fly off. She flapped her two pairs of wings and was about to join them when she heard a pair of footsteps behind her. Paildramon looked over her shoulder to see UlforceVeedramon walking over.

"Sir UlforceVeedramon," she greeted, turning around and saluting him formally.

"Don't call me 'Sir' or else I'll start calling you 'Ma'am', Paildramon," he teased, walking up to her.

Paildramon grinned playfully and lowered her hand. "Duly noted," she responded, her posture relaxing somewhat.

"How are the new recruits from New Terminal doing?" he asked, looking over at the Aerial Strike Forces Digimon under her command.

"Not bad," she responded. "They're professional, but they're not quite up to the Order's level of standards right now. That will change soon enough. I'll give it three weeks."

UlforceVeedramon smiled. "Good to hear it. Are you going to whip them into shape?" he asked her coyly.

"I'll just be aiding Leftenant HippoGriffomon as he trains them," she explained to the Royal Knight. "Since there are a lot of new recruits, I'm training groups A, B, and C today."

"Got it," UlforceVeedramon answered with a nod. "You seem to be doing a good job."

"I'm trying. I know I've only been here for less than a year, but I hope to stay up to the Order's standards as well," she explained. She looked at him curiously. "Did you want me for something in particular, UlforceVeedramon?" Paildramon asked the muscular dragon knight.

"Not really. It's just been awhile since we've last spoken, with the battle and everything that's been going on" UlforceVeedramon responded with a smile. "How's your brother doing?"

Paildramon smiled. "He's good - driving my father mad," she explained fondly.

UlforceVeedramon chuckled. "I was the same way," he admitted good-naturedly. He looked at the dragon curiously. "Have you spoken with your father?" he wondered.

"Yes, but only after messengers from the Order went to New Terminal to tell the Council of Seven about the current situation," she assured him, wanting the Royal Knight to know that her familial ties wouldn't get in the way of her professional responsibility. After a moment, her expression grew serious. "So, it's true about the Seven Great Demon Lords…"

"I'm afraid so," the cobalt dragon responded, his own smile disappearing as well. "This is even more serious than the war with the Metal Empire. So much for catching a break, huh?" UlforceVeedramon sighed heavily and folded his arms. He then gazed at Paildramon with pensive, red eyes. "How much faith do you think we can put in the Council of Seven's support?"

"Despite the fact that there has been tension between the Council and your Order in the past, I think that they respect the power and capabilities of the Royal Knights enough to support us on this," Paildramon explained. "They know the dangers of the Seven Great Demon Lords. It's possible that they're hoping that the demons will target the Heavenly Choir and leave everything else, but I doubt that they would want to take that chance."

"There's also the fact that Councillor Angewomon has ties to the Heavenly Choir, so she'll take a hard line," UlforceVeedramon mused.

"I think that she is probably to thank for all the support the Order has been getting. She can be quite stubborn," Paildramon explained with a knowing smile.

"You sound like you know her well," UlforceVeedramon stated, looking at Paildramon with interest. "I guess it makes sense that you would, since Councillor Imperialdramon's your father."

Paildramon nodded. "I have known her since I was young, due to her connection with my father," she confirmed.

"Did you look up to her? I imagine she was quite the role model," UlforceVeedramon suggested with a smile.

Paildramon frowned. "Well… In a way, I suppose. To be honest, I admired her strength when I was younger. She was never afraid to stand up for her beliefs and what she thought was right. …However, I don't really consider myself as having a role model. I never wanted to get into politics. I was more enamored with the military life. If anything, I looked up to courageous generals more than anything else," she admitted, sounding a little sheepish about it. She rubbed the back of her neck and looked away from UlforceVeedramon with traces of shame behind her crimson helmet. "…I don't make a habit of idolizing people or anything. I just respected that about her."

UlforceVeedramon couldn't help but chuckle. "You don't need to be embarrassed. I'm a Royal Knight and I had people I looked up to when I was young," he explained.

"Sorry. I know," Paildramon responded. "It's just that…" She frowned and glanced down at her draconic feet, thinking about what she wanted to say. "I'm my own Digimon. I didn't go out of my way to model myself after the Digimon that I admire. I want to stand on my own accomplishments."

UlforceVeedramon smiled a bit. "I wasn't going to compare you," he assured her. "I don't like being compared to the others either, so I kind of know how you feel. We each have our own skills and flaws. It's what makes us 'us'."

"That's a good way to put it," Paildramon answered with a relieved smile.

"It is? Oh, that's a relief," UlforceVeedramon laughed. "I was worried I just said something embarrassingly obvious."

Paildramon grinned playfully. "On the contrary, it seems you're more than just jokes after all. You can be quite complex and philosophical when you want. I'm impressed," she stated good-humouredly.

The winged dragon knight chuckled with embarrassment and rubbed the back of his blue, helmeted head. "Hey, I guess I can… That's not a side that often comes out," he sheepishly responded. He decided to change the subject away from himself. "Ahem… So… Are you nervous about fighting the Seven Great Demon Lords?"

"Cautious? Yes. Nervous? No. Don't worry; my resolve is unwavering," Paildramon assured him, becoming serious again. "I know that that goes for the others as well. We can't let those seven demons any more destruction after the Night of Falling Stars. We'll fight them with everything we have."

"Yeah, you're right," UlforceVeedramon agreed, encouraged by her tenacity. "Anyways, I should let you get back to your recruits. Maybe we can have a beer later?"

"Maybe, if we both have time," she agreed calmly. She saluted UlforceVeedramon and turned away, beginning to head across the training grounds towards the Aerial Strike recruits. Paildramon stopped and glanced over her shoulder at her fellow Veemon-species Digimon. "So… who _did_ you look up to when you were young?"

UlforceVeedramon blushed a bit and looked around their immediate vicinity to make sure nobody was nearby. He walked up to her conspiratorially. "Promise not to tell anybody? Especially not a certain gold-armoured Royal Knight about yay-high?" he asked, levelling his hand with his waist.

Paildramon nodded.

"…Magnamon's dad," UlforceVeedramon admitted, scratching his cheek with a finger. "You know, the warrior from Brighthelm who stopped all those Diablomon during the Armagemon Crisis?"

"And I guess Magna's pretty cool too, once I met him…" the blue Royal Knight added with even more reluctance, his face flushing further at the admission. "…And, again, he can never find out that I said that. _Ever._"

Paildramon laughed softly but smiled at him reassuringly. "Don't worry, Your secret's safe with me," she told him. She nodded and turned back to the Aerial Strike Forces, who were prepared and ready to go now.

UlforceVeedramon smiled and watched as Paildramon walked off. "…_I guess I should get training too. Can't afford to get lazy at this point_," he thought to himself.

He flapped his broad, blue and pink wings, lifting himself into the air. "_Maybe I'll see if I can beat my record around Splendor's Reach_," he mused with an energized grin.

With that, the speedy knight took off in an azure blur.

* * *

"Hurry it up, SaviorHackmon," a rough voice ordered. "The longer you take, the less time we have to train."

SaviorHackmon sighed and nodded. "Yes, Gankoomon-sensei…"

He walked down the main road of the castle, passing by the shops and the barracks buildings as he made his way towards the training grounds. His bladed feet clinked against the stone street as he followed behind Gankoomon, who strode ahead of him with his usual determined gait. Flanking SaviorHackmon on both sides were the Sistermons, with Noir on his right and Blanc on his left. Sistermon Noir idly spun her gun around her index finger, while Sistermon Black timidly held her trident while walking close to SaviorHackmon.

"S-So, um… How did your talk with GrandisKuwagamon go…?" Sistermon Blanc asked, looking up at the tall dragon man inquisitively.

"As well as I expected it to go," SaviorHackmon admitted, reaching his hand up and readjusting the red collar of his cape. "He has a rough edge to him. He wasn't exactly happy to see me."

Sistermon Noir looked disinterestedly over her shoulder at him. "Then why bother?" she asked blandly.

SaviorHackmon's golden eyes softened into a frown. "I needed to…" he responded. "I wanted to speak with him."

"Seems pointless to me," the darker of the two sisters said with a shrug.

"Sometimes there are things that a man's gotta do," Gankoomon stated firmly. He looked over his shoulder at the three. "I could tell from the way that SaviorHackmon asked that this was one of them."

SaviorHackmon lifted his metallic, draconic head up and looked towards the sunny sky. "…Before I met him, I thought Black Pincer Company was just this evil group of criminals. I had this idea that there were good guys, like the Royal Knights, and bad guys, like Black Pincer Company and the Metal Empire. But, after talking with GrandisKuwagamon, I'm not sure that it's that simple…" he explained. "It's so easy to just categorise Digimon into 'good' and 'evil' because it's convenient, but it's not that black and white, is it? Even the soldiers from the Metal Empire weren't evil, I don't think. They were just following orders, even if those orders were wrong. …GrandisKuwagamon was right. I _was_ naïve…"

"We all were at one point," Gankoomon told him, looking forward as he walked. "What's important is that you don't close your eyes to the realities of the world. You face them head on, with your eyes wide open!" the Royal Knight declared passionately. "That's what men do!"

SaviorHackmon smiled and nodded. "You're right, Gankoomon-sensei!" he agreed. "That's why… That's why I don't want to pre-judge Digimon before getting to know them. There's more to Digimon than just categories and what's on the outside. I _know_ there's more to GrandisKuwagamon than just how he acts…"

SaviorHackmon bowed his head, his honest, gold eyes gazing down on the stone cobbles before him. "Hell… If it weren't for you, Sensei, maybe I would have turned out just like him…" he contemplated. He looked up at Gankoomon's back. "After that night, I mean…"

Gankoomon silently continued walking, listening to his words. He stepped onto the grass of the training grounds and pressed onwards toward their destination.

The dragon man Digimon gazed at the back of Gankoomon's head, his eyes fixated on his fiery red hair. "Sensei…" he said, his tenor voice heavy and serious. "The Seven Great Demon Lords were the ones that dropped the Sky Colony and destroyed my town, right? …Is it true that they're free?"

"SaviorHackmon…" Sistermon Blanc said sadly, looking at him with sympathetic grey eyes.

Gankoomon stopped walking, prompting SaviorHackmon and the Sistermons to suddenly stop as well. Despite the fact that he stopped, Gankoomon didn't turn around. He stood there, quiet for a few moments.

"…Yeah," he responded bluntly.

SaviorHackmon frowned and looked down. He stared at his palm, deep in thought. He tentatively curled his claws to make a tight fist, but then relaxed them. "I see…"

Gankoomon finally turned around and looked at the tall dragon man directly through his visor. "…Do you want revenge?" he asked him.

"No… I don't," SaviorHackmon responded thoughtfully. "I don't think revenge would make me feel better about anything. I want the Demon Lords defeated, but not because of what they did to my village. I just don't want them to hurt any more Digimon."

Gankoomon smiled at this. "Glad to hear it," he said, folding his arms across his broad chest and grinning approvingly. "Revenge isn't all it's cut out to be."

SaviorHackmon nodded quietly. "…What are we going to do about it, Sensei?" he asked him.

"Do what Royal Knights do best: kick their asses!" Gankoomon declared with a confident smirk.

SaviorHackmon couldn't help but chuckle at his teacher's words. He smiled wider, emboldened by Gankoomon's straightforward confidence, and nodded. "Okay…!"

"Can we help?" Sistermon Noir asked Gankoomon. "I'm still pissed that we missed that big battle at Saversburg."

"M-Maybe we should just focus on training SaviorHackmon and helping out around the castle…" Sistermon Blanc suggested, far less eager than her older sister.

"Wuss," Sistermon Noir chastised.

"I-I'm not!" the white and pink Digimon protested poutily.

"You don't want to fight, you don't want to confess your feelings for Magnamon – you're a total wuss!" Sistermon Noir taunted with a grin.

SaviorHackmon blinked and looked down at Sistermon Blanc with shock. "Y-You like Magnamon-shishou, Blanc-chan?!" he stammered, his eyes widening.

"Are you jealous, Hackie?" the black-garbed Sistermon teased him as well.

"I-It's not like that!" SaviorHackmon protested ardently. "Magnamon-shishou is my hero!"

"Are you suuuure? I know how passionate you get over the Royal Knights. There's no shame in—"

"Noir-chan!" SaviorHackmon protested, blushing heavily in his metallic cheeks. "Cut it out!"

"Noir, you're so mean sometimes!" Sistermon Blanc huffed with angry embarrassment as well.

Gankoomon shook his head and rolled his eyes behind his helmet. "That's enough, you three," he told them, although grinning a bit. "We've got work to do!"

For emphasis, Gankoomon continued walking across the training grounds towards a wide open spot that wasn't in use. "You can start with stretches, SaviorHackmon. Then you're going to do three sets of fifty push ups."

SaviorHackmon smiled and followed after him, along with the two Sistermons. "Yes, Sensei…"

* * *

As early evening set in, GrandisKuwagamon continued to sit in his relatively comfy, yet hopelessly confining cell. It was all he could do, as a prisoner of the Royal Knights.

He sat cross-legged on his bed with a tray of food on his lap. On his plate were a fresh variety of vegetables and a large slab of succulent, medium-rare steak, plucked from some of the finest meat trees in the Free Area. It was drizzled in an apple-red wine reduction, creating a deliciously sweet and savoury aroma that filled the cell.

GrandisKuwagamon couldn't deny that the food looked and tasted delicious. It was far better than the food that he usually ate. He certainly didn't expect prisoners to be served food of this calibre. He wasn't aware that RhodoKnightmon insisted that prisoners be served the same food as Order members, since the culinary Royal Knight didn't prisoners saying that they were served sub-standard food.

Despite the ignition of his taste buds when he placed a piece of meat in his mouth, GrandisKuwagamon didn't have much of an appetite. As calm and nonchalant as an appearance that he put on, he hated the situation that he got himself in.

It stuck in his ego that he lost to the Royal Knights. He prided himself in his fighting capabilities. He knew that the Royal Knights were supposed to be some of the top warriors in the Digital World, but he still hated that he lost to one. More than that, he was furious about the position he was in. He hated how helpless he was right now. He was at the mercy of the Royal Knights.

He wasn't in control of his fate.

And it was all because of them.

GrandisKuwagamon lowered his head far enough for the light to cast a shadow over his face. He still remembered Blitzmon and Bolgmon's exact words to him when they used him as a scapegoat in Saversburg.

_"__Hahaha!" Bolgmon cackled, turning and giving GrandisKuwagamon a large smirk. "Good luck, Grandis!"_

_Blitzmon shrugged at GrandisKuwagamon as he zipped through the air. "It's nothing personal!" he called out."_

They didn't have any problem with betraying him at all. A scowl formed on the insect man's face as he thought about it harder. He began to grip the plastic fork in his hand tightly. No, they didn't just use him as a scapegoat when the Royal Knights spotted them. It was a set up.

GrandisKuwagamon clearly remembered Bolgmon attacking the Royal Knights when they were supposed to be sneaking by them. He remembered the look on Bolgmon's face. Bolgmon was never that good at hiding his emotions. Rather than fear or anger, he looked triumphant, like everything was going to plan. He even laughed about it.

_"__I think they saw us! Haha, oops!_"

That was all the evidence that GrandisKuwagamon needed. He wasn't just scapegoated by his two comrades; he had been set up from the start.

The ebony mercenary scowled bitterly. He stung him that two Digimon who he considered his friends would do this to him. He wasn't unfamiliar with betrayal, so he constantly had his guard up. However, he let his guard down around Blitzmon and Bolgmon. Given everything that they had gone through together - given their relationship and their history all the way back to childhood – he never thought that there would be any reason for them to betray him. It wouldn't have surprised him if they just ran off to save their own exoskeletons, but this was different. This was planned.

"Tch," GrandisKuwagamon scoffed, angry at himself almost as much as he was at them. "_I should have seen the signs… Their cozy little chats together while I was busy. When Bolgmon said he was going to edge me out of the company, I thought he was just spouting hot air like he usually does. But he's been cagey around me for a few weeks now. Damn it! I'm such a dumbass. I should have picked up on all this!_"

GrandisKuwagamon sneered and stabbed the steak with his fork, causing juice to ooze out onto the plate. "_I was naïve. Never let your guard down. Everybody's going to look out for themselves, so-called friendship or not. It all comes down to whether somebody benefits you or not. I guess Bolgmon saw me as a threat to his relationship with Blitzmon, or maybe they just wanted a larger share in the company, or maybe it was just petty payback for me nagging him. Who the fuck knows?" _He sighed and composed himself, starting to cut into the steak with his plastic knife with precision cuts._ "I wonder how much Blitzmon was involved in it. He at least seemed to know what was going on when they turned on me. I was an idiot for fooling myself into thinking that all those years together meant anything when the chips were down._"

The insect mercenary wiped the meat along the dabs of delectable sauce and placed it in his mouth. Although it should have tasted delicious, his mood made the food seem bitter and empty. As he chewed, he made a decision. "_Okay, Grandis. Enough feeling sorry for yourself. You're not finished yet… You've still got options. And if Blitzmon and Bolgmon are only looking out for themselves, so can you…_"

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of hushed chatter among the dungeon guards.

"Do you really think the Seven Great Demon Lords were freed?" VictoryGreymon asked his Mystimon companion. "WarGreymon told me the rumour. I dunno what to think."

"The forces have been training awfully hard after just coming out of a war. They wouldn't be doing that if there wasn't something going on," Mystimon answered.

"Gee. I guess you're right…" VictoryGreymon agreed, frowning as he thought about it.

"I heard it has something to do with those dark rifts that popped up all over the battlefield when Chaosdramon went nuts," Mystimon suggested.

"Oh, yeah. Those weird things… I felt sick just being near one. It was kinda scary," VictoryGreymon mused as he remembered the battle against the Metal Empire and the dark rifts that started popping up. "What do they have to do with the Demon Lords?"

"Those things are how DarkKnightmon escaped the Dark Area to begin with. The Demon Lords must have escaped through them too."

GrandisKuwagamon stared out of the bars of his cell as he listened in on their conversation. He grunted upon hearing the news. "_The Seven Great Demon Lords, huh?_" he thought to himself.

Before he could think about it much more, he was distracted by the sound of the dungeon's doors opening. There was some hushed chatter between the guards and the visitors.

Then, three sets of footsteps began echoing up the dungeon corridor. One gait was loud, metallic, confident, and dominant. The second pair was metallic as well, but the footsteps were soft and calculated, as if the Digimon was stalking after prey. Finally, the third set was light and barely audible, with the only sound being made was the soft tapping of talons or claws. If GrandisKuwagamon had been less perceptive, he wouldn't have noticed the third pair at all.

GrandisKuwagamon placed his plate to the side and stood up. As the footsteps neared, he could see Alphamon, Reapermon, and Karatenmon, the latter of whom he didn't recognise, walk into view. The three stopped in front of his cell and looked at him through the bars.

"GrandisKuwagamon?" Reapermon asked, his fearsome face glaring at the mercenary with empty, glowing eyes.

GrandisKuwagamon turned to face them fully. "Wow, I sure am popular today, aren't I?" he sarcastically stated upon seeing his visitors.

"Hello, GrandisKuwagamon," Alphamon greeted. "I apologise for not visiting until now, but I have been busy."

GrandisKuwagamon folded his arms standoffishly. "I wasn't exactly expecting a red carpet welcome," he responded. "What do you want?"

"Simply to talk," Alphamon responded, his gold eyes gazing at GrandisKuwagamon steadily.

"Oh, is the interrogation beginning already?" GrandisKuwagamon nonchalantly inquired. "I'm pretty stubborn, so you've got your work cut out for you. I don't break easily."

"We don't use torture, if that's what you are implying," Alphamon responded reasonably.

"Even if the Digital World was on the line?" GrandisKuwagamon challenged. "You saying you wouldn't do it then?"

Alphamon stared at GrandisKuwagamon calmly. "You seem to like challenging authority and attempting to point out the flaws and hypocrisies of others," he noted, not rising to the bait. "However, I believe that you have the wrong idea about what the Royal Knights are and what we stand for."

"I do, huh?" GrandisKuwagamon asked with an amused yet hollow chuckle. "If you say so, Sir Gallant. I think you're the ones who're deluding yourselves."

Alphamon placed a hand on his hip and gazed through the bars at GrandisKuwagamon. "How so?" he curiously inquired.

GrandisKuwagamon walked right up to the bars of the cell and stared across into Alphamon's eyes. "Where to start? You and your Royal Knights and your bunch of idiotic followers… You think you're big heroes of the Digital World. You're the champions of Yggdrasil, the guardians of Network Security, famous heroes and all that nice-sounding stuff. You go around fighting big, calamitous assholes every once in awhile, and you play politics and sit around the rest of the time. You're so up your own asses that you don't know what's going on around you," GrandisKuwagamon bluntly accused, unafraid to speak his mind even in the position that he's in.

Alphamon brought his black and gold hand up to his chin, stroking it with the back side of his index finger as he deliberated on the prisoner's words. "I beg to differ, GrandisKuwagamon. We aren't living in some ivory tower here. Our Order is doing our best to protect the whole of the Digital World, as well as Network Security. We don't just fight existential threats. As you well know, we also bring criminals to justice and we prevent crime, brigandage, and violence. We also provide disaster aid and relief to Digimon in need. We are trying to make the Digital World a peaceful place. That is why we must bring Digimon like yourself to justice," Alphamon retorted in a measured, collected voice.

GrandisKuwagamon couldn't help but laugh bitterly. "'Digimon like me'… What you really mean is 'virus attributes'," the black insect Digimon responded with a standoffish half-grin.

Alphamon frowned at his accusation. "No… I meant mercenaries who break the law," he answered.

"Come on, Alphamon. Are you really that delusional?" GrandisKuwagamon needled, shrugging his shoulders. "You know how many Digimon you arrest. Most of them are virus Digimon like me. Your Order is loaded with vaccine Digimon. Don't try to deny it."

"Even if it's true that we have many vaccine Digimon in our Order, and we do apprehend a large amount of virus Digimon, we do not specifically target virus Digimon," Alphamon defended. "Two of my closest friends – Dukemon and RhodoKnightmon – are virus Digimon. We have four data attributes among the twelve Royal Knights as well."

"Really? 'I have a virus attribute friend'?" GrandisKuwagamon deadpanned. "I'm sure you've got a few token virus Digimon on your team for the PR, but that doesn't change anything."

Alphamon closed his eyes at this. "GrandisKuwagamon, I do not appreciate you making baseless assumptions about me and my friends. Dukemon and RhodoKnightmon are extremely important friends of mine. Furthermore, not all of the criminals that we apprehend are virus attributes. I firmly believe that 'vaccine', 'data', and 'virus' are empty labels. They do not necessarily determine the morality of Digimon. We do not discriminate based on such petty things, and we accept all into our Order," he calmly explained to the mercenary.

Reapermon stepped forwards and pointed his sickle at GrandisKuwagamon. "Stop playing the victim, bug," Reapermon said with a scowl. "I'm a virus attribute too. Not only that, but I used to be a criminal like you – a bounty hunter. Alphamon and I fought on several occasions, but when he finally defeated me, he offered me a second chance. You shouldn't talk about things you don't know anything about."

"Tch," GrandisKuwagamon scoffed, leering at Reapermon. "I've heard all about you, Reapermon. Anyway, those aren't my words. A lot of the virus Digimon I know feel that way about the Royal Knights."

"Criminals, you mean," Reapermon fired back.

"You saying we're wrong?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him. "I mean, we virus attributes get a shitty rep. Most of the Digimon who do things like trying to destroy the Digital World are virus types. There's a lot of Digimon who think that it's in our programming to be evil. Those same Digimon think that vaccine attributes are programmed to be good. I'm not denying that a shit load of virus Digimon are criminals. In fact, we probably account for the majority of criminals… I've seen virus Digimon swindle buyers, steal, rough up civilians… even raze villages…" GrandisKuwagamon spoke, his eye darkening as he stared at one of the torches on the opposite side of the dungeon hall. He grunted and looked away, folding his arms. "Hell, I've gone my whole life receiving shitty looks. Maybe it's because I'm a virus attribute, maybe because I'm an insect Digimon. Probably both. …Still, not all of us are like that. I've seen vaccine Digimon do despicable things too. Same goes for data Digimon."

"So have I…" Alphamon responded, opening his gold eyes and staring at the imprisoned mercenary. "That's why I know not to judge based on something like attribute. We only arrest criminals, GrandisKuwagamon." The black Royal Knight folded his thick arms across his chest and he stared at GrandisKuwagamon with a mixture of firmness and empathy. "…To be perfectly honest, I hate labels. And I wish you wouldn't label me and my friends with broad strokes," the Aloof Hermit rebuked. "You accuse us of being deluded, idealistic, and discriminatory, but you know nothing about us. You are taking the moral high ground against us, and yet you are the one with the long list of crimes to your name. You are merely deflecting responsibility."

At this, GrandisKuwagamon couldn't help but smirk. He was quietly impressed by Alphamon's charisma and his willingness to call him out. "Okay… You got me…" he replied nonchalantly.

Karatenmon raised his eyebrow. "What? So, you just made up all of that indignation?" he asked him quizzically.

"Nah… I didn't say anything that wasn't true," GrandisKuwagamon responded, folding his arms. He grinned at Alphamon. "But I'm not playing the victim… In fact, I'm proud of being a virus attribute. I don't give a shit if some vaccine Digimon looks at me like something he scraped off his boot. Like I said, I'm used to that. I just wanted to see if Alphamon here was all talk and no substance. Part of me thought that he'd just be a big, empty suit of armour."

"And am I?" Alphamon questioned.

"…That's still to be determined," GrandisKuwagamon responded coyly. "Not a bad start though."

Alphamon's golden eyes furrowed behind his black helmet. "…I don't know why I have to explain myself to you, GrandisKuwagamon. You are the one who has to answer for his crimes."

"You came here for something; I just like to know what kind of Digimon that I'm working with before I deal with them," GrandisKuwagamon replied. "If I were just a random criminal, you'd have shipped me off to Havelock Prison by now. You wouldn't be coming down to meet somebody like me in person. Especially not with an entourage. So, that means you want something from me…"

"I like to think that I would have come here anyways," Alphamon replied, although he was impressed by GrandisKuwagamon's perceptiveness.

"The leader of the holy Order of the Royal Knights? Coming down to visit a roguish, dishonorable, admittedly attractive mercenary? Don't kid yourself."

Alphamon closed his eyes and shook his head. "I may be a Royal Knight, but I don't look down on you or Digimon like you," he explained diplomatically.

"No, you just arrest or delete Digimon like us," the bug quipped, unconvinced. He placed a hand of his hip and gazed at Alphamon with standoffish defiance. "I have a hard time believing that you're really that noble. I've been working against you from the start; I'm an amoral mercenary who takes any job as long as he gets paid, and I'm a virus insect to boot. Not to mention…" GrandisKuwagamon's compound eye darkened. "I'm an X-Antibody Digimon…"

Stifling a slight wince, the heavily armoured and caped paladin frowned in response. "An X-Antibody Digimon…" he mused, thinking deeply and rubbing his chin pensively.

GrandisKuwagamon smirked bitterly and nodded. "Yeah. You know, that mutant vaccine that alters Digimons' digicores? Makes them resistant to some viruses, makes them stronger and faster, and makes them look different in some cases."

"That's right… GrandisKuwagamon are quite rare, but they do have X-Antibodies. Blitzmon and Bolgmon don't typically have X-Antibodies, but your friends seemed to for some reason," the Royal Knight deliberated.

"Yup. Oh, and also, us X-Antibody Digimon - you know - apparently caused that Death-X Invasion way back when. A lot of Digimon are distrustful of X-Antibody Digimon because of that," GrandisKuwagamon pointed out. "A bunch of them were even hunted down after, if I remember my history right."

At this mention, Alphamon winced and looked away. "That… The Death-X Invasion wasn't because of X-Antibody Digimon," he insisted, a hint of emotion lingering on his words. He turned back to GrandisKuwagamon and stared him straight in the eye. "…To be honest, I am also an X-Antibody Digimon."

"Huh, look at us," GrandisKuwagamon said with an ironic smirk. "We're at opposite ends of the spectrum. A paragon of virtue and a ruthless criminal."

Alphamon frowned in response to the comment. "I don't see it that way… And anyways, I am not defined by the X-Antibody. I used to think that I was… I used to think that that whole invasion was because…" Alphamon closed his eyes and shook his head. "I learned a lot about myself from that disaster. I learned that I am in no position to pass judgments on others. That includes you."

"Well, isn't that magnanimous of you…?" the insect mercenary sarcastically replied.

The Royal Knight opened an eye to look at him again. "…I get the feeling that you have a grudge against us and our Order," Alphamon suggested. "I remember that you disparaged us for serving Yggdrasil."

GrandisKuwagamon shot Alphamon a sharp leer for a brief moment before shrugging informally. "Tch… No grudge. I just can't stand idiocy – serving a made up deity – and hypocrisy – claiming you're serving the common Digimon when you're really not…"

Alphamon sighed. "Yggdrasil is real, GrandisKuwagamon, although you don't have to believe me," he explained to him. "As for hypocrisy, we do our best to serve the Digimon of the Digital World. We aren't always successful, but we do try our best… However, I think that to continue this debate would be pointless right now. We would just be talking in circles. Should we just get to the point?"

"Sounds good. All I'm saying is that there's a lot of hypocrites out there. Like criminals who hunt criminals," the black insect stated, looking intentionally at Reapermon.

Reapermon narrowed his glowing eyes at the mercenary. "_Reformed_ criminal, but I can always make an exception," he threatened with his cool, raspy voice.

Karatenmon grinned and placed his talon-clad hands on his hips. "Anyway, I'm impressed. You've done your homework," he said, looking at GrandisKuwagamon. "Especially about Reapermon."

"You need to know who's who in my line of work," GrandisKuwagamon responded dismissively.

"I'm sure you do. Knowledge is a valuable thing," Alphamon mused, rubbing his chin with a finger.

Karatenmon nodded. "In fact, that's why we want to talk to you. You might know something that could help us," the raven man pointed out.

"And why would I help the Royal Knights?" GrandisKuwagamon asked.

"Consider the position you're in, bug," Reapermon scathingly spoke. "It would be in your best interests."

"How? It's not like I have to worry about you guys torturing me," GrandisKuwagamon responded. He levelled a meaningful gaze at Alphamon. "Information doesn't come cheap."

"I am aware of that," Alphamon calmly answered. "However, I don't barter until I know what I'm buying. You may not even have any information that is valuable to us. After all, you know that we have Dorbickmon with us, and he has a good amount of information on the criminal underworld."

"Maybe, but if he had the information you wanted, you wouldn't be down here fishing for information," GrandisKuwagamon argued. "So, let's stop dancing around. What do you want? Information on Blitzmon and Bolgmon?"

"Is that an offer?" Alphamon asked him.

GrandisKuwagamon grunted. At the moment, he felt absolutely no loyalty towards Blitzmon and Bolgmon after what they did to him. However, his captors didn't need to know that. He needed every bargaining chip that he could get, given his situation. "…I'm not about to grass up my two partners," he responded stubbornly.

"Honour among thieves, huh?" Reapermon asked with an edge to his voice that showed his distaste.

As they spoke, Karatenmon was particularly quiet. He brought his hands together, creating a hand seal. The avian ninja stared directly at GrandisKuwagamon, studying him carefully.

"You could say that," GrandisKuwagamon answered, not noticing the raven man's movements.

Karatenmon's eyes glowed dimly as he stared at GrandisKuwagamon. "That's not entirely true. You are willing to sell them out for a price," he noted perceptively.

GrandisKuwagamon leered at Karatenmon with defensive irritation. "What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded.

Karatenmon smiled calmly. "My Satori ability allows me to read your spirit and predict your intentions. You're holding out your information until we offer you a favourable deal. In actuality, you are angry with your comrades and you would sell them out in a heartbeat, but you don't want to lose your leverage in this discussion. In particular, you want us to drop your charges," he explained.

GrandisKuwagamon scowled. Much of his control over the bargaining had just been flattened by this. He had considerably less to work with now. "Yeah, okay… You can read my spirit, but you can't read my mind, can you?" he countered.

Karatenmon grinned, unable to refute that statement. "No, I can't. I can only read the emotions of your heart and make short-term predictions based on that," he explained. "The knowledge within your mind is something entirely different."

"So, you still need me to give up what I know voluntarily," GrandisKuwagamon pointed out, trying to salvage his position.

"That's correct," Alphamon replied. "And we are willing to make a deal with you, provided that you have information that can help us."

"What do you want to know, exactly?" GrandisKuwagamon inquired. "You already trashed our headquarters."

"You have another," Karatenmon stated, although not needing to use his Satori to deduce that. "That cave was a hideout, not a fixed address where clients can contact you. My guess is that you have a hole-in-the-wall apartment in either Shroud or Dark Point."

GrandisKuwagamon didn't respond one way or another. He eyed Karatenmon, quietly impressed by his deductive abilities.

Alphamon stared at GrandisKuwagamon. "You currently have a long-running contract with a client, do you not?" he analyzed. "All of the strings of jobs you have taken recently have been related. From the theft of those blueprints in Facture to the attack on our castle and the attack on our patrol... They have all been cunning deceptions aimed at creating a war between us and the Metal Empire. All by a single client. You admitted it yourself in Saversburg, remember."

"Yeah, well, it worked apparently," GrandisKuwagamon mused with a smug grin. "We got you good."

"You also dug a big hole for yourself when you admitted to all that," Reapermon pointed out, tapping the floor with his scythe arm. "There's no wiggling out of it with a confession like that."

GrandisKuwagamon internally swore. He did remember admitting all of that stuff out of sheer anger when he was fighting the Royal Knights. "…And if I gave you the information you wanted?" he asked.

"If the information proves to be accurate and reliable, then we will reduce your prison sentence," Alphamon stated.

"I want freedom," GrandisKuwagamon countered.

"You have committed crimes that we cannot overlook. You have murdered several Digimon of the Order, not to mention a swath of other crimes," Alphamon said firmly. "You haven't shown any remorse for your actions, either. Freedom without punishment is out of the question."

"I'm sure you could overlook them if you want my information badly enough," GrandisKuwagamon responded, trying to maintain his cool. Upon seeing Alphamon's unwavering, golden eyes, GrandisKuwagamon saw that he wasn't getting anywhere. "What about a suspended sentence?" he offered, although reluctant to concede ground.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, GrandisKuwagamon," Reapermon warned him. "This is only if you have vital information that's worth something. If you lie to us, the deal's off."

The black Royal Knight nodded. "We aren't bargaining on equal footing, GrandisKuwagamon," Alphamon explained, folding his arms. "I assure you that we will be lenient towards you if you help us, but I suggest you take what you can get. Right now, you are looking at a very long stay in Havelock Prison. We will hash out the details only if and when you provide us with useful information."

GrandisKuwagamon gritted his teeth. Part of him knew that this was the best that he could hope for. "…Fine," he spat.

"We want to know who your client is," Karatenmon spoke, folding his skinny, red arms. "Do you know who it is?"

"Yeah…" GrandisKuwagamon lied.

"Then who is it?" Alphamon followed up. "We want to know who is behind all of this."

After a few moments of stalling. GrandisKuwagamon hissed through his teeth and looked away. "I don't know…" he admitted bitterly.

The three Digimon on the other side of the bars sighed with disappointment.

GrandisKuwagamon frowned. "But, I was about to find out…" he added, realising that he still had a chance. This prompted Alphamon, Karatenmon, and Reapermon's interest again. GrandisKuwagamon thought about it deeply. "Me, Blitzmon, and Bolgmon were going to meet him. As soon as we picked up our payment from the intermediary in Saversburg, he was going to take us to meet our client."

Alphamon's eyes furrowed behind his helmet. "Your intermediary… Wizardmon, correct?" he asked.

"Yeah, him. The client wanted to keep his identity a secret, so he used Wizardmon as a middle mon," GrandisKuwagamon explained. "Anyways, that was the day that you showed up. Plans changed when you Royal Knights got to Saversburg. It wasn't safe, so Wizardmon sent us a message telling us to meet him in our usual bar in Shroud in a couple of days. From there, he was going to take us to meet our client up close. Obviously, I never got the chance, but Bolgmon and Blitzmon escaped, yeah?"

"Correct. They escaped our grasp," Alphamon confirmed.

"Then I'd bet my ass that they went to Shroud to meet Wizardmon," GrandisKuwagamon explained. "I could find out where, no problem."

"Hold on, beetle," Reapermon spoke, walking towards the bars. "It's awfully convenient, you saying this after being caught out not knowing who the client actually is."

Karatenmon stared at GrandisKuwagamon with shimmering, tranquil eyes. He stared into GrandisKuwagamon's heart, using a deep meditative state to harness his genriki and read his spirit. After a few moments, he relaxed. "Don't be hasty, Reapermon," the crow Digimon spoke. "He's telling the truth."

"What? Maybe he's just tricking you, now that he knows what you can do," Reapermon sceptically argued.

"He isn't. There is no doubt, malevolence, or apprehension in his words," Karatenmon explained.

"See? Even the crow thinks so," GrandisKuwagamon responded. "If you let me, I can find out who's hiring them. I still have ties to Black Pincer Company. I know how they work. I'll find out whatever you guys need. Covert ops is what I'm best at, after all," he insisted.

"You must be joking," Reapermon spoke, glaring at GrandisKuwagamon. "You _really_ think we'd just let you go wandering around the Digital World, _hoping_ that you'd be a good bug and come back to us?"

Alphamon nodded in agreement. "I know you think we're naïve, GrandisKuwagamon, but _you're_ the one who's naïve if you think that you could do that unfettered," he explained. "I'd prefer to leave this to somebody more trustworthy." He glanced emphatically at Karatenmon.

"Hmm…" Karatenmon mused, looking back at the Royal Knight. He nodded his head to the side. "Alphamon, can we talk for a moment?" he asked.

Alphamon raised an eyebrow and nodded, walking down the dungeon corridor out of earshot.

Reapermon didn't like the sound of it. "Mind if I join?" he asked sceptically.

"By all means," Karatenmon agreed, walking as well.

GrandisKuwagamon watched as the three Digimon strode away from him and huddled up. He could hear Karatenmon whispering to them, but he couldn't hear what. After a minute, Alphamon calmly whispered back, followed by Reapermon whispering fiercely. This continued for a couple minutes.

At that time, the three came back, with Reapermon looking miffed and doubtful. This gave GrandisKuwagamon a bit of hope, but he couldn't help but still be cynical.

Karatenmon smiled out of the corner of his mouth as he looked at GrandisKuwagamon. "GrandisKuwagamon, we spoke about what you said," he explained. "We think that your personal skills would be best suited to this task."

Alphamon stepped forward and gazed firmly at GrandisKuwagamon through the bars. "However, you will be doing things our way," he clarified in a way that left no room for argument.

GrandisKuwagamon locked eyes with Alphamon. He felt like he was a Digimon who would be true to his word. He was a bit apprehensive at the meaning behind his words, but he knew that this was his best chance. He knew he had to take what he could get, no matter the conditions.

"…I'm listening."


End file.
